I designed this one for people with stressed nervous systems and related chronic symptoms like anxiety, chronic pain, headaches, IBS, fibromyalgia, and so many more pesky chronic symptoms that are still sticking around despite your best efforts*.

Anyone is welcome, though! So many of us can benefit from this practice, regardless of whether we are experiencing physical symptoms.

It’s very much like my usual forest therapy, but I invite some extra (always optional) attention on our inner sensations or feelings, with the aim of creating a sense of safety through compassionate and nonjudgemental attention.

And we do this in partnership with Nature, the great co-regulator.

But it’s important to note — we don’t get into the why of what we are feeling, or sharing personal details or narratives.

Instead, I welcome sharing in terms of general emotion terms (fear, sadness, joy, excitement, anger, etc.) and/or descriptive felt-sense language (eg: a full feeling behind my eyes, heaviness in my chest, etc.).

This approach is influenced by many of my teachers as a gentle way to build trust and safety within our system, soothing our nervous system and eventually, over time, reducing our physical symptoms while we build an embodied, present-moment relationship with ourselves and with Nature.

(Plus, keeping the “why” out of any sharing has the added bonuses of keeping group sharing circles from getting too heavy or personal, while also reminding us of our shared humanity (we all feel a lot of the same stuff)!)

*To be clear, I’m not a licensed health care professional and I don’t diagnose or treat any medical conditions; I’m a guide helping each person tap into their own healing potential. This is not a replacement for medical care, more of an adjunct or supplement.

As of March 2024, I’m offering a series of 4 Somatic Forest Therapy sessions on Sunday afternoons for a small group of up to 5 people at a forest preserve in Glenview. You’re welcome to sign up for any number of them, but ideally, you can attend them all, as the benefits will increase with consistent practice, and allow us to build trust / comfort with each other in our small group. (The first one I did in March was really lovely and powerful, and comfort seemed to build among the group very quickly, so don’t hesitate to come to just one!)

If you want to learn more, keep reading!

If you’re ready to sign-up, this button will take you to the sign-up page.

I also very much welcome private sessions, with solo or a small group, so don’t hesitate to reach out about that.

What we will learn and practice:

• Recognizing emotions as felt sensations in the body, and allowing them from a lens of nonjudgement and acceptance;

• Recognizing and allowing different felt sensations like pain or discomfort, from a lens of safety;

• Noticing and welcoming in the good-feeling sensations (tapping into our inner resource);

• Pendulating between more difficult felt sensations and easier, better-feeling sensations;

• How Nature can help us with all of this (and how we can help Nature in return);

• Having compassion for ourselves, however it goes for us.

Benefits from continued practice:

• Reduction in chronic physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, anxiety, stomach issues, etc.;

• Increased capacity for handling stress;

• A more nourished and flexible nervous system;

• A deeper relationship with ourselves and with Nature;

• More capacity to make decisions and act from a more grounded, authentic, empowered place;

• More compassion for ourselves, the world and our fellow humans.

This might be for you if:

• You have chronic symptoms like headaches, anxiety, back pain, fatigue, muscle tension, IBS, etc., and have already explored (or are currently exploring) the traditional medical route, alternative health practitioners, supplements, nutrition, etc.

• You feel stressed or overwhelmed with the world and/or your life;

• You tend to “live in your head” and avoid feeling your feelings or physical sensations in your body;

• You’re already on a self-healing journey through meditation, mindfulness, the Gupta Program, Internal Family Systems, JournalSpeak, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, or other somatic or nervous system support programs/tools, and want some in-person, real-time guidance from someone understands, among a small group of people on a similar journey;

• You’re tired of doing (or avoiding) inner work or self-healing practices by yourself, on zoom, or indoors!

This might NOT be for you if:

• You want to “talk it out” or get deep into the story/ narrative in this space (some talking is part of it, of course, but our focus will be returning to our bodies);

• You don’t want to try being still and quiet sometimes (it’s OK if it’s hard, though!);

• You want a quick fix (although we often feel better during and after sessions!);

• You are in acute crisis;

• You are expecting outside guidance on problems or decisions (this process is mainly about turning inwards).

Format:

My Somatic Forest Therapy experiences takes place outside, in Nature (at various Chicago-area locations, mostly on the NW side, Evanston and NW suburbs), and will include:

• Settling in, land acknowledgement, opportunity for sharing.

• Guided embodiment practice to tune into your own unique, felt  experience in the present moment.

• Time for solo exploration of feelings, sensations, and Nature.

• Closing ritual + integration.

Modalities I draw from / Relevant trainings I’ve completed*:

*note: I’m not a licensed mental health therapist; I’m a guide that helps you connect to your own healing potential

• Forest Therapy (Certification March 2022)

• Pain Reprocessing Therapy  (Certification 2024)

• Inner Relationship Focusing  (Level 1 Certification 2023)

• Somatic Attachment Therapy (Certification 2023)

• Decolonizing Toolkit with Yoli Maya Yeh (Course taken 2021)

What this is NOT:

• a space to verbally “vent” or get deep into the stories or narrative behind our feelings or pain

• a way to take our aggression out on people or nature, or to work out interpersonal conflict 

• mental health therapy, trauma treatment, or a replacement for therapy with a licensed professional 

• a comprehensive wellness or healing program

• a place to debate or judge anyone’s personal experience (including your own)

What this IS:

• A trauma-sensitive approach in that nothing is forced / everything is optional and adaptable; I honor each person’s own unique experience and way of participating; I do my best to explain what we are doing in advance and along the way; and I aim to be transparent in my training, approach, and what to expect.

• Primarily an embodied / somatic experience, but includes some space for cognitive processing to allow for better integration.

• Humor-safe-space — I love to laugh at myself, the process and world (but I’ll never laugh at you)! Laughter and humor is so welcome, but it’s also good to notice if our humor comes in as a defense mechanism against feeling our emotions. We don’t need to squash our humor completely (please no!), but good to notice it and allow it to be a doorway to feeling what’s underneath.

Underlying beliefs:

• Emotions and (most) physical sensations themselves are not dangerous; they can feel scary, but that’s based on our fear of them (which or our interpretation of them, or previous experiences, including trauma (big “T” or little “t” trauma). That doesn’t mean our body can’t experience them as dangerous — it can, and we want to be gentle with how we explore them from a trauma-informed lens.

• By offering our nonjudgemental compassionate attention to our emotions and pain and other symptoms, we are essentially diffusing the fear around them. If we can diffuse the fear, the charge of the emotions and pain and symptoms will diffuse. 

• Emotions are temporary, and we are separate from them. 

• Some people are not actually in safe situations (war, abuse, discrimination, etc.), but many of us ARE actually relatively safe most of the time. By nurturing our own sense of safety and capacity, we can better advocate for those people that are under more threat, and contribute to creating a society where all people are safe and can thrive. 

• We have often have good reasons for feeling our emotions, both societally and personally / relationally; this isn’t about trying to calm ourselves down to the point of inaction. In some ways, it’s the opposite —if we can connect with our emotions and sit with them until we get to the other side, we can act from a more grounded, authentic, place of empowerment. 

Q & A:

Q: What about group dynamics? What if I’m not comfortable sharing with the group, or what if other people share too much?

A: understandable question! First, there is no expectation or pressure to share anything at all. Sharing is a small component of the process, and while it can be quite powerful, you can have the full experience without sharing anything at all. (Also it’s amazing what just being near other human bodies can do, without words.) Further, I discourage getting into the why, or sharing personal details/stories/narratives. Instead, I encourage sharing in terms of general emotion terms (fear, sadness, joy, etc) and/or descriptive felt-sense language (eg: a full feeling behind my eyes, tingling in my leg, heaviness in my chest, etc.) This approach is influenced by many of my teachers as an effective way to build trust and safety within our system, and has the added bonuses of keeping group sharing circles from getting too heavy or personal, while also reminding us of our shared humanity — we all feel a lot of the same stuff!

Q: What kind of experience or familiarity with forest therapy, meditation, somatic practices, or other mindbody healing practices is necessary?

A: I want to welcome people with various levels of experience in somatic or mindful healing practices. So I welcome you whether you:

• Are looking for additional support alongside your current mind-body healing practices including JournalSpeak, parts therapy (e.g. IFS, IRF) Pain Reprocessing Therapy, Nervous System support, somatic experiencing, neural retraining, Gupta Program, mindfulness, etc. (I am familiar with lots of these and welcome discussion of how these overlap with this practice!)

• Have a long-time practice of other inner work, meditation, mindfulness, etc.

• Are just starting to explore more embodied ways of being and processing emotions or dealing with pain or chronic symptoms.

Q: Is just a one-off experience enough?

A: Like most healing work, this is definitely better with more consistent practice. I am developing a series that will allow for a deeper understanding and practice of befriending our inner landscape, but for now, I am offering this standalone experience to (a) allow people to get a taste of what a series would include and (b) help me hone in on what is most helpful to whom, and at which points of their self-healing journeys.

Q: Do you offer this in a 1:1 capacity?

A: Yes! I love working with people in a 1:1 capacity who want some individualized attention or who want to do it on your own schedule or location. In 2024, I am pursuing a certification in Holistic Life Coaching that will help me better work with people in a more deliberate way, over a series of sessions, toward your own specific healing goals. Contact me to discuss!