Here we are
a new season, with new opportunities
Friends, colleagues, and clients—It’s been a minute! (Actually, 2 1/2 months to be exact.) But here we are together, for this brief moment of you reading what I have sat down to write. I am happy to be here with you. ❤️
How did your summer end, I wonder? And how is your fall season shaping up? At the studio, the summer ended with me completing my final training in Somatic Experiencing and receiving my certificate of completion and status as an official Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). Woot woot! So much work—both educational as well as deep personal work—involved in these last 3 years of the program. And here I am, utterly different to the core, than when I first began. I’ve never loved life more… there’s so much calm here, that it sometimes catches me off guard (I’m not joking!). It is a lovely place to be, and I hope to spend the rest of my life inviting others into it with me.
We also wrapped up the summer with a free hour-long video call with Laura Carr, Studio A’s newest partner for bringing NARM to clients who deal with complex trauma. If you missed it and want to learn more about this incredible therapy model, or get to know the ever-lovely Laura, you can view a recording of the call here:
Speaking of partnerships…
We just finished the 3rd round of the Feel to Heal Program for Chronic Pain this week, and wow what a great group we had! For this round I invited Crystal Jessee, EMDR-certified mental health therapist here in Brownsburg, to join me as co-leader of the group, because of her own strong somatically-oriented approach and her intuitive sense with people. And because working with another is always preferable in my books than working alone. 😊 The program—and the partnership—was a huge success! The participants must have thought so too, because almost all of them rated the program 10/10 on their feedback forms and said they wish they could keep going. That’s worth celebrating!! 🎉 After tweaking it the last couple of rounds, we have really designed and now solidified a top-notch curriculum that brings a unique voice to the world of chronic pain and is holistic and deeply rooted in somatics. This makes my heart happy, and proud.
We will be offering another round of Feel to Heal in early 2023 (dates TBD), so stay tuned if interested.
New Flexible Pricing Structure
I am happy to announce that Studio A is introducing an open-ended pricing structure that is flexible depending on one’s available financial resources, beginning on December 1. This comes after much thought and research, and I am very satisfied with what we’ve come up with in the end. The standard rate will increase by $10/hr, which still puts us at below market rate for what we offer, and when booking appointments clients will have the opportunity to “Receive Support from Others” if needed, which will reduce their rate, or “Give Support to Others” if they have more than enough financial resources and are willing to pay an additional amount in order to supplement those in need. The highest possible amount one can opt to pay per hour, using this new structure, is still within the market rate. And of course the Sliding Scale program will continue as well, making the rate significantly reduced for those who truly do not have adequate funds and yet are in chronic pain.
I like this system a lot because while I need to bring prices closer to market rate so as to grow the studio, it still honors one of the core values of Studio A which is to make the work accessible to all who need it regardless of financial situation. It also offers clients choices, which feels important, and gives opportunity to those with more to share with those who have less, should they want to. It’s a way that growing this important work can be a community endeavor instead of just a personal mission. You can read about these upcoming changes in more detail here, and here is a place where you can contribute directly towards the Sliding Scale program if you are so inclined. It excites me to be able to let others in on the joy of bringing this life-giving work to those who need it yet find it normally out of reach.
Resource Spotlight
Have you heard about or come across the mini docu-series The Me You Can’t See on AppleTV? If not, I highly recommend it — wow is it ever good! Their message of “mental health matters” is driven home with personal stories from a variety of folks—some famous, some not—that are relatable and that demonstrate how speaking up and getting help is a sign of courage and strength, not weakness. It takes bravery to be vulnerable and to open up about one’s story of inner turmoil, and I like how this show honors and emphasizes that. They are significantly helping to remove the stigma surrounding mental and emotional health challenges by producing this series. Plus, the show repeatedly acknowledges how the body is involved in the storing of overwhelming events, not just the mind. So for all of those reasons, I wanted to highlight this particular resource and encourage you to look it up if you haven’t already. Here’s the trailer for it, check it out!
Well friends, it’s been lovely meeting you here. Thank you for the warm and encouraging notes you send my way — please keep them coming. I hope you are enjoying the changing of the seasons as much as I am, and that you stay warm. Cheers!
~Allie