Syros Healing Waves Festival 2025 – The Journey from Trauma to Pleasure

When: October 2–5, 2025
Where: Apollon Theatre, Hermoupolis Town Hall, Cultural Centers | Syros Island, Greece

About the festival

This October, the island of Syros will host an unprecedented international gathering dedicated to trauma recovery and mental health innovation. Syros Healing Waves: A Journey from Trauma to Pleasure brings together science, embodiment, and cultural expression in a four-day festival of transformation.

Set against the backdrop of the Cycladic Aegean, the festival explores the healing power of pleasure as a cornerstone of psychological resilience. Guided by leading voices in psychiatry, somatic therapy, and the arts, participants will embark on a holistic journey from trauma to joy, from survival to flourishing.

A Historic Opening with The American College of Greece

The festival proudly announces that faculty members of The American College of Greece (Deree) will join the Opening Session as keynote speakers. Their contribution highlights the deep academic engagement of ACG in shaping innovative approaches to mental health and human development.

This inaugural session will set the tone for the festival—uniting science, academia, and community in a shared vision of healing and renewal.

Scientific Retreat at the Apollon Theatre

From October 2 to 4, the festival’s core scientific retreat will take place inside the historic Apollon Theatre of Syros. Distinguished international experts will guide participants through groundbreaking insights and embodied practices:

• Dr. Bessel van der Kolk – Psychiatrist, researcher, and author of The Body Keeps the Score
• Lucia Sky – Integrative somatic therapist
• Benjamin Fry – Psychotherapist and founder of Khiron Clinics

Together, they will bridge neuroscience, attachment theory, and somatic healing in a retreat designed for mental health professionals and all those wishing to deepen their understanding of trauma recovery.

Parallel Cultural & Community Events

Beyond the scientific programme, Syros will come alive with artistic and community-based events. Local and international voices will meet in open dialogues, art installations, music, and movement sessions, offering a living laboratory of healing and connection.

These parallel embodied events are free of charge and open to the island’s residents and visitors.

About the event

Building on the successful launch of the online exhibition Imagining Greece, this panel discussion brings together leading voices on Greek tourism history to reflect on its post-war rise, its present dilemmas, and its cultural and historical legacies shaping the future.

The event will be held in Greek and is free and open to the public.
Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
A reception will follow the discussion.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

Exclusive Alumni Benefits

As part of our collaboration with The American College of Greece, alumni are offered exclusive discounts:

• €650 In-Person Participation using code SPECIALOFFER
• 50% off Live Streaming using code CYBERLOFFER

This is a unique opportunity to join a global dialogue on trauma recovery and mental health innovation at a privileged rate.