SomaListening: Small Group Committed Series
Explore Somatic-Oriented Parts Work.
This summer, I will also be offering some drop-in workshops, and an 8-week group will be coming this Fall.
This summer, I will also be offering some drop-in workshops, and an 8-week group will be coming this Fall.
I invite you to join my Newsletter for future opportunities:
Description for Future Groups:
I invite you to join me on a journey of Self-discovery with the support of a caring community of fellow explorers. This small group combines somatic practices, including movement, touch, and breath awareness with skills from Parts Work, also known as Internal Family Systems.
In this group, you will have an opportunity to:
• Be seen and heard.
• Know yourself more deeply.
• Develop greater self-compassion.
• Slow down, lean in and listen to your inner voices.
• Explore movement, breath awareness, touch and sound.
• Feel empowered when difficult feelings knock at your door.
• Explore the joys of co-regulation and playful connection.
This is a rich experience to embrace the dynamism of movement and the sweet exhale of slowed down, embodied presence. As we do this, Self expands.
SomaListening groups are inspired by my studies in Internal Family Systems with Wendy Weiss as well as training in Somatic Experiencing, Trauma-Informed Mindfulness, and over 20 years in expressive arts and improvisational movement practices. These groups are called SomaListening because we listen to and with our whole bodies to evoke aliveness and a depth of connection not possible with the ears alone.
My aim is to create a supportive space for transformation, learning, and authentic connection. I bring warmth, playfulness, and calm to my groups.
I invite you to join me on a journey of Self-discovery with the support of a caring community of fellow explorers. This small group combines somatic practices, including movement, touch, and breath awareness with skills from Parts Work, also known as Internal Family Systems.
In this group, you will have an opportunity to:
• Be seen and heard.
• Know yourself more deeply.
• Develop greater self-compassion.
• Slow down, lean in and listen to your inner voices.
• Explore movement, breath awareness, touch and sound.
• Feel empowered when difficult feelings knock at your door.
• Explore the joys of co-regulation and playful connection.
This is a rich experience to embrace the dynamism of movement and the sweet exhale of slowed down, embodied presence. As we do this, Self expands.
SomaListening groups are inspired by my studies in Internal Family Systems with Wendy Weiss as well as training in Somatic Experiencing, Trauma-Informed Mindfulness, and over 20 years in expressive arts and improvisational movement practices. These groups are called SomaListening because we listen to and with our whole bodies to evoke aliveness and a depth of connection not possible with the ears alone.
My aim is to create a supportive space for transformation, learning, and authentic connection. I bring warmth, playfulness, and calm to my groups.
More about the group:
We begin by settling into the present moment, feeling the support of the earth and connecting with our breath. Next we have a chance to do a short check-in.
In each session, we have an opportunity to see what’s present for us. What parts are here? What qualities of Self (our higher Self) are here? What’s wanting attention here?
We get to know our parts (our subpersonalities) through sensory awareness, writing, drawing and expressing them through movement. Some practices will be done individually. Others will be done in pairs or in small groups where we offer witnessing, mirroring and curiosity.
Somatic practices, centered in movement and sensory awareness, and incorporating breath, voice and touch, help us to come into flow, sense the ground and enter a realm where thoughts are not primary. We practice bringing our attention to what feels supportive so that we can use this as an anchor when challenging parts arise. These somatic practices also help us to release stress and unburden our system.
To deepen our understanding of embodiment, I weave in education about the nervous system and how these practices can help us have more compassion for our parts.
At the end, we gather together for sharing and reflection.
Important information to know before applying:
-While this work is therapeutic, it is not a substitute for mental health counseling. If you are dealing with mental health issues, please have support from a therapist.
-Even if you are not facing a mental health challenge, I recommend having some source of outside support either ongoing or someone on call, a therapist, bodyworker, etc. Sessions may catalyze the movement of emotions that you don’t have time to fully process during a session.
-This work draws from parts work (Internal Family Systems), but doesn’t necessarily use all of the tools or in the order in traditional IFS. This approach is more fluid. I use the concept of a “part” more broadly. At times it will refer to a subpersonality that has a specific age and other details, but at times it will refer to a segment of your experience such as an emotion, thought or image.
My goal is to establish a compassionate relationship to whatever is emerging, allow for unblending/rooting in Self, and release (unburdening), and restoring a sense of wellness and safety. My background in Internal Family Systems is a 3 year study group with Wendy Weiss.
-Somatic approaches draw inspiration from training in Somatic Experiencing, mindfulness practices, and improvisational dance forms. My main goals with these practices are to discharge stored nervous system energy and foster an internal sense of safety and resilience.
Participant Requirements:
You are able to:
-Listen to others without interrupting
-Speak with respect and kindness.
-Refrain from giving advice, unless asked.
-Communicate your needs and make requests.
-Tend to your own triggers and come prepared with a few tools for self-care.
More about triggers and self-care: A trigger happens when your nervous system perceives a threat from the present or one is evoked from the past. You might feel antsy, tense, irritated, nervous, shut-down or have other symptoms. These are often uncomfortable and you start to feel a sense of disconnection from the group.
It is very likely that you will feel this nervous system response during at least one of the meetings. At these moments, unless we are working one-on-one, I won’t be able to attend to you, BUT I highly support you in doing self-care. This can look like taking a break, doing some deep breathing or journaling. You can let me know via chat that you are doing some self-care. If some self-care doesn’t help bring you to center and the trigger feels quite big, you may exit the Zoom meeting. These choices ARE part of honoring our parts and I will encourage it along the way.
Process:
Registration requires a short application which is is below as well as a 20-minute Zoom chat. This chat is an opportunity for us both to get to know each other and assess if it is a good fit.
If you feel ready to register, please fill out the application form below. I will respond within 2 days. You are welcome to reach out to me with any questions beforehand: [email protected]
If accepted, you need to submit a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot and then a pay in full by the first day. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
I look forward to hearing from you!
We begin by settling into the present moment, feeling the support of the earth and connecting with our breath. Next we have a chance to do a short check-in.
In each session, we have an opportunity to see what’s present for us. What parts are here? What qualities of Self (our higher Self) are here? What’s wanting attention here?
We get to know our parts (our subpersonalities) through sensory awareness, writing, drawing and expressing them through movement. Some practices will be done individually. Others will be done in pairs or in small groups where we offer witnessing, mirroring and curiosity.
Somatic practices, centered in movement and sensory awareness, and incorporating breath, voice and touch, help us to come into flow, sense the ground and enter a realm where thoughts are not primary. We practice bringing our attention to what feels supportive so that we can use this as an anchor when challenging parts arise. These somatic practices also help us to release stress and unburden our system.
To deepen our understanding of embodiment, I weave in education about the nervous system and how these practices can help us have more compassion for our parts.
At the end, we gather together for sharing and reflection.
Important information to know before applying:
-While this work is therapeutic, it is not a substitute for mental health counseling. If you are dealing with mental health issues, please have support from a therapist.
-Even if you are not facing a mental health challenge, I recommend having some source of outside support either ongoing or someone on call, a therapist, bodyworker, etc. Sessions may catalyze the movement of emotions that you don’t have time to fully process during a session.
-This work draws from parts work (Internal Family Systems), but doesn’t necessarily use all of the tools or in the order in traditional IFS. This approach is more fluid. I use the concept of a “part” more broadly. At times it will refer to a subpersonality that has a specific age and other details, but at times it will refer to a segment of your experience such as an emotion, thought or image.
My goal is to establish a compassionate relationship to whatever is emerging, allow for unblending/rooting in Self, and release (unburdening), and restoring a sense of wellness and safety. My background in Internal Family Systems is a 3 year study group with Wendy Weiss.
-Somatic approaches draw inspiration from training in Somatic Experiencing, mindfulness practices, and improvisational dance forms. My main goals with these practices are to discharge stored nervous system energy and foster an internal sense of safety and resilience.
Participant Requirements:
You are able to:
-Listen to others without interrupting
-Speak with respect and kindness.
-Refrain from giving advice, unless asked.
-Communicate your needs and make requests.
-Tend to your own triggers and come prepared with a few tools for self-care.
More about triggers and self-care: A trigger happens when your nervous system perceives a threat from the present or one is evoked from the past. You might feel antsy, tense, irritated, nervous, shut-down or have other symptoms. These are often uncomfortable and you start to feel a sense of disconnection from the group.
It is very likely that you will feel this nervous system response during at least one of the meetings. At these moments, unless we are working one-on-one, I won’t be able to attend to you, BUT I highly support you in doing self-care. This can look like taking a break, doing some deep breathing or journaling. You can let me know via chat that you are doing some self-care. If some self-care doesn’t help bring you to center and the trigger feels quite big, you may exit the Zoom meeting. These choices ARE part of honoring our parts and I will encourage it along the way.
Process:
Registration requires a short application which is is below as well as a 20-minute Zoom chat. This chat is an opportunity for us both to get to know each other and assess if it is a good fit.
If you feel ready to register, please fill out the application form below. I will respond within 2 days. You are welcome to reach out to me with any questions beforehand: [email protected]
If accepted, you need to submit a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot and then a pay in full by the first day. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
I look forward to hearing from you!