Certified InterPlay Leader
Canan Arikan is a software test engineer, women’s advocate, and certified InterPlayer Leader. She has more than 20 years of volunteer work supporting and empowering women and youth. Arriving in the United States in 2016 as an asylee, she needed a way to heal, release, and relax. InterPlay tools and forms helped her through this healing process with fun and joy, without any judgement or criticism. Through her training and the formation and operation of Sustaining International Sisters (SIS), she exformed the trauma of moving unexpectedly to a different country by moving, singing, shaking, witnessing, running, and stopping. She listened to many stories of SISters. She practiced affirmation and looking for the good. She was delighted to share all of these treasures with other women from around the world. Canan and her former English teacher Ruth Schowalter founded InterPlay SIS to bring together asylum seekers, other international women, and U.S. citizens to connect, inspire, and learn from one another through InterPlay. In 2019, SIS began Online Global SIS to offer InterPlay to women worldwide. In 2020, InterPlay SIS became a 501c3 non-profit with the Body Wisdom Office. Canan holds an MBA and completed graduate studies for a PhD(ABD) in Management and Organization.