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    Welcome to Naturally Connecting

     

    Somatic Ecotherapy

     

     

     

     

    Cultivate calmness and connection

    Grow a fulfilling life

     

     

  • What is Somatic Ecotherapy?

    Somatic Ecotherapy welcomes all aspects of you - Mind, Body, Spirit, Emotions - as interconnected and interdependent and recognises that you are an integral part of the Natural World, not separate from it. It gives you ways to discover and deepen this innate nourishing relationship with Nature and draws on your body’s inherent wisdom. Somatic Ecotherapy is a powerful and compassionate way of working with all life’s difficulties and dilemmas.

     

    Somatic Ecotherapy can help if you want to...

    • reduce stress and handle anxiety more successfully

    • find support negotiating difficult life transitions

    • address unhelpful habits and unsettling emotions

    • develop a deeper connection with the Natural World

    • discover your unique and meaningful direction in life

    More about Ecotherapy

    Definitions of Ecotherapy are as diverse as the Natural World. It is both new and ancient, drawing from modern scientific knowledge and acknowledging its roots in indigenous wisdom. We humans and the rest of the Natural World are interdependent but we often forget this and lose the beneficial effects of the interconnection. At the root of Ecotherapy is the idea of working along with the Natural World in a mutually beneficial way.

     

    I can guide you into rediscovering and deepening your connection with Nature, helping you to tap into the support and healing experience offered by the Natural World. This partnership with Nature allows you to see your life in a new light, revealing previously unforeseen paths forward and fostering ways in which you can contribute to both your own well-being and that of the unique Natural World of which we are all an integral part.

    More about Somatic Therapy

    We are so used to giving our thoughts priority that we seldom notice our bodies until they are ‘shouting’ for our attention and we experience pain or discomfort. But our bodies are speaking to us all the time in more subtle ways - tensions, movements, posture, tone of voice etc. Somatic therapy listens to what your body is saying and respects its unique wisdom.

     

    As I help turn your attention to the present-moment language of your body you will begin to become aware of outdated habitual beliefs and ways of being in the world which contribute to your suffering. Guiding you to bring this attention in a mindful, kind, non-judgmental way allows you to understand these habits and let them drop away when they no longer serve you well, opening space for you to discover less confining ways to live.

  • What I Offer

    I offer Somatic Ecotherapy at several levels.

    You choose how far you travel into the experience,

    each level providing a foundation and connection for the next.

    Ground Level - calming turbulent waters and supporting your well-being

    Delving Deeper - exploring more difficult territory

    Reaching for the Sky - beneficial changes

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    Ground Level

    Ground Level provides you with mindful approaches to enhance your healing connection with the Natural World and practical steps to alleviate your stress.

     

    I offer a variety of ways, both indoor and outdoor, for you to re-connect with the Natural World and all aspects of yourself. Positive connection with Nature has been scientifically shown to improve both physical and mental wellbeing. It can help you cope and feel refreshed when experiencing stress, anxiety and other difficulties in your life.

     

    Through your senses and relationship with Nature you will be introduced to a particular sort of mindfulness which will give us awareness of what is happening for you. We can then find the best ways for you to manage when your stress levels rise.

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    Delving Deeper

    Delving Deeper allows a gentle but powerful exploration of the the layers underlying your problems and anxieties in everyday life.

     

    I am trained in the Hakomi Method, a holistic approach which recognises that body, mind and spirit, or life force, are interrelated. All these aspects of you will be given the care and attention they need as I help you develop a gentle sustained inward focus guiding you to study your present-moment experience.

     

    Becoming aware of what is happening in your mind and body, with curiosity and compassion, naturally leads to a deepening which reveals firmly rooted habits and beliefs. Some of these constrict your life but once recognised they can begin to soften and change, allowing you fresh new ways to relate to those around you and the Natural World.

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    Reaching for the Sky

    Reaching for the Sky provides space to examine the endless possibilities of personal transformation.

     

    Just as a tree provided with the nourishment, care and attention it needs naturally flourishes, so too can you. While continuing on your journey of guided self-discovery, insights and understandings will emerge which will sustain you in your change and growth. We will celebrate the blossoming of the shoots of your experience while continuing to tend to remaining troubles around the roots,

     

    As new perspectives open out, new pathways appear and new relationships become possible life can flow naturally again through all parts of you, connecting your body, mind, spirit and emotions into a healthy whole with a sense of true belonging and direction in the world.

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  • Options & Fees

    Individual Sessions & Half-day Workshops

    Ground Level

    - by Zoom or in person

    When you are experiencing uncertainty or disruption in your life, thinking and talking your way through is not enough. Literally feeling your feet on the Earth and noticing with all your senses the abundant life around you helps reduce stress levels and restore your sense of balance and wellbeing.

    • Connect with your thoughts and emotions through mindful awareness practices
    • Connect with your body through focused nature based sensory exploration
    • Connect with the rest of the Natural World in a deeper way

    A series of four sessions gives you the opportunity to experience Somatic Ecotherapy and see if it is the right path for you. Included in the sessions is guidance to help you make the most of your individual time in Nature in between sessions. As we progress the content can be adapted to suit your interests and needs.

     

    Package of 4 x 60 minute sessions

    Weekly or fortnightly (plus your own time with Nature between sessions)

    $330

     

    Single sessions are available at $90 each if you prefer not to commit to four sessions.

    Delving Deeper & Reaching for the Sky

    - by Zoom or in person

    If Somatic Ecotherapy is for you I can support you in deepening your experience and continuing your progress and personal growth through individual sessions. My work is grounded in the Hakomi Method with the Natural World contributing support in many ways. It can be considered co-therapist as it helps provide an accepting safe space outside yourself to hold difficult emotions as we work with them. It can elicit memory and suggest metaphor, contributing new perspectives on life experiences. In the midst of the creation of Nature your own creativity tends to expand - you may discover an urge to write, paint, sing, dance, stitch, sculpt. And as Nature gives to you, you may want to find a way to give back to Nature. I will support you, along with Nature, as you explore the pathways that open up before you.

     

    $90 for 1 x 60 minute session

    $330 for 4 x 60 minute sessions

     

    I believe accessing the wisdom of the body and of the Natural World should be available to everyone. If cost is a barrier please contact me for options.

    Given its foundation in the Natural World and the body it is surprising how effective Somatic Ecotherapy is by Zoom. However, being physically in the same space does add an extra dimension. In-person sessions begin indoors in my comfortable therapy room where we will discuss if being outdoors is suitable for you. If so, we may move into a garden environment.

    Native Forest Connections

    I co-facilitate workshops which take place in the rich native Aotearoa/New Zealand forest protected within Sanctuary Mountain Ecosanctuary in the Waikato.

     

    Morning Forest Serenity

    Open to adults with a desire to find peace and relaxation in the forest through re-connecting or deepening their connection with the Natural World.

    Next available in Spring 2024

    Information and booking here

     

     

    Corporate Wellbeing Experiences

    Living Connections Team Experience, Forest Immersion and Nature of Work are flexible programmes designed for corporate groups with a focus on stress management, team building and creativity in a holistically healthy environment.

    Information and booking here.

     

    Please note booking and payments for Forest Serenity and Corporate Wellbeing Experiences are through Sanctuary Mountain only and Sanctuary Mountain Terms & Conditions apply.

     

    Naturally Connecting Payment & Cancellation Policy

    Payment by online banking

    Individual Sessions - 24 hours before session.

    Package of Sessions - full payment 7 days before first session of package.

    (All four sessions to be completed within 6 months of the start date.)

     

    Cancellations - When you book your session you are holding a place that is no longer available to other clients. In order to be respectful of the time and needs of others, please contact me as soon as you know you will not be able to make your session. If you miss a session without 24 hours notice 50% of you session fee is payable.

  • About

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    Joyce Fleming

    Originally from the north of Ireland I have lived in Aotearoa New Zealand since 2005. While initially teaching and exhibiting as a textile fibre artist, over the years I increased my somatic awareness with Alexander Technique, Yoga, Tai Chi and Open Floor conscious movement practice. I have experienced and studied Hakomi since 2014 and this, along with my life-long love of Nature and gardening, led me to train in Ecotherapy in 2020. I have found Hakomi and Ecotherapy make an inspiring and life-changing combination which I am keen to pass on to all.

     

    Wellbeing interview at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari

     

     

    Qualifications

    • Professional Ecotherapy Certificate Program (Wilderness Reflections, 2020)
    • Hakomi Graduate of Professional Skills Training Aotearoa, 2018
    • Assisting Tutor on Hakomi Professional Skills Training, 2021
    • Mindful Somatic Approaches to Trauma (Centre for Nonviolence & Conscious Living), 2019 & 2021trainings
    • BSc Honors, Biology, University of Ulster, UK
    • I continue to attend and assist with workshops and trainings in Hakomi, Ecotherapy and related subjects to further and consolidate my knowledge and skills. I receive regular supervision from a highly experienced psychotherapist and Hakomi Trainer.
    • I abide by the Hakomi Institute Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics.

  • Contact

    For more information or to book an appointment please fill out this form

    or email or text me

    and I will respond as soon as possible.

    Te Awamutu, Waikato
    021 2164539
    021 2164539
    naturallyconnecting@fastmail.net
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