Exhale
A Somatic Experiencing evening
Come and settle your own system before the new trimester begins.
Why this might be worth your evening
We spend a lot of the course learning to hold space for other people. Our own systems tend to get less attention. Study stacks up while life keeps moving, and most of us are carrying more than we let on. The people we live with feel it too.
Good support costs real money right now, and plenty of us can't reach for it as often as we'd like. So here's a chance to pick up a handful of practices you can use at home, on the evenings when things get tight, without needing anyone else in the room.
How the evening runs
Most of the ninety minutes is hands-on practice. I'll guide you through a few simple ways of working with the breath and the body that quiet the system and build capacity over time. You'll feel them as we go, which is how this work actually lands.
The last twenty minutes or so belong to you. Bring questions about the practices, about how somatic work sits alongside counselling, or about anything that surfaces while we're in it.
A note on what this is. Exhale is a practical skills evening, not a group therapy or counselling session. On the night I'm there to guide the practices, and I'm not stepping into a therapist or counsellor role with anyone. We spend the time learning simple ways to settle the nervous system, and you're welcome to share as much or as little as you like. If something tender surfaces, that's a good sign to take it to your own therapy or supervision.
What you take home
You'll leave with:
- A few practices simple enough for an ordinary weeknight, with no equipment needed
- A felt sense of what regulation actually is in the body
- Something you can pass to family or friends who are struggling
- A little more room to steady yourself when the pressure climbs
A window into work beyond the course
The body-based modalities sit outside most counselling programs. Approaches like Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, TRE and the nervous-system work underneath them tend to be where practitioners head once they're qualified and looking to go deeper. This evening is a small taste of that territory, in case you're curious where your own practice might one day grow.
Three evenings, one session
Same session each time, so come to whichever week suits. Each one starts at 5:30pm.
One evening is plenty. You're welcome at more than one if you'd like to sit with it again before term starts.
A bit about me
I'm Rudi, one of you, a fellow Master's student in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Ikon. Away from class, I work as a somatic practitioner and coach, and I'm a teaching assistant on Somatic Experiencing trainings. This kind of nervous-system work is the heart of what I do most days, and I like sharing it with people who feel drawn to it.
The people whose work has shaped how I practise include Stephen Porges, Deb Dana, Peter Levine, Maggie Kline and Kathy Kain. I've studied directly with Deb Dana and Maggie Kline, and trained in Trauma Coupling Dynamics with Kathy Kain.
There's more on my background over here if you're curious.
A few things you might be wondering
Will I have to share or speak in front of everyone?
No. You can take part quietly the whole way through. There's time for questions at the end if you want it, and nothing's required of you.
Is there any hands-on or touch work?
There's no hands-on or touch work. Everything is self-led, working with your own breath and body. Nobody gets touched, and for the online evenings that's a given anyway.
Will the session be recorded?
No. Nothing's recorded, so you can settle in without wondering where it might end up afterwards.
What if I get emotional during a practice?
That's welcome and completely normal with this kind of work. I'll guide you in simple ways to steady yourself, and you can pause or step back any time. Nothing here asks you to push past your own edge.
We're in the same cohort. Does what comes up stay private?
Yes. I'll ask everyone to keep what's shared in the room, and you stay in charge of how much you bring. What happens on the night doesn't follow anyone back to class.
What should I bring or set up?
Not much. Wear something comfortable. For the online evenings, find a quiet spot where you can sit or lie down undisturbed for the ninety minutes.
Pick your evening
Sign up for either online evening through the button below. For the in-person Melbourne night, send me a message and I'll sort the details with you.
Sign up for an online eveningFor the Melbourne evening, or any questions, email rudi@rudidoku.com.au