Creative Somatic Facilitator
As a creative somatic facilitator, I weave multiple body-based practices together in order to foster a greater capacity for complexity and change within the human ecosystem of the individual, the communal, and the societal.
I work with individual clients, with groups, teams, organizations and communities. My claim is that by developing a more exquisite ability to be present to what is happening here and now, we allow for transformation to occur in ourselves and in our world.
My work is based upon a co-mingling of multiple practice-lineages and ongoing areas of study including: Inner-Relationship Focusing, Aikido, Generative Somatics, ManKind Project, and Contemporary Dance.
By Facilitator, I mean one who creates the conditions that make it easier for humans to be with one another, and easier for humans to be with all the parts of themselves. The first part of this phrase comes from Prentis Hemphill’s definition of facilitation between humans; the second part adapts and extends that definition of facilitation to one which allows greater ease between the interior parts of ourselves.
By Somatic, I mean a way of perceiving, processing and knowing, primarily through the inherent wisdom of our bodies. Because part of my practice is informed by Generative Somatics, my understanding of somatics carries a political analysis that takes into account the fact that our embodied knowledge always exists within the context of our own specific social, historical and systemic positionality. By Creative, I mean rendering or allowing something to be manifested or transformed into an expression that can be experienced freshly in the present moment, as a means of accessing the potential for meaning, connection and magic in one’s own self and in the world. As an artist, this lens is woven into my being and everything I do.
Individual Sessions
My work with individuals is grounded in the mechanics of Inner-Relationship Focusing. This means the basis of our work together is sitting in two chairs in a quiet room or on a beautiful porch overlooking a pond. It involves some talking, a lot of deep sensing, and possibly some movement if that is of interest or feels called for. The goal of these sessions is to spend time with whatever is inside of you in a guided session that helps to develop a particular sort of present awareness. This developing awareness over multiple sessions can lead to new insights, more intuition, a feeling of what might be the next “right step” in a particular challenge, more compassion for one’s self and others, and a greater sense of spaciousness, capacity and aliveness.
Classes & Workshops
I teach classes in a variety of settings and locations, both in person and virtual; sometimes these are single classes, sometimes they are workshops, sometimes they are formal courses. Some classes might be a formal teaching of one of my practice lineages, such as improvisational dance, Focusing or Aikido, or my teaching might take the form of a workshop that combines these modalities with a specific frame or theme. Check out my teaching calendar to see what upcoming classes might fit for you.
Group Facilitation
I am an experienced facilitator, mostly in the context of realizing creative projects by framing and holding the space for complexity to be known, and to find a manifestation that allows groups to move in the way that is most needed for those particular people in that particular context.
An evolving area of my work is as a contracted facilitator, in which I bring my particular skillset into a variety of environments, such as teams, community groups and other organizational spaces. I believe each group of people has a unique creative expression, specific to those individuals and their relationships at that specific time and place. My facilitation centers on helping groups to cocreate brave spaces for speaking, listening and moving into collaboration with greater purpose, ease and vitality.
Artistic Work
I continue to realize a wide array of creative projects under the banner of Culture Mill, the performing arts laboratory that I co-direct with Murielle. Such projects are dynamic interventions, which draw on all of my skills and modalities to realize in collaboration with other artists and community members. Connecting with this aspect of my work can be through participation in one such project as a collaborator or an audience member. Consider staying connected to Culture Mill’s newsletter for these offerings.
Get In Touch
If you have further questions or inquiries about my work, please send me a message. Please be aware that I may take up to 72 hours to respond