Group Somatic Movement Therapy
It’s like individual somatic movement therapy… but with others!
In somatic practice and therapy, we move to discover and explore our inner world: our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and the connections between them. We use different techniques, such as guided imagination, mindfulness, movement analysis, yoga, and more, to recognize our patterns and the patterns of our environment.
Once we gain this awareness, we can decide if it’s time to change our patterns or actually grow them.
Using movement to learn about our strengths is powerful because it activates the Body-Mind-Spirit connection. It allows us to expose patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior that will not show themselves any other way. Then, once the change is created as a whole (not only in our cognitions or our emotions), it becomes very deep and goes to the core of who we are.
There are two types of groups:
Ongoing group: This group will deal with different issues related to dealing with change, creating change, making decisions, creating processes, and changing patterns. The group participants can join at any time. There is no group progress where the participants move forward together to complete one specific targeted subject. I might choose to bring up a topic from a previous session, but the participants move at their own pace.
Short-term group: This is 10-12 weeks group work targeting specific subjects related to recognizing and changing self patterns. As the individual participants go through their self process, so is the group.
As a social worker, a therapist, and a coach, I’m very passionate about the advantages of group work.
We do not live in a bubble or a vacuum, so attending to our environment is fundamental in making a stable change.
Why am I so passionate about it?
- The group members support each other emotionally and socially.
- In the group, you understand that you are not alone. When you see others with similar issues in different parts of their progress, it can give a new perspective and a lot of motivation.
- You learn to clearly express your thoughts, feelings, and sensations by sharing. If you do not feel comfortable, you do not have to share, but you will discover that you learn a lot about it and yourself when you learn how to put your experience into words.
- Hearing the other members’ reactions to you can give you a new perspective and new ideas.
- Hearing about the other members’ experiences can help you get a new point of view.
- Since we will notice body language and body sensations, you will be able to work on your communicating skills by noticing how what you do and say affects others.
When facilitating a group, I use my many years of experience, movement analysis, and coaching skills to create, maintain, and contain a safe, positive, and nonjudgmental environment.
I lead and facilitate the group with empathy and compassion by modeling and guiding positive and solution-oriented communication.
The group is a place of empowerment, growth, and exploration.
What happens in the group… stays in the group!
All of our interactions will be held in the strictest of confidence. Members know and respect this rule. This rule is essential for members’ sense of safety, openness, and confidence.
As you sign into the group, you will sign a group agreement to never share any information outside the group. A member that violates this rule will be asked to leave the group.
As for myself, I hold myself accountable to the strictest level of ethics and confidentiality.
Let’s take a closer look…
Self-expression…
A group session will usually begin with movement. The group members are guided through a series of breathing, centering, and grounding exercises, generally laying down on the floor. The process will continue, dealing with the subject that the group is dealing with. You will be walking, jumping, and dancing.
You do not need any prior knowledge of movement or any special skills. You can enjoy the session even if your movement is hindered by physical or room limitations (if you sign up for the virtual group).
The type of movement and its intensity will depend on your abilities, feelings, and interpretation of my guidance.
For example, after moving around for a while, I could say something like: “now, find support.” Some will lay on the floor, and some will lean against a wall. Some will jump up and down – whatever helps them feel supported. There is no right or wrong. There are only patterns, that when they come up, allow us to examine them and find out if they are serving us.
During the movement session, I’ll encourage group members to write down their thoughts, feelings, and sensations so they can reflect on them later.
When we write down during and immediately after a session, we must put the experience into words. It sometimes helps us express inner feelings and thoughts that we might not remember, notice, or recognize without giving them the time and attention.
When we write, we keep a record and can always come back to it. Then we can notice if this behavior, reaction, feeling, and so on, repeats itself. So writing is a meaningful and basic tool for us to recognize patterns.
We might also use other tools like painting, drawing, or vocalizing.
Some people find it difficult to express their experiences in words, even for themselves. When we use paint as a part of an experience, it helps us bring out our inner world. This experience can be very powerful, but I’m always there to support you through the process. Looking at the “art” that came out of the experience can also help us recognize patterns.
For example: When I was a movement analysis student, we were asked to move and draw while having a feeling of elevation, a light feeling. The music kept changing. When I stopped to look at my “art,” I noticed that my drawing was not so light when light and airy music was playing. But when the music was louder and stronger, the contrast allowed me to go to the other extreme and be very light.
At the group discussion, I realized that this experience was unique. I marked it as a pattern that I should keep researching, and it was the beginning of an ongoing journey of growth and change for me.
With vocalization, scientifically, there is a strong connection between our voice and its vibrations and frequency to healing and creating connectivity in our body. Adding vocalization to our movement “completes the package” of exploration and healing.
Some people feel uncomfortable with vocalizing, and some feel uncomfortable with others vocalizing around them.
Allowing the sound to come out can feel very intimate to some people and make them feel exposed. You will never have to do anything you are uncomfortable with, but I will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone with my and the group’s support.
To demonstrate the importance of expressing your voice in the holistic perspective of Body-Mind-Spirit, I will share a story of a ten-year-old girl that I worked with at her school in Israel. She loved singing, dancing, and art. She had an inner strength, was determined, but always sang very quietly. Her dance movements were graceful but small. She always held herself back. She was not a “pushover” but didn’t express her voice loud enough for others to hear. Her teachers all said: We need to hear your voice more in the class.
That little girl suffered from a sore throat at least once a month – no medical finding. We vocalized in private sessions, painted big expressive paint strokes on very big papers, and danced like no one was watching.
Once she learned to express herself more freely, her throat pain disappeared. The block was removed. This is why I will encourage you to experience different options of movement and expressions, so you can move your blocks and enjoy your journey of change and freedom.
Sharing…
After the movement portion of the session and a short personal reflection time, participants share their experiences with the others. No one is required to share, but it has a lot of power and many benefits for both the one sharing and the one listening.
It helps you realize that you’re not alone – that you belong and that others want to understand and care about you.
It gives you a clearer understanding and appreciation of the different perspectives of group members. You’ll learn and grow so much from this.
It lets you give and get support from others. It feels good to be there for others and for others to be there for you.
Finally, going through the process with others can enhance your learning. Sharing the learning and exploring experience with others gives a greater depth. You can learn from other members’ experiences and reactions to you and what you share.
You don’t have to do it on your own.
I have been facilitating groups for over 20 years, and I deeply believe in its power to support, empower and make a permanent change in my clients’ lives.
If you are ready to make a change, I’m here to give you all the support and tools you need.
Call (201) 639-1406 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation session to achieve the change you are looking for.