Sensory Beings 1: August 15, 6-7:30pm EST

Here’s what we’re gonna do :

• Grounding exercise - we’ll start with some guided breath & movement to orient to the space and help us feel safe and cozy together

• What is sensory processing? - we’ll explore the 8 senses using videos and experiential activities; learn the 4 parts of sensory processing: detecting, sorting, integrating, and responding; and develop an understanding of what neurodiversity really means

• Activity: Inviting your dog to be touched - The sense of touch is closely linked with emotions and relationships. We’ll zoom in on this everyday experience to explore asking our dogs to touch them, telling them HOW we’d like to touch, listening to their subtle cues about WHERE they’d like to be touched and for HOW LONG, and thanking them if they say “no”

• The Yes-No Spectrum for Behavior - I’ll share this framework to describe 3 states of the nervous system and support understanding of how sensation is related to arousal, perception of safety, cognition (that’s a fancy word that means “thinking skills”), and anxiety

• Somatic Exercise - we’ll finish up by getting out of our seats and shaking off to practice a sensory-based strategy for stress relief

• Discussion & Questions - I love when people ask questions throughout my workshops, and we’ll save some time at the end to support your curiosity

DISCOUNTED RATE!

From now through July 15, you can access Sensory Beings 1 and 2 for just $55! (After July 15, prices go up to $85)

My good friend and colleague, Brooke Herr, is offering this 6-month course on building rituals that build relationship. I love how Brooke’s work zooms in on aspects of sensation and the body, while also weaving together spirit and earth. Brooke’s keen insight has supported me in knowing myself better, slowing down and taking note of sensations, and solidifying my understanding of sensitivity as permeability. This course is sure to be a discovering journey, gently led and expertly held.

July 16 - December 31, 2023

Sundays, 4-6pm EST, via Zoom, meetings take place at a rhythm of 2 weeks on, one week off for integration.

Lessons will include ritual recipes, examples of Brooke’s personal rituals, recommended reading or listening that deepens students’ understanding of this practice & collaborators that draw in decolonization frameworks, animism & intraspecies kinship, culturally specific lenses on death, soundscapes about soil... and more!

Coaching Services

Some gifts from this week’s clients:

A dog bite is a traumatic event. I support clients in working through the difficult feelings that arise when their dog has bitten - like grief, shame, guilt, and fear - while also establishing a safety plan to ensure that the humans and the dog will not experience another bite.

Your dog’s aggression/anxiety/reactivity is not your fault. Behavior is the result of a complex interaction between an individual and their environment. It just isn’t possible for it to all boil down to you. Plus, blaming yourself will only hurt you while paralyzing you from stepping into your agency and power and caring for yourself in your dog in the ways that you both deserve.

Collaboration is key. I was talking with my therapist about how the healthcare system continues to uphold a perception that doctors are experts to be listened to without question. I think that’s ridiculous because you are the expert of your lived experience! No matter how much knowledge I have about the nervous system, dogs, or mental health, you know yourself and your dog best.

This work begins with a complimentary 30-minute affinity call so we can see if we are a good fit. Sliding scale and payment plans available.

Professional Consulting also available!

A dog trainer colleague called me the other day with a real challenge - she was hired to address a dog’s behavior, but her senses were alerted to some potential domestic abuse in the home. As I listened, I realized that this trainer needed my support to calm her own nervous system. I affirmed her experience and praised her for caring for her body, and then we explored what she saw, discussed all the possible options, and I left her with some resources to pass on to her client.

Human mental health exists everywhere that humans are - and it always shows up in our relationships with dogs. I seek to provide support at that intersection, and I am looking forward to your call!

Sessions are 60 min each, conducted virtually, with sliding scale pricing.

Thank you so much for being here.

Please use the code COLLAB to get 10% off any services.

Many thanks for reading this - I look forward to collaborating with you!

In warmth and light,

~ Sharon ~