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What is Somatic Touch?
Somatic touch is a self care tool that promotes nervous system regulation by providing the body with intentional physical support. This support can look like pillows and blankets, self touch or partnered touch, and/or attuned awareness to the body. It is a modified version of the body work taught in Somatic Experiencing® shifted to be a self care tool rather than a tool for trauma healing.
Somatic touch work can involve physical touch, but it doesn’t have to. Participants in this workshop will be partnered up but you do not need to touch anyone or be touched to participate fully. Somatic touch places the participant in a position of full autonomy to decide if, when, how, and for how long they receive support from their partner. This creates opportunity to play with boundaries around receiving. Interestingly, sometimes saying no to the support being offered without consequences of emotional distance or judgement is what our nervous systems need. So many of us learned in our childhood that support is conditional, so our bodies subconsciously tense and restrict in anticipation of the conditions not being met, making receiving difficult.
What will I learn in this work shop?
1) What boundaries you need to set to feel safe receiving. You will be able to practice setting them with a partner who can respect your boundary without taking it personally (this is why we’re practicing with other therapists, not our families).
2) What kind of support your body is wanting. Identifying the underlying unmet needs causing the uncomfortable reaction will clue us in to what support we need. This may look like physical touch support, an attuned emotional presence, or to say no and have it be respected. Support can be really simple, often times we try to over complicate it.
3) Strategies to integrate the information from your nervous system (discomfort that arises around receiving) into actionable steps you can use in your self care routine.
What should I expect the day of the workshop?
Please arrive 5-10 minutes early to settle into the space. Inner Space has ample parking on the gravel lot directly beside the building so parking won’t be an issue. The dress code is comfy casual. I will be wearing leggings, an oversized t-shirt, and socks (I highly recommend bringing socks since shoes aren’t allowed in the space). Yoga props will be provided but please bring comfort items such as pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, fidgets, etc to supplement as needed. This is all about finding physical comfort so bring anything that will make you more comfortable. You are welcomed and encouraged to bring drinks and snacks as well. Bring a journal and writing utensil and come as you are. It’s normal to feel nervous! You do not need to be “in a good mood” to participate and enjoy this workshop.
Touch work can be more intense than the traditional cognitive methods of healing you are used to. That’s why this workshop is designed to be flexible and adaptive to your comfort level- so you will always be in control of the intensity of your experience. Please come prepared to say no to anything that doesn’t feel right for you, and to ask for support if you are feeling significantly more discomfort than comfort. My goal is that you leave feeling more comfortable in your body than when you arrived.
Discounted Rate Options:
I know first hand how difficult it is to ask for financial support. In an effort to make this group more accessible without adding to your stress load I have three pricing options listed. If you can’t afford full price please choose an option that better aligns with your budget. Everyone deserves access to support without having to worry about paying their bills or buying groceries. I trust that you will choose the option best for you and that honors my time and the value of my work. If you need a further discount please reach out via email to hannah@cleverbabes.co.
Cancellation Policy:
Due to the limited amount of participants in this group there are no cancellations or refunds. Please make sure you are able to commit to the time and cost of the group before signing up. If for some reason you can not attend the workshop you can use your payment as credit towards another event led by Hannah.
How do I know if this group is for me?
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No previous training in somatics or Somatic Experiencing® is required but a curious mindset, interest in bottom up approaches, and willingness to sit with uncomfortable bodily experiences will help you get the most out of this workshop.
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Being a part of a group as a participant can feel much more vulnerable than leading a group. Are you ready to have your healing be witnessed? Your grief be held? And to witness others without giving advice or stepping in? The purpose of the group in this case is to be present with others while taking care of yourself. This role of receiving can be uncomfortable to people who are so used to giving.
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This workshop is an affirming space for all sexual and gender identities.
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Therapists of color have likely had different experiences than white therapists in the field and in life. If you are not able to hold those experiences as valid without explanation this is not the workshop for you.
Group Facilitators:
Lead Facilitator: Hannah (she/her) is a queer somatic practitioner and trauma informed designer. Her approach to nervous system regulation and healing work is based on the belief that you already have everything you need to heal within you. You may need help accessing this information from your nervous system, but it is innate in each of us. She sees her role as a facilitator between you and this inner “knowing” as she calls it. She believes you are the expert on your life and ultimately you are the only one who knows what you need. Her work is consent based and she hopes to help participants connect with the sensation of no and feel comfortable expressing it to themselves and others. Read more about Hannah here.
Lead Assistant: Quinn (she/her) has immersed herself in earth-based spirituality since the first time she was told, “go play outside and come back when it starts to get dark.” Playing in a shaded creekside of her childhood home in rural Nebraska Quinn ventured into realms she would only fully understand many years later. These early life experiences became the foundation for her Shamanic education which focuses on Celtic and Druid traditions and drum journeying as a way to connect to the spirit world. Quinn has been actively studying and training with experienced elders for the last 8 years in preparation to help her clients connect more deeply with themselves, their guides and their own inner shaman. Quinn’s modalities include intuitive channeling, divination techniques, sacred art and astrology. She teaches an immersive Herbalism Apprenticeship at Sacred Earth Arts in Kansas City, Kansas and hosts a variety of classes from home herbalism techniques to Tarot reading and plant meditation.
Hannah and Quinn have been working together since 2023 and are passionate about supporting the care takers in their community. In January they hosted an international retreat focused on teaching radical self care in Costa Rica. They love to mix the science of Somatic Experiencing with the spiritual healing practices Quinn has developed over her career to create grounded, holistic healing practices that have practical applications in every day life.
Fine Print:
Please note that neither Hannah nor Quinn are therapists. This workshop is not a replacement for therapeutic support, but is a great addition to it. You are responsible for your personal safety for the duration of the workshop.
This workshop is designed to help build your self care routine, not a training for touch work with clients. Please follow all laws surrounding touch with clients in the state you are licensed in. We are not responsible for how you choose to use the information shared during the workshop.
Attending this workshop does not give you the right to replicate this training or use the information shared for commercial purposes.
By signing up for the workshop you agree to these terms and conditions.
Have any questions? Email hannah@cleverbabes.co for further inquiries.