Art of Holding Space: Trauma Sensitive Practices for Facilitators
June 1, 2024 June 2, 2024
SERIES OF CLASSES

A practical workshop for facilitators to explore the nuances of holding space with sensitivity to trauma. 

Holding space has become common in the past two decades with the rise of yoga, movement, sound, and other healing art practices. However, most training does not include the sensitivity of handling trauma. It is inevitable for traumatic material to emerge during these environments. How do we manage that appropriately? 

Holding space or facilitation brings up a power dynamic that needs to be discussed, acknowledged, and navigated with reverence. How do we handle cultural and racial sensitivities? What is contextually appropriate in the spaces we are working within? What are ways to integrate consent and boundaries in localized community building settings? 

In this workshop we will explore the layered nuances of facilitation, discuss power dynamics. and the importance of choice in preparing, holding space for, and integrating empowering spaces. 

There will be emphasis on the intelligence of the body through basics of embodiment and somatics, how our bodies development in the womb (embryology), ancestral and evolutionary influences imprinted in our bodies, spinal dynamics as the home of our nervous system (craniosacral), and potential components for recovery and rebalancing to support holistic well-being. 

We will dive into an overall understanding of the lingering impact of trauma on the body, trauma within the cultural context of Singapore/Asia, and the wider systemic issues of living amidst a capitalist-colonialist system that perpetuates harm and oppression. While exploring how this affects our place in the world as a facilitator and space holding for people, ourselves, and landscapes.

Languaging, exploring boundaries, and shaping our ethical values as facilitators will be an active and engaging component. We aim to offer a perspective on the skills needed to navigate complex facilitation scenarios with integrity, and compassion.

We intend for this workshop to be an active imperfect collective process to unfold the tools for facilitating in a way that expresses embodied empathy and nuanced somatic awareness for collective care and healing.  

By the end of the workshop, participants leave with a deeper understanding of trauma-sensitive practices, along with practical references to support their ongoing application of these principles in their work. 

Here is a peek into the curriculum (Subject to change).

1. Internal World of the Body 

2. Landscapes of the Body

3. External Impacts on the Body 

4. What is facilitation? 

5. What is trauma? 

6. Midline Dynamics

7. Basic Creating Curriculum

8. Morality & Ethics

Chloe is a queer Sindhi-Filipinx-Singaporean therapist, facilitator, and educator. She is the creator of Body as Earth, a space for connecting to belonging through the wisdom of the body. Belonging by relating to the self, others, and earth as interconnected.

She works with people who experience the wound of separation between the mind-body-soul, which may come in the forms of chronic stress, anxiety, disease, pain, inflammation, and burn out. Drawing upon mature experience in world movement arts, complementary medical health, trauma sensitive facilitation, bodywork modalities, and earth-based wisdom. 

Having come into therapy as a dancer with former selective mutism, Chloe has a strong kinaesthetic sensibility, allowing her to naturally attune to the unspoken story of the body. Cultured by personal experiences with severe anxiety, neurodivergence, and volatile environments; Chloe positions herself in service amid collective trauma, working towards liberation for all.

She responds to the meta-crisis of the current climate capitalist-colonial catastrophe by advocating for ancestral animistic practices through her labor of bridging embodied wisdom to communities. Her diverse heritage reflects a cross-cultural sensitivity and a care-based approach. 

She believes that the deeper we can connect to our bodies, the more we can connect to belonging, peace, and internal harmony to be expressed in the way we live and relate. 

Chloe is formally trained and certified as a Therapist by Body Intelligence, The Embody Lab, Trauma Center, Soma Clinic and Illuma Health. 

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Location: Felt Sense @ Hello Body, 23 Kampong Bahru Rd, #04-02, Singapore 169349
Nearest MRT: Outram Park Station 

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If you do not show up for class due to illness or personal emergencies, you may still get your class credit back into your account:

We understand that stuff happens, and for reasons beyond your control, you may turn up late for class. To be fair to everyone, we have a 15 min grace period for latecomers, after which you may not be allowed to join the class.

Pass Policy
The validity of all passes will be 4 months from the purchase date (i.e. “pass start date”). It will be valid for booking classes that occur within those 4 months. We’ll remind you about your pass expiry if you forget!

Unfortunately, strictly no refunds will be given to sold passes and credits, even for reasons related to illness and injuries. No validity extension will be given to expired passes and credits. We’re really strict on this!

All attendance for relevant make-up class within a term course must be within the term course period. For example, if your term course occurs within the 1 Jan to 15 Feb period, and if you cannot attend a term course class during that period, your chosen make-up class time slot (subject to schedule availability) must be within the 1 Jan to 15 Feb period.