The Trauma Trust & Sex workshops invites us to the deepest places in ourselves and our intimate relationships. By shining a light of compassionate love and understanding into these depths, where the shadows of shame, unconscious blockages, fear and mistrust dwell, we open into healing, expanding and improving our relationships at a fundamental level. This will be a safe and nurturing time for everyone.

You don’t have to identify with having any trauma to attend this workshop. It is for everyone

Joyful, fulfilling and harmonious relationships are essential to our happiness and success.

We effectively address, but also go beyond the usual aspects of relationships such as conscious communication, managing anger, understanding differences between the masculine and feminine.

We gently face the elephant in the room: healing from trauma. As renowned psychologist Gabor Mate writes, “the essence of trauma is disconnection from ourselves…. separation from the body and emotions. So, the real question is, ‘How did we get separated and how do we reconnect?’”

The answers may lie in our personal or family experiences. They are also found in our cultures which are interwoven with thousands of years of patriarchy which has left deep wounds in both women and men.

9am Saturday 11 March  – 4pm Monday 13 March 2023

East Malvern, VIC (details will be sent upon booking)

Investment: $450 full, $375 concession. (Includes materials, facilitation etc.)
Early Bird pricing (until 30 Jan 2023) $350 full, $300 concession.

NOTAFLOF* Please contact us if you are experiencing financial hardship.

 

The effects of trauma on relationships

Some people are dealing with the effects of trauma in their own life. In Australia one in three women and one in five men experience sexual trauma before the age of 17. Other kinds of trauma which can affect relationships include physical injury, family and domestic violence, the loss of a loved one, living with addicts or people with mental health problems. Some recent research indicates that for children, growing up with care-givers who were emotionally absent can have impacts similar to severe trauma.

Other people are dealing with the legacy of being born to parents who were traumatised. Trauma affects and gets passed on in our genes, so that a person can be living with the symptoms of trauma even when their own life has been free of traumatic events.

Trauma undermines the feeling and sense of safety. It means that all experiences tend to get filtered through a lens of fear. Over time this can damage relationships and it is a major barrier to physical intimacy.

The Trauma, Trust and Sex Workshop works at a deep level, creating a sacred, safe space in which healing can occur. It draws on ancient shamanic and indigenous practices, as well as cutting-edge scientific understanding of trauma, trust and sexuality.

Safety is at the core of what we do. The workshops are fully clothed at all times and there is no sexual touch involved – though guidance may be given on possible lines for exploration involving sexual touch with partners after the workshop.

During the workshop you will have the opportunity to:

• Identify, heal and release old patterns which do not serve you

• Experience deeper safety in relationship

• Heal the shame that binds you

• Move from fear to love

• Understand how trauma can be held in the sexual organs and how it can be released

• Explore archetypal patterns of masculine and feminine in relationships

• Learn what issues are yours, what issues are your partner’s and what belongs to previous generations.

The workshop is suitable for singles, couples, triads, groups and any configuration. If you feel that your connections with others are troubled, hard work, difficult, could be deeper or you are curious about them, or that your relationships are being adversely affected by trauma, or if you think there is room for improvement, then this is the workshop for you.

Facilitators:

Phoenix Arrien is passionate about supporting people’s journeys towards healing and transformation. She over 25 years experience, providing sacred transformation and healing spaces for people to transform, heal and self-discover.

Her training and experience includes Aus indigenous healing, Native American & Sth American healing, Maori and Cherokee bodywork, dance/movement, Adventure-based Counselling, Process Work, Jungian Psychology, Core Shamanic Healing, Voice Dialogue, Healing Ecology, Deep Ecology, writing and meditation. She believes that safe space, sacred process, loving community and non-judgemental presence allows healing and transformation to emerge and deep profound change to occur.

 

Robin Wilkinson: Robin has over 20 years of experience working in various healing modalities, including as a relational psychotherapist and bodyworker. He specialises in working with attachment, connection, relationships and trauma integration.

He has spent many years working with men including running men’s groups and holding space for men’s rites-of-passage, has long-standing personal practices in the realms of trance and ritual and is passionate about cultivating collective spaces for growth and transformation. He is also an accomplished writer and poet and has been published widely. He can be found at www.rightrelationship.com.au

Testimonials:

“The Trauma, Trust and Sex workshop was a powerful experience for me. I felt I was stepping further into reclaiming my power and my presence as a feeling, loving being. The processes you led us through were each doorways into healing, deeper experiencing and relating, and there was a beautiful balance between heart, body and mind in them.

I want to thank you and Mike deeply for sharing this work with us, and for holding the space for our personal and collective processes to unfold. You both have deep integrity and a passionate commitment to the work, and were always willing to show up to work with whatever was happening for us and gently guide us towards our growth point.

I was frequently conscious of your patience and caring as we stumbled, resisted and struggled with our contradictions on the journey toward healing, and of the skill involved in what you do. This work has made me feel stronger in myself and more alive, and I also am aware that the journey is an ongoing one and there are indeed ‘many rivers to cross’. But I now feel a sense of excitement and momentum that I am on that journey, and I feel that working with you both is, and will be an important part of that journey for me.“ – Keppel Cassidy

“I have been waiting for years for something like this [Trauma Trust and Sex workshop]. Two decades of intense internal dialogue, working through anxiety, addiction, depression, dissociation, isolation, all neatly covered over with a light hearted workaholic got-it-all-together mask to hide the black hole inside. And in perfect timing I was invited to the Trauma Trust and Sex workshop last weekend.

I had a feeling it would be profound, and it was, so much so that I have committed myself to the upcoming fortnight retreat in the busiest time of the year, because my belly and my heart know it’s the work I need to do right now.

“I realised how much had shifted when I was at a social event last night, surrounded by a tribe I have known for years and have loved but never felt I belonged to due to severe social anxiety and a myriad of other psychosomatic illnesses.

Half way through the evening I realised I was in each moment so wholly that I had forgotten to feel self-conscious, had forgotten I didn’t belong, had forgotten how to be insecure, had forgotten to be exhausted, had forgotten to put up boundaries. I had remembered to embrace and be embraced by many beautiful souls, embraced by their arms, embraced by their open smiling faces, embraced by the warmth of their hearts.

“I remembered how to be ok in the presence of others, and a huge part of that is because of the incredibly supportive and transformative space Phoenix and Mike hold together.

They have a gift of witnessing unflinching each person in their whole messy chaotic perfect humanness without judgement. An unconditional acceptance of every participant teases their pure light to surface with a gentle invitation to explore inner landscapes in the safety of community.

It’s the kind of space that allows you to shred all that holds you back, the kind of space I would love all I hold dear to experience, the kind of space that makes you feel at home in yourself. How truly valuable. Thank you Phoenix Arrien and Mike Lowe, I look forward to unraveling and unfolding with you again.” Tjoni Johansen

Thank you to Phoenix Arrien & Mike Lowe for an amazing weekend at the Trauma, Trust & Sex Workshop retreat. It was truly such an invaluable experience which has helped me clarify, clear, heal & release so much that was needed (to be)! And to all the beautiful souls i shared the space with, thank you so much – Carolyn Davies

“While I really did not know what to expect from this retreat it surpassed my expectation and I was able to tap into a deep part of myself that, as a 57 year old woman who has done many decades of work, I have not been able to access before. So while there may be more work to do as yet as a childhood abuse survivor, many doors have been opened. Such love was shared by all and this experience will stay with me forever. Phoenix and Mike may our paths cross again“ – Di James

Circle of Life

“Arrived into the unknown with such vulnerability. Hour-by-hour, day-by-day to have the support and nurturing to help heal in a community. Phoenix and Mike have such a gift in allowing me to just be and guide me on a my journey of transformation. I leave today feeling a huge weight has been lifted and my heart open. Thank you.” – Amanda

“Words can’t express how wonderful and transformational this was! I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it. I am so grateful for such talented, inspired and supportive facilitators who created such a safe transformational space and opportunities – big big thanks Phoenix & Mike!! I am also very grateful to have been there and connected with such a wonderful, courageous and enriching group of fellow participants” – Denise xx

“Thank you for providing this healing experience – I feel I have been connected to my inner self and believing now no matter what the circumstances I have the truth and strength to stand tall. I love me and I need to take care of her, we are all connected” – Jennie

“The deep connection I found through out the retreat was truly wonderful especially for a group of people who did not know each other. What a wonderful safe space you created and for you and Mike to now be teaming up I can only imagine the amazing healing and connection that will take place.”

“…I had had a profound connection with Mike and within the safeness of the space created I was able to heal long time wounds of mistrust with the masculine. Gratitude abounds for this profound open healing and nature connection that you have facilitated, I highly recommend any one who has such a desire to take the plunge and plug into what your years of connection have led you to offer.” – Ursul

Cancellation policy for this workshop: Refundable – less 15% admin/bank fees if cancelled 30 days before the workshop or 50% refundable less admin/banking fees 14 days before the workshop begins. No refund 14 days before the workshop begins, during or after the workshop.