07951 872 366​​​
The Wisdom of the Body series:
a Hakomi Approach to Healing Trauma
with Vicky Gaughan and Gabriela Valdés Villarreal
The body is our primary teacher; being in our body, attuning and feeling our body is the basis of the Wisdom of the Body series. We offer this powerful approach as it views learning in an experiential, embodied and mindful way.
There is respect and care for each person and it sees and connects each one of us to our wisdom and internal resources and is non pathologising in its outlook. This perspective holds relevance when working with and understanding how to support trauma healing.​
We are senior trainers, with two lifetimes of experience between us. We have explored and trained in diverse methods and we teach effective approaches that give results in the healing process.
It has only been recognised in the last few decades that the effects of trauma can keep people stuck in their healing journey.
If not attended, to unprocessed trauma can chronically affect our state of mind, body and spirit with countless conditions, including:
​
-
Depression
-
Collapse
-
Shutdown and disconnection
-
Fear and anxiety
-
Impaired executive functions
-
Difficulties in relationships
-
Distorted perception of self and the world.
With advances in the understanding of trauma, a missing piece has been uncovered.Trauma affects mind, body & spirit and they are interconnected.
We believe it is essential to present this body of consciousness to the wide range of caring professionals and individuals who encounter the effects of trauma and want to support healing.
Our Story
When Gabi & Vicky went into the desert to stay together to prepare for a workshop on trauma for the Hakomi Conference Mexico in 2024 little did they know that they had called up a passionate power that was laying waiting in both of them. Bam! Sitting out in nature surrounded by medicinal trees and the hum of cicadas, they began pooling ideas and realised how beautifully they worked together. They both hold a well of experience and knowledge; two lifetimes at least. Both know about trauma from the inside out and both have a quest to learn more. As Hakomi trainers, we have the privilege and the platform to call upon others who may share our interests and passions. Our greatest teaching comes from our own areas of growth. The most effective learning comes from actively seeking to know ourselves inside and out. The Wisdom of the Body is a calling, a project, continual professional development, it is imperative as well as a sacred initiation. We invite you to take our hands, and join the seeking - together!
…one of the reasons trauma and depression are so prevalent is that our social context prevents us from listening to our body’s need to release the trauma we are carrying
- Hilary L. McBride
Voices we want to bring
The body of knowledge that contributes to our offering is wide and varied. We honor and value the richness of the voices that have been marginalized and we call on the other than human to help us align with our nature.
We understand how the dominant culture hurts us all, and we are approaching a pedagogical paradigm where the received inspiration for the content of Wisdom of the Body is broad and novel.
The programme includes global majority voices that are non-eurocentric and a range of theorists in such a way as to draw upon under-represented wisdom keepers from around the world.
We seek to create a feminine framework, heartfelt community, and we aim to offer an equitable and respectful relationship between all involved in the emergent learning process, wherever people are on the journey.
​
We teach best what we need to learn - Richard Bach.
​
-
Are you working with people who have experienced trauma?
-
Are you concerned about how you hold traumatised clients in a safe way?
-
Are you worried about the possibility that they may feel re-traumatised inadvertently in your work room?
My body & mind can be friends
My body is a resource
My body is resistance
My body is a sanctuary
We are excited to share this training with you.
Why does the world need this training now?
Trauma affects the body & the mind.
Our nervous system influences how we perceive and respond to situations in our daily life.
If not attended, unprocessed trauma can affect our state of mind and body experiences chronically. It affects the perception of ourselves and our capacities, the perception of the world and what we can expect from life.
This brings us to the importance of understanding how trauma affects us and learning how to support its healing.
The experience and impact of trauma vary considerably across individuals and communities due to factors like age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, family history, and cultural background.
People who experience oppression are constantly exposed to being harmed because of the experience of being seen through the lens of the constructs of race, gender or socioeconomic status.
When we work with trauma, we can build trust, safety and accountability understanding how systems of oppression influence people’s experience of harm.
At the ground of each of our trainings you will find:​​
-
How trauma works and its effects in our shared human experience.
-
An experiential methodology for healing trauma that draws upon the uniqueness of Hakomi attunement and self discovery
-
Practices to cultivate a stable and safe place to hold the healing process.
-
Practices to harness inner wisdom, resources and strength.
-
The importance of including global majority wisdom in the professional worldview.
We are offering a series of training sessions where we are crafting this path. We are offering an opportunity to walk the whole path or a section of the path.
Through undertaking the Wisdom of the Body series you will reinforce your practice to be trauma informed. Learning to support the integration of the trauma in yours and others bodies, leads to the resources needed to respond to the diverse experiences in your work room.
This Invitation is for…
…practitioners from all walks of life, if you are a:
-
Counsellor,
-
Psychotherapist,
-
Body worker,
-
Yoga teacher,
-
Shamanic Practitioner,
-
Doctor,
-
Healer,
-
Person who loves life,
-
Person who has a dream
Come join us!
Who are we
What supports Gabriela & Vicky in our work?
* Hakomi Trainings & Connections * Somatic Experiencing * Internal Family Systems * NonViolent Communication * Right Use of Power * Awareness of inequalities * Inspiration in Indigenous and Global Majority wisdom * Wheel of Consent * Biodanza & 5 Rhythms * Art * Nature * Silence and Presence * Family * Life Long Curiosity * Showing Up for Each Other * Beauty * Plant Medicine * Moments of Awe * Liminal Realm * Wise Elders
We hold the reality that we are not immune from trauma. The territory we find ourselves in means each class will emphasize self-care and we will use simple rituals leading to self-discovery and connection in your learning community. We will weave theory into experiential exercises to activate the healing process for our bodies and our nervous system as well as our academic appetite. This will be a rich & deep experience.
So where to start? The body of course! … and specifically the nervous system… with an essential understanding of the Autonomic NS. This pathway leads us to the Wisdom of the Body.
​
This series will appeal to Practitioners of all kinds.
​
More information of The Wisdom of the Body training sessions and to sign up click here