Relational Embodiment Residencies
NeuroSystemics methodology
NeuroSystemics is an integrative clinical methodology building resiliency and empowerment internally and in relationships. We focus on embodiment approaches in individual, small group and community practices using a somatics, systems and positive psychology framework. It includes bio-affective (somatic), cognitive, relational and neurospiritual practices and uses precise nervous system maps to track our clients’ states and development.
Residency = Multi-Dimensional Development
A residency is an immersion experience where we learn to live well and wisely with ourselves and others. We practice being in relationships, open up to others and put up boundaries when needed. We get to cook, work and play with a diverse group of people coming from many countries. We will be practicing all sorts of awareness methods (mindfulness, compassion, movement, art, diary), engage in small-group circles where we focus on the way in which our present moment embodied experience is affected by the speech and presence of others, and community sessions where we learn to fully ourselves in the midst of a collective. We will create as safe a container as possible to enable the emergence of embodied regulation, relational insights and attachment resiliency. This multi-dimensional development will help our lives be more meaningful and fulfilled.
We emphasise learning & integrating: we will have propose several ways to learn the art and science of developing inner and relational resiliency through workshops and didactic sessions. The immersion format allows for insights from structured experiential sessions to be integrated in relationships during the residency itself. The online sessions before and after we meet in in person to allow for integration into one’s work, family and daily life because we want this process to impact your life in the long term!
“It was amazing. In many ways, very joyful, very playful, meaningful interactions, whether it was in groups or dyads”
– Tova R., PhD (Clinical psychologist), 2023 Residency Participant in Bergerac
Residencies includes time and space for daily personal work and projects (18-22h/week).
Why Be More Relationally Embodied?
The quality of our relationships has recently shown to be the important factor for mental health. In school we did not learn how to build strong relationships, how to repair a connection when a rupture occurred, or how to express our needs for safety and emotional support. This residency aims to strengthen our way of engaging in relationships so that we can feel freer to be ourselves with others, and build strong bonds.
- Regulate: We will learn to co-regulate, which means we learn to support one another to feel better together. We learn to feel better somatically (in our body), emotionally (feeling well-being), cognitively (experiencing more meaning in life) and socially (feeling more embedded with others).
- Restore: From this sense of connection, safety and confidence, our patterns of dysregulation and dissociation (related to previous traumas) can soften and be released.
- Respond: As we grow our nervous system capacity and relational skills, we have more space and possibility for new ways of engaging with the world.
The conceptual framework for group sessions stems of psychodynamic and attachment theories as well as systems, somatic, social and positive psychology to support relational resiliency. We emphasize “neuroceptive safety” which means we specifically attempt to modulate the containment of the group to skilfully face the challenges emerging, and embody the resources developed. For example, we start with a short embodiment practice at the beginning of the session to prime for somatic sensitivity and speaking from a place of experience. As the group builds in its quality of compassion, mutual support and enjoyment, it become a womb-like experience which enables a deep nervous system regulation for the group as a whole. Joining us in this residency, you benefit by:
- Sensing and caring for the different states of your nervous system (self-regulation)
- Find out how you are impacted by others in an embodied way (co-regulation), and liberate yourself from constricting relational habits (secure attachment)
- Being able to express yourself more authentically with others (perspective-taking), understand and appreciate others’ point of view (empathy)
- Learning the basic processes of creating safe-enough group spaces and group facilitation interventions (facilitation)
What Practices are Involved?
We will practice a multi-level relational embodiment method which will involve a number of practices, including:
- Awareness Practices: One of the most important ways to become resilient and increase our ability to cope with challenges is to learn self-regulation. We will be practicing evidence-based practices such as mindfulness, compassion, somatic orientation, tai-chi, yoga and keeping a short daily diary.
- Workshops: Here we will practice basic embodiment and relational skills, incuding some nervous system and positive psychology practices of orientation, enjoyment, active listening, perspectival essentials, self- and co-regulation.
- Buddy sessions: Every participant will be paired with another residency participant to have a daily chat about how things are going. This is an opportunity to explore joys and challenges in the residency, as well as practicing some of the relational skills you are wishing to learn.
Process of Gradual Somatic Regulation & Organization of our Personal & Collective Nervous Systems
- Embodied Group Sessions (“Resiliency Circles”): These are the core practices in the residency, where we form groups of 6-8 participants with 2 professional facilitators, and we focus on the present moment emergence of our inner experience as we engage with others in the group. We get to feel new ways of relating to ourself, relating to others and strengthen our ability to be “securely attached”, which means that we can stay in connection with others whatever we are experiencing inside.
- RC’s will have a didactic emphasis, where facilitators share the basics of how we create safe-enough group facilitation spaces and the group gradually learns to run with its facilitators.
- Embodied Community Sessions (“Meta-Circles”): In these sessions we meet as a whole community and explore the relevant themes, joys and challenges that are coming up in the residency. It’s an opportunity to feel into a larger group process of collective affect and social intelligence, regulate the comunity, and also have some time in the smaller RC group to integrate these experiences.
- Open Spaces: There will be a daily opportunity to propose skills that you would like to offer to the comunity, sing, dance and/or have fun! These sessions allow us to meet, enjoy and learn from one another without the professional facilitators, and self-organize as a community.
- Collective Care: We will spend about 1h to care for the beautiful house every day. Everyone will choose one small duty and collectively we will enjoy living in clean and cared for spaces.
- Embodied Personal Sessions: You can benefit from the extra support of the somatically trained facilitators by requesting 1h 1:1 sessions . These sessions will help you further regulate your nervous system, integrate challenges and emotions emerging. These are paid in addition to the residency fee.
As you can see, we will have any opportunities to practice becoming weller and wiser 🙂 We will also allow for plenty of time for integration of these experiences and see how they can be transferred in our daily lives for long-term benefit.
Upcoming Residencies
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