Agreements

Hi Earth Body! Here are the values, ideas, and habits I like to practice during our sessions. I invite you to read these over and see if they feel like a good fit. If there’s anything that doesn’t feel right, please let me know. I’d be happy to have a chat to accommodate your needs.

Coaching vs. Therapy

  • Understanding the difference between coaching and therapy is important. Coaching is generally working with present-moment experiences to work towards future potentials and possibilities. Therapy is often looking toward the past to heal trauma and/or solving issues related to mental health.

  • In EcoSomatic Coaching we are exploring how we can move forward from wherever we currently are to where we would like to be. We are focusing on growth, potentials, and possibilities. 

  • While my work is trauma-sensitive, I do not work on healing trauma. I also do not work on healing mental health issues such as clinical depression, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety disorder, etc. However if you are someone who is experiencing trauma or mental health struggles it is still quite possible for us to work together.  As long as you have additional support such as a therapist, and our sessions are not focused on healing trauma or mental health, then we can still use EcoSomatic Coaching to work towards your goals.

  • If you are in search of a local Somatic Therapist who works on trauma, please see this list.

Let The Body Lead

  • During our sessions we strive to listen to the body’s needs and impulses. If you need to get up to stretch, lay down, close your eyes, use the restroom, get a drink of water, or anything else I highly encourage you to do so. Please do not feel like you need to be “at attention” during our sessions.

Following the Client

  • You are the expert on your life, body, and process. As your coach my job is to follow you where you’d like to go during the session. 

  • I want you to feel fully empowered to offer corrections. Please let me know if I misunderstood or misinterpreted anything you said or did. 

  • Feel free to say no to my offerings, ideas, experiments, etc. If it’s not resonant, it’s not right. This is your time, let’s spend it in a way that will be most beneficial to you.

Slowing Down

  • Embodied self-awareness takes time. In order to sink into the body’s intelligence we often need to take a breath, and pay attention to where we are and what we’re currently experiencing. This is when we can begin to have meaningful insights.

Experimental Attitude

  • EcoSomatic Coaching invites an experimental attitude from both coach and client. Sessions can sometimes be non-linear and spontaneous. Everything is being co-created in the moment based on what information, experiences, feelings, and sensations are available at that time. We might try out an exercise and find that it’s not the right fit for the moment. That’s totally okay! We’ll just pivot and see what else might be calling to us. We may be surprised about what we discover.

Nourished Nervous System

  • This is a safe space for what arises. Coaching is ideally done in a grounded, resourced, regulated, nourished state. This is considered the “Social Engagement” state of the Polyvagal Theory. If we find that you are starting to feel overwhelmed we may take a pause for some self-care exercises in order to get back to a curious and creative state of being. 

Whole-Body Listening

  • I’m listening to the whole of you, both the verbal and non-verbal. Sometimes I might speak to something in your non-verbal that catches my attention. My intention here is to draw your awareness to your present-moment experience and get in touch with the body's intelligence.

Scheduling & Punctuality

  • Please arrive 5 minutes early for in-person sessions when possible.

  • You are able to cancel sessions 24 hours in advance via my online scheduler with no charge. 

  • Please note that if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice or do not show up to your appointment I will ask for full payment. I also request that you notify me of the cancellation by emailing somatic.earth@gmail.com.

Integration

  • During our sessions new perspectives and meaningful insights are often gained. At the end of each session we’ll discuss your intentions moving forward and how you’d like to implement them in your life. It’s important that you make time to integrate these new insights and intentions after our sessions. This is the only way that meaningful and sustainable transformation can take place in your life.

Meeting At My Home-Office

  • I live in the Fountain District near Cornwall Park in Bellingham, WA. My home office is quite cozy and I’m always happy to make tea. I enjoy meeting in this space because it offers us comfort and privacy.

Meeting Online

  • If we have decided to meet via video call (google meet) then please have the following essentials: quality video, lighting, and sound, stable internet, and a comfortable environment to meet. 

  • To best follow you during our sessions it would help if you can angle your camera to include the top of your head to the bottom of your elbows.

Meeting Outside

  • If we have decided to meet outside please dress appropriately for the weather and bring any helpful supplies. 

    • In case of rain, please wear a raincoat or bring an umbrella. 

    • If it's cold please wear warm layers.

    • If it’s sunny please bring a water bottle and apply sunscreen.

    • Other helpful items: comfortable walking shoes, bug spray, notebook, backpack, sunglasses, brimmed hat, gloves, etc.

  • The outside locations that I prefer to meet at are Cornwall Park, Roeder Home, and Elizabeth Park. 

    • All of these spaces are open to the public and popular meeting spots, which means we will not be in a private location during our coaching session. I will do my best to find spots with a bit of distance from the nearest person, but I cannot control who may walk by or interrupt. If this is something that you are okay with, then I believe meeting in these locations can be really beneficial and special places to connect with nature.