Progress, and lots of it

and heaps of gratefulness as well

Jul 22, 2022

I am learning, slowly, the value of taking a moment at the end of an activity, or at the end of the day, to pause and reflect on the progress or work that was done. I seem to have in me the perfect recipe for discontentment: I’m a visionary/dreamer so I’m always forward-looking, my particular trauma story has produced in me a terrorizing fear of slowing down, and as a homeschooling mom and business owner there are ENDLESS tasks to be done… all combined together, it’s not exactly in my nature to pause, look at what I’ve accomplished on any given hour or day, and be content. But…

I’m learning. Learning to pause and to decide in my heart that what I have worked on is good, and is enough for now. Doing that stirs up this rebellious feeling, in the best sense: I become a rebel against the internal stuff that stands in the way of me staying connected to my authentic, grounded self. A rebel to the unhealed parts of me, the trauma reactions, that say “Just keep moving! Don’t stop!” And when I pause and decide that my work is good and is enough, I am showing my nervous system that it actually can slow down without terrible things happening.

And then gratefulness comes. Gratefulness for the time I had in this moment, this day, to have the space, time, and resources to do my work—whether it was cooking a meal, writing an email, teaching my child something, or tweaking a business plan. So much gratitude is available if I am willing to pause and to declare that what I have done is enough for now.

And right now I am grateful for the progress on several fronts at the studio…

Feel to Heal Program for Chronic Pain - enrollment is open!

A new round of this groundbreaking group program, which combines Somatic Experiencing, NARM, Emotional Exposure and Acceptance Therapy, and Myofascial Release self-treatment principles, is set to happen August 30 - October 4. It will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30 pm, for 6 consecutive weeks. We will explore the connection between tension/pain in the body and the stress, trauma, and other difficult life experiences we carry around, especially as it relates to the emotional aspect of it that is suppressed or avoided and how that can translate to symptoms such as chronic pain.

Feel to Heal, round 1: learning together how emotions live in the body

Join us for this 3rd round! Limited to 12 people max. $150 early bird rate (expires 8/9/22), $165 regular rate. See the Feel to Heal page of the website for more details and to sign up. Tell your friends!

Studio A’s newest partnership

There has been a real need for a fully-trained NARM practitioner at Studio A for quite some time. Before I continue with that story though, let’s clarify what this “NARM thing” is exactly that I’m always raving about…

The NeuroAffective Relational Model—shortened to NARM—is a somatically-oriented model for dealing with the effects of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other outworkings of childhood adversity. It has changed my life personally and professionally. I am not alone in my consideration of NARM as the best therapeutic model that exists for overcoming one’s limitations that result from relational, attachment, developmental, or childhood trauma. It’s game-changing folks.

As a bodyworker I am eligible to participate in Level 1 training of NARM, which I completed this past year (first person in the state of IN) and which informs my work with clients heavily. Many clients though, just as I have, would benefit from working with a practitioner who has completed the higher levels of NARM training that are available to those in the mental health field. Here’s where Laura Carr comes in!

I am so proud and excited to announce to you that Studio A has entered into a partnership with Laura Carr, certified NARM Master Practitioner and overall amazing human, to bring NARM to our clients. Laura is a ICF-certified coach through Fielding Graduate University’s School of Leadership Studies and is a current PhD candidate for Psychology. She lives in northern California and because of her coaching practice is able to bring NARM sessions to Studio A clients via Zoom.

Because the demand is so high in Indiana (and the Midwest in general) for somatic therapies such as NARM, yet so difficult to find, this partnership will be key for getting this best-in-class therapy for healing childhood wounds to folks here. (My waitlist can attest to this need. It’s no joke.) Through our partnership, we will be able to provide collaborative care to clients using our complementary therapies for greater healing potential. It’s very exciting as I think about what we are creating together.

Laura and I will be hosting an informational Zoom meeting for anyone interested to learn more about NARM and/or this partnership, or just to get to know Laura better as a practitioner. THIS IS NOT A SALES EVENT, but rather a simple platform for gathering information and asking questions so that folks can see if NARM resonates with what they may be needing. It will take place on Sunday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. and will last approximately 1 hour. Registration is required to attend, so click below to register for the event and to be emailed the Zoom link for it. A recording of it will be made available afterwards for those that could not attend live, but you must register to receive the recording post-event.

Want to receive info on Brownsburg’s free self-defense classes?

Some of you know that I help to coordinate a free monthly self-defense class here in Brownsburg for women, which takes place the 2nd Thursday of every month. We also run an annual intensive every August to go deeper with the material and solidify the learning. I send out periodic updates about the self-defense events, in a separate section of this newsletter. As a reader, you can opt in to receive those if you are interested. You do so by clicking “unsubscribe” at the very bottom of this email—it takes you a page where you can manage your subscription. Click “turn on emails for Self-Defense Training” so that you also receive that section of this newsletter if you’re interested.

What does self-defense have to do with how the body carries stress and trauma? I’m so glad you asked! Because what may not be obvious to some is crystal clear to others, depending on where one is at in their own journey: among other things that trauma does, it robs us of the innate power that is our birthright to draw boundaries—making us victims—and recovery of this power and a healthy aggression that says “I’m allowed to be here” is absolutely critical to healing. And there’s nothing like using one’s body to say that, in the safe and fun environment that we set at self-defense classes. It’s not just about intruders into your home, it’s about anyone or anything that has invaded your space and stolen your power, and reclaiming that as yours and yours alone. It’s the embodiment of setting boundaries. Join us!

The Biology of Trauma online FREE conference, Aug 8-14

I know several speakers at this online event, at least 3 of whom were some of my trainers in Somatic Experiencing: Peter Levine, Dave Berger, and Abi Blakeslee—all phenomenal people with a depth of understanding about how the body holds trauma. I am pasting the info here specifically about Abi and Dave’s joint talk about medical trauma for you to see, along with some additional info about the conference, but head to the conference website for full info and to read about the other topics and speakers.

Abi Blakeslee & Dave Berger: The Impact of Medical Trauma: Healing an Unseen Endemic

Recognizing medical syndromes caused by trauma
Healing trauma with somatic experiencing
Strategies for preventing a traumatic surgical experience

The Biology of Trauma 2.0 could help you:

Safely reconnect with your body
Be able to use trauma as a gift rather than a setback
Move beyond trauma-informed models to growth & wellness
Protect your emotional well-being
Choose the appropriate trauma therapy tools for you
Improve your sleep & lower inflammation
Build authentic relationships
Go through difficult life events without them overwhelming or crushing you
Integrate biology into trauma therapy for faster, better results
And so much more!

Your host, Dr. Aimie Apigian, was inspired to leave her career as a surgeon and entered the trauma and attachment field because of the long and difficult experience of helping her foster son rewire his biology of trauma — a path of struggle and healing that led to the commitment to help others journey toward wholeness.

During her journey, she discovered that none of us are spared from negative life experiences that get stored in our bodies.

Her vision is to bridge the worlds of trauma and medicine in order to help more people be free from the effects of past trauma.

Click here to learn more and register

To both start and end this newsletter on the theme of gratitude… I am so very grateful for the heartfelt support of my clients, friends, and family as I seek to build Studio A into all that it can become for our community. I am honored in the ways that people have stepped up to help recently to turn the dream into reality!

As always, I so enjoy hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Enjoy your day friends!