Relight the path:
Every two minutes, a woman is raped in the United States. Over fifty percent of American women have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. Almost every woman has been the victim of some sort of sexual harassment.
Imagine knowing how to confidently talk to your clients about their sexual assault experiences, empower their reconnection to their body and mind, and understand how to integrate this support into your birth work practice.
Typically, when a survivor of assault or harassment comes forward, the survivor is cared for and nurtured, occasionally the assailant is reprimanded, and then the situation is rarely spoken about again. The ramifications of sexual assault are often overlooked. Often times, during pregnancy, many of the same feelings associated with a survivor’s assault are brought into the light. Women lose touch with their bodies during a time typically associated with incredible corporeal closeness. In a perfect world, every pregnancy is wrapped in good feelings, excitement, and the freedom to believe your body knows what it’s doing. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen most of the time to survivors. If more than fifty percent of women have dealt with sexual assault, that means many of your clients could be struggling with the over powering feelings associated with re-relinquishing bodily control and pelvic trauma, as well as being confused about the resurfacing of these feelings. One of the typical side effects of trauma is to make you believe that you’re unworthy of care. Because of this as well as the stigma around discussing assault, women will feel the need to silence these rising and scary feelings.
Imagine knowing how to confidently talk to clients about their sexual assault experiences, empower their reconnection to their body and mind, and understand how to integrate this support into your birth work practice. This workshop will include interactive exploration of coping skills, real world resources, and focused listening and reflection skills. Offered as a 5-week session web-based workshop. Every live episode and video call will be recorded, if you aren’t able to make a live call, you’ll be able to watch it later.
Anyone who works with families during pre/post-partum period is welcome to register.
5- week online based workshop including:
Why sexual assault and birth work are connected
How to empower your clients to reclaim their bodies
Yoga for changes: Teaching prenatal yoga to women who need to regain their feminine power
Getting your mind welcoming and prepared for birth
'You survived, how to make it through this'
Implementing this work into your business
Instructors:
Adriane Knorr- Birth Doula & future ND, founder of The Beating Heart Doula & Sassy Speculum
Adriane's passion is helping women to understand their emotions as well as their incredible strength. Adriane believes in bringing personal experiences into her work to provide real world experiences for all. She has been published by the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Gonzaga University for her work with Gendered Perceptions and Emotions of Intercourse and Trauma. In her free time she enjoys getting out into nature to explore wilderness trails, kayak through the waters, and training for half marathons.
Sido Surkis- Yoga Instructor & Founder of Bridges to Change
Sido has worked with survivors of sexual and domestic violence for almost 20 years. Her passion is in assisting women to see the strengths and possibilities inside themselves, abilities that have been hidden and suppressed due to violence. Her yoga focuses on self/body awareness and growth. She currently shares yoga in Mexico, working both in a women's shelter, and with older women.
Sido is the founder of long running Oregon's Bridges to Change domestic and sexual violence conference.
If you are interested in donating to the workshop's funds; please go to: https://www.gofundme.com/relight-the-path-workshop