Counselling Sessions
1 on 1 sessions are inspired by integrated somatic therapies and feminist counselling.
Your own intrinsic wisdom will guide your healing within a coregulating safe container that we will create collaboratively in an ongoing way. We will practice sourcing your well of wisdom through body awareness.
Sessions can bring liberation through:
CLARITY
Becoming aware and familiar with your nervous system (how and when your system chooses safety or protection and what that leads to).
CAPACITY
Establishing tools and somatic resources to build your nervous systems capacity.
CURIOSITY
In this relational container where we're connecting and creating a safe container together that supports nervous system regulation and awareness, a spaciousness grows, to be curious, to see, to explore.
CHANGE
Releasing/holding tension patterns created by the impacts of trauma (developmental trauma, social and cultural traumatic events) that shape our sense of embodiment. Identifying and integrating new ways of experiencing ourselves.
"Our goal is not to learn how to exist in a constant state of peace, yet to have a system that is flexible and able to come back to a feeling of safety and connection; our ventral vagal state." -A>S
Building a relationship and trust with you is important to me and what informs spaciousness for healing. I hold a strong container with gentle presence and spaciousness. I seek consent and welcome collaboration all while listening deeply and intuitively. When we are in connection and safe we can feel, release and repattern; we can fill our cups, find resilience, self compassion and compassion for others.
When our systems are accustomed to safety in connection and coregulation we can find our sovereignty, our inspiration and spiritual connection. Let's practice our ability to be in connection and show up in the world the way we want to.
When we understand our nervous system, we can begin to shape our nervous system; then we can suffer less and live more fully.
How is my healing helping the world?
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Positive system change can come from this place of regulated nervous systems where we can have difficult conversations and work together.
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When we are embodied in our experiences, free from shame or other tension patterns, we are creating that blueprint of embodied safety for others.
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When we access a ventral vagal state we have access to connection, compassion, hope, co and self regulation, and it is from this place of presence and flexibility that we can tune into the moment. True presence to the moment is a great start to seeing truth and wisdom and moving into action from there.
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We live from a purposeful place aligned with our values and passions.
Sessions together
Every individual is so unique and our experiences, social contexts and nervous systems can create a great amount of complexity as well. What a session will look like will also be unique and collaborative as I check in with you throughout the session encouraging self consent and autonomy.
In sessions we may practice grounding, mindfulness exercises, body mapping, healing movements, somatic experiencing, self compassion and other tools that may be helpful. Sessions may fluctuate between processing feelings/states/experiences and nervous system awareness/education/practices.
I offer a free 20 minute exploration call before our session to learn about you and what you are wanting from your sessions, to answer any questions you may have and to ensure we are a match. I highly suggest a minimum of 3 sessions together and imagine working with many of you for a year or as long as needed.
I work with:
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becoming connected with our bodies
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hearing what our bodies are telling us
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finding safety in our bodies
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unresolved feelings
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building more capacity for emotions and relationships
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working through and with trauma
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practicing having difficult conversations
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solution based explorations
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practicing self advocacy
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reconnecting with the Earth and our allies
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acknowledging social injustice
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embodying our truth
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exploring rites of passage and ritual design
Anything that has overwhelmed one's system has the potential to have lingering effects, no matter how big or small the event or ongoing experience. Being well resourced and having someone support your coping capacity is a key component to protecting our well being.
For example:
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after an intentional pregnancy release/abortion
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family stress / dynamics (ongoing or before/after a family gathering)
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work or school anxiety (may be related to working within oppressive systems or being part of a marginalized community)
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ecological grief / anxiety
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social dynamics
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loneliness
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depression
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if you feel the weight of the world
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anger, despair, injustice, overwhelm, isolated, alone in your feelings
You are an autonomous being with innate wisdom and power to heal.
I am here to support the conditions for you to do so.
Kind Words From Counselling and Group work Clients
Laura-Body Mapping
"The Body Mapping journey with Michelle was a meditative, safe container where I could explore the difficult theme of intentional pregnancy release. Michelle offered prompts/questions relating to this theme and then played a steady drumbeat while I was given the space to feel, explore, and draw sensations and emotions that came up. The experience was deeply healing, nourishing, and provided valuable insights into my own psyche."
Therese-1 on 1 Somatic Guidance
"Michelle’s knowledge and gentle guidance not only helped me find a practical solution to my frustration and pain…her grace, her deep understanding and compassion helped me see the root cause. With this new understanding of myself and the situation, I was able to let go of feeling like a nagging partner. I finally understood what my body’s cues were telling me."
Anonynous-Motherhood
Group Work
"I loved how the workshop allowed us a medium to journey into our bodies and spirits and then have a tangible artifact to share and even bring home to contemplate further. It created intimacy through the group sharing process and helped us understand each other better. Michelle was a calming and clear presence as she facilitated us through the process."
Payment
I offer a sliding scale of 80$-135$ and trust that you will make a decision based on what you can afford.
Here is a guideline:
135$ is paid by those who make well over minimum wage, live comfortably and spend easefully (this payment is what allows the sliding scale to work, by balancing out my compensation for those on the other end of the scale).
80$ is paid by those who are needing to plan their finances to make this work.
Community Healing Containers
Group work is very close to my heart. It is a gift to heal in a community where the intentions we bring forward are important, creating an ecosystem of belonging and support for the moment that imprints in time space, that we take forward within our embodied sense of belonging. Here we are validated in our experiences and grow in our understanding of ourselves and the social context to which our challenges exist.
The support of a group container can allow us to stay present in our practice as we resource ourselves from the collective field where we are holding each other energetically. For more details, please check in the "events" section for group work offerings.
