What do I define as 'success' in my work?

I so appreciate deep inquisitive conversations and fresh questions about my work as a Movement & Expressive Arts Therapy Facilitator & Trainer. 

In one of my most recent conversations with Catherine Lang-Cline in her podcast ‘The Secret Art of Business’ I was asked, “What is your definition of ‘success’ in your work?” 

I loved this question!

And it got me thinking…

When I’m working one on one with people: at the start of any session, I always begin with a somatic check-in, enquiring: what is most present for them? What on this day in this very moment has the most charge for them? This might flow into a space of verbal processing, we might bring awareness to sensation or tension in the body and linking it to a present emotion. What I love about this act of being full present with our selves and with a client is to witness the process unfold as they self-identify what is happening within them. When the piece they want to explore further lands for them. 

The way that I work is I see my role as a facilitator, I am a guide. I believe that everyone has the answers and resources within them. It is my role in that season of their life whee I am supporting them to make use of these tools to work out what this is and use these tools to regulate themselves and transform whatever they are moving through. 

In those moments when something shifts or clicks into place allowing us to dive in further - it is in that moment where they identify “That’s what it is” that feels like success to me.

The second example that came to heart was in my public workshops. In these spaces, participants may be regulars or they might be coming for the first time to try these modalities. I set up the space to encourage a warm inclusive community environment of non-judgment. Yes of course that is between each other but it is mainly towards themselves. 

When this work is so new to people, this way of being with Self is so fresh, they can harbour all kinds of inner stories, judgement, self-talk narratives. In these spaces, I guide the group through invitational intuitive movement processes with creative integration. The process is primarily individual but there is opportunity at the end to come together in pairs or small groups and I have a particular process for a de-brief, an opportunity to share. 

What I get to witness here is a really beautiful sharing process unfold. They don’t know each others names or what they do for a living, but they are sharing of themselves in such a beautiful connective raw honest vulnerable way. And they are being witnessed in their humanness. This builds our compassion and empathy and that is success to me. 

~ ~ ~ 

In our quick-fire 25-minute conversation we cover:

~ My pathway into this field

~ Further explanation of what Creative Body-Based therapy is

~ Common self-talk narratives of “I’m not creative” “I can’t dance” and my approach to this 

~ I share my ‘Impulse Stretch’ practice - a simple entry point to being more body aware and beginning to play with intuitive movement 

You can listen to our podcast episode, here.