• Eleen Polson

Booking link here 

Embodied Wisdom II

Integrating Polarities

Booking link here 

Experience a creative body-mind psychotherapy approach

Pretoria-based Eleen Polson, counselling psychologist since 1995, has developed a unique integrative psychotherapeutic approach based on her training in Expressive Arts Therapy, TRE (trauma release exercises) and her extensive personal experience of body work.

In this one-day hands-on workshop Eleen facilitates a personal process and shares her insight and practical tools to access the wisdom of the body. The small-group process (limited to 10 people) will ensure quality time for maximum personal and professional development.

This day follows the experience of “Embodied Wisdom 1: From Fight & Flight to Rest & Repair and Beyond” by deepening the process and exploring another expressive arts therapy medium: pastels on paper. It can be attended as a stand-alone experience.

This programme aims to facilitate an experiential therapeutic process and includes the following exercises:

• Neigong (mindfulness movement)

• Biodanza vivencias (movement on music)

• Trauma release exercises (TRE)

• Expressive arts therapy process (using pastel and paper)

• Voice & breath work

• Personal reflection

• Sharing in small groups (guided by non-violent communication principles and person-centred listening skills)

• Reflection on collective healing

• Reference to supporting theoretical documentation, practical application and a reading list.

  1. 2. Based on the work of:

     3. Bessel van der Kolk

        Damo Mitchell

        David Berceli

        Marshall Rosenberg

        Natalie Rogers

        Peter Levine

        Stephen Porges

        Thomas Hubl

     4. 1. 1. What you, the participant, will experience:

        • Tap into body-wisdom through different mindfulness, movement & reflective practices.

        • Gain theoretical and practical insight into trauma and stress release.

        • Experience different guided creative activities to uncover pre- and unconscious material.

        • Explore non-verbal exercises for therapeutic outcomes and increase personal body awareness.

        • Time to journal, write and reflect on your experience.

        • Understand and participate in collective healing.

        • Understand and co-create a safe, non-judgmental & embodied environment where growth and healing are organic byproducts.

          Detail Programme:

        Friday	Embodied Wisdom II: Integrate polarities	Time	Cumulative time
        10:00	Arrival & creative writing exercise	00:30:00	00:30:00
        10:30	Theoretical introduction to body wisdom (understanding how and why the body keeps score and how to release trauma and stress from the body), the basic guidelines of expressive arts therapy (exploring the blocks to creativity and getting into flow) and non-judgemental communication principles.	01:00:00	01:30:00
        11:30	Neigong mindfulness warm-up movements	00:30:00	02:00:00
        12:00	Trauma release exercises	00:45:00	02:45:00
        12:45	Creative Connection with Pastel and Paper.	00:45:00	03:30:00
        13:30	Lunch – break	00:30:00	04:00:00
        14:00	Group and voice work	01:30:00	05:30:00
        15:30	Integration of theory with practice	01:00:00	06:30:00
        16:30	Closure and feedback questionnaire	00:30:00	07:00:00
        17:00

  When & Where:

  Pretoria:  26 August 2023, Ca Ira Guesthouse, Government Avenue, Arcadia.

  Cape Town: 10 Sept 2023, The three little birds healing centre, Durbanville.  

  KZN:  29 Oct, Eagles View yoga studio, Hillcrest.    

  Johannesburg:  11 Nov, venue to be confirmed.

  Booking link here