Events

EXPLORING YOUR ALIVENESS

Austin, TX

TBD*

  • We have had to reschedule the workshop originally scheduled for October, and will be posting the new date once it has been determined

Are you ready to be supported, and challenged, to bring greater energy and vitality into your life? Do you want to live in a more open and alive state that deepens your relationships with yourself, your loved ones and your community? Would you like to learn to welcome all of your feelings – really, all of them – without judgment?

If so, you’re invited to join in an immersive weekend focused on identifying and addressing the issues and patterns that hold you back and keep you stuck.

The Power Within You 

Through engaging your body, you will reach deeper into your emotional experience and bring greater consciousness to various aspects of yourself, particularly those parts and patterns that may no longer be serving you. This deeply supportive environment will allow for greater opening and movement within and beyond these long-held patterns. 

The Power of the Group

Through this shared experience of feeling and witnessing others make greater contact – with their bodies, souls and minds – you further aid, and are aided, to move and bring greater energy to the areas of your life that may be depleting you.

You can expect a respectful, dynamic and playful environment for exploration and connection; one in which you will be guided, supported and invited to discover a sense of safety that empowers you to risk moving beyond your comfort zone.

The Power of Commitment 

Imagine what could be possible in a strongly held space that welcomes everyone’s feelings and experience. By creating much-needed opening, it’s possible to revitalize and expand on the healing work you are already engaged in.

If you feel drawn to this opportunity and are feeling ready to engage yourself differently, please reach out for a pre-registration interview.

Cost

The cost is $650. If you feel drawn to join us and the cost feels prohibitive, we are excited to announce that full and partial scholarships are available.

What past participants have said about the workshop

  • “I was surprised that I really did feel more of my "aliveness" afterwards. I say surprise because I thought usage of the word "aliveness" was kinda cheesy but, as with anything Michael does, it was far from cheesy; it was deep. It was real. It was authentic. It was relational.”

  • “You go in dough and you come out a cookie. LOL Through a series of movements and reflections we connected profoundly around themes of grief, pain, desire, inclusion, exclusion, rage, care-taking, powerlessness, and power.”

  • “It was an intense exploration of vulnerability and blind spots, but also strengths and inner beauty and ability to connect profoundly.”

  • “[After this weekend] I am the closest I have ever been to believing I am not repulsive or disgusting and that perhaps I could explore partnership.”

  • “I am taking away a refreshed sense of myself as a person who can affect other peoples’ lives in a way that is healthy and powerful and even exciting, even enticing.”

  • “I am changed by the witnessing of bravery and vulnerability of others which helped create space for me to lean into myself in a deeper way.”

Workshop Facilitators

Michael Donnell is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with a private practice in Austin, Texas and is excited to bring this dynamic and life-affirming work to Central Texas. He enjoys and deeply respects the healing process and in welcoming the deep complexity that each person brings to the process.

Piper Sample is certified Core Energetics and Radical Aliveness Practitioner with a private practice in Orange County. She has a passion for the dynamic process of Radical Aliveness and enjoys all opportunities to engage with others on the path of discovering their own complexities, creativity, and purpose. She brings an open heart, deep presence and curiosity to the healing relationship.

FAQ

 

I am currently in therapy.  Will this work complement or conflict with the work I am doing with my therapist?

This immersive weekend is often experienced as a powerful complement to individual psychotherapy. Some participants who have felt stuck or that their therapy had started to become a bit stale, have noted that it can help energize a current treatment.  By engaging your patterns for much longer than a single individual session, and with the increased intensity and support that only a group can provide, the weekend often surfaces new feelings, insights and experiences that are then best taken back to your work with your therapist to more deeply integrate.

Do I need to be in therapy to attend this workshop?

You do not need to currently be in therapy to attend, although having done personal work of some kind is a pre-requisite. In the initial interview, this can be explored to see if the weekend would be right for you at this time.

What types of modalities are involved or are informing the weekend?

The weekend will rely heavily on group dynamics while incorporating various modalities of somatic psychology, such as Core Energetics and Radical Aliveness. The workshop will focus on:

  • Learning and practicing skills that connect you with inner ground and safety

  • Exploring and practicing boundaries

  • Cultivating a non-shaming attitude, fostering growth and expansion

  • Challenging limiting beliefs and patterns and welcoming new perspectives

What is the cost? Is the money refundable?

The cost is $650.  All payments are final and there are no refunds. Should you register and later realize that you are unable to attend, you can get a credit for a future workshop.

I really want to attend but can’t quite afford the cost.  Is it possible to get a reduced fee?

 Yes! Full and partial scholarships are available.  Don’t let the cost stop you from joining us. Please discuss this during the pre-registration interview.

What is the schedule of the weekend?

Friday, October 25 : 6pm - 9pm

Sat, October 26 : 9am - 5pm

Sun, October 27 : 9am - 3:30pm

Will food be provided?

Participants are responsible for bringing whatever food and drink they may wish to have with them.  There will be a lunch break on Saturday and Sunday with enough time to go out for lunch or to bring something back to the space. The space has access to a small kitchen which includes access to a refrigerator, water and a tea kettle.

How large will the group be?

We are aiming for the group to have between 8 and 12 participants.

Where is the workshop located?

The workshop will take place in a studio in East Austin.  The directions will be given to participants after they register.