Somatic Self-Compassion Online Graduate Journeys

Click here to register for this program

 

Somatic Self-Compassion® Online (SSCON) Graduate Journeys is an ongoing community of folks who have completed Somatic Self-Compassion (SSC) training. We explore each of the 14 topics from SSC over 12 months, taking our time to immerse ourselves in regular study, practice and reflection. This is an opportunity to deepen your practice and to explore the SSC material in a structured, easeful pace, supported by a group of fellow SSC Graduates. Graduate Journeys supports your regular practice of self-compassion.

Results of a study done in collaboration with Hendrix College found that SSCON increased participants’ coping self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-compassion, and decreased participants’ levels of shame, perceived stress, and body shame. Our aim in the Graduate Journeys is to further enhance these benefits.

 

 

Kristy Arbon, the developer and facilitator of the SSC program is guiding these journeys. Kristy has been teaching self-compassion skills to individuals and groups for 6 years, and she developed SSC in response to a need for a body-based self-compassion curriculum that uses methods to motivate self-compassion practice in daily life and offers an ongoing community to support practice.The Graduate Journeys was birthed in response to an identified need for SSC graduates to explore the material in more depth, with more time, in community.

 

 

SSCON is a body-focussed skills training program offered in a group setting designed to give you the knowledge and tools to listen to your body and respond with compassion to live more intentionally and easefully in the world. In this non-clinical program (ie not group therapy) training will be offered in three stages (called journeys), sequenced in a way so that each component builds on the last. You are welcome to join the group at any time of the year.

January-April: Motivating Somatic Self-Compassion

This 4-month journey is designed to gather the group and set the foundation for a self-compassion practice through learning what somatic self-compassion is and how self-compassion practice fits in with your sense of purpose, your goals, your strengths and the ways you can naturally motivate yourself. We will spend time reflecting on our personal preferences and style so that we have a good sense of what we need when we start to work with ways to bring more intentional compassion practices to our daily life.

 

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May-October: Developing Somatic Self-Compassion

This 6-month journey is designed to introduce you to the body and the neurochemicals that affect how we feel; inform you on ways to develop an understanding of messages from your body; normalize the mechanisms of stress; assist you to practice self-care through self-compassion; and introduce you to sensory modulation (tending to our stress through our senses).

 

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November-December: Practicing Through Connecting

This 2-month journey is designed to support your ongoing self-compassion practice through identifying and fostering sources of personal pleasure and wellbeing; connecting practice to your sense of spirituality; strengthening community bonds for continuing practice connections; and creating rituals for practice beyond our time together in SSCON.

 

When

We meet for one hour per week, at a time that works for the maximum number of people in the group (identified by taking a group poll each month). There are two groups meeting at different times, so you can choose the group time that works best for you.

Where

We will meet on in a video conference platform called Zoom, and connect 24/7 via a companion website in PowerSchool Learning that offers readings, research, videos, downloadable meditation recordings, a group discussion board and more!

How

Training is facilitated through:

• talks, meditations, and exercises lead by Kristy;
• practicing deep listening, dialogue and council circle in the group;
• guided group inquiry;
• opportunities for quiet centering and reflection;
• the SSC Companion Notes, a downloadable, printable workbook that offers all of the material we’ll be exploring, with space for personal reflections.
  

Prerequisite

Given that this is a graduate group, we ask that you do the Somatic Self-Compassion course online, in person, or self-paced before registering for the Graduate Journeys.

Each week will include:

• a live 1-hour online Gathering of the group of around 15 people (the Gathering will be recorded so that you can view it later);
• access to the extensive online course library of readings, videos, meditations, and research articles;
• access to the downloadable, printable SSC Companion Notes with readings and reflection prompts;
• guided discussion board conversations to work through each topic together;
• unlimited email support by your teacher.

What you will get:

• cutting edge theory, concepts and research about the mechanisms of stress and relief in the body;
• a comprehensive toolkit of practices and exercises to set you firmly on the path to being more self-compassionate;
• embracement in a stable, ongoing community of like-minded self-compassion practitioners;
• ongoing practice support by Kristy Arbon for as long as you need it.

How you’ll benefit most:

• attend the live 1-hour gatherings or view the recording of the gatherings in your own time;
• whenever you can, read pre-gathering material to prepare;
• read posts and contribute to the lively discussion board;
• bring a sincere desire to live in alignment with your purpose, and to understand and tend to your stress.

Practices included:

Please see the Somatic Self-Compassion Practices on this page for a taste of Somatic Self-Compassion practices.

Trauma-Informed

This training implements the trauma-informed approach outlined by the US National Center for Trauma-Informed Care in that it is designed with these guiding principles in mind. It aims to help us:

1. Realize the widespread impact of trauma;
2. Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in community members;
3. Understand potential roads for recovery;
4. Respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and
5. Seek to actively resist re-traumatization.

As such, realizing that feeling lost in the crowd can be triggering for those of us with trauma in our story, online gatherings will be limited to 15 people so that everyone in the group has the opportunity to feel seen and heard.

Investment

SSCON Graduate Journeys is a subscription program. You can choose your rate of subscription between US$10 and $30 per month. I don’t want finances to get in the way of you being part of this group so please let me know if you need to discuss a different rate that works for you.

Want to know more?

Please email kristy@heartworks.training if you have any questions.

Click here to register for this program