Becoming Ground

Nature connection, soul-infused, group counselling

Practices for Wild Belonging in Groundless Times

Call them what you will: unprecedented, transformative, unravelling, mythic- these times are stirring the collective pot. And maybe you’re feeling, like many of us are, a heightened sense of shifting tides. 

‘We were made for these times’ ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

The good news is, we already know how to find our way through! Long before therapy (and don’t get us wrong we’re big fans of therapy) we had circling around the fire. We had ritual, connection practices and song. In our bones we already know how to hold space for the pouring out of hearts, to tend life and grief, how to find ground, and how to root ourselves in, like mycelium to the fabric of the wider web of life.

Becoming Ground is a weekly group to witness each other, deepen our sense of belonging and build resilience to meet these times through a blend of group counselling, nature connection and soul building practices.

Here’s your invite: This spring, along the banks of the Humber River, at the edge of the city, come circle around the fire and take part in something… rebellious!

Group ‘Council’-ing

Nature Connection

Soul Work

What: an 8-week group container to grow resilience, get real with a group of likeminded others, and cultivate a sense of inner ground.

Where: Etienne Brule Park- Toronto, West end around a glowing fire

When: Thursday evenings May 8- June 26 6:00-8:15pm *possibility of co-organizing a light dinner

Cost: Sliding scale from 30-50/ session

How: We’ll co-create using practices of eco-therapy, nature connection, group counselling, and soul work.

In groundless times- find ground
In stormy times- grow roots

Belonging as an act of Resilience

Together we'll weave threads of belonging like 3 branches of a willow:

🍄 Group Council- The way through is together. How do we connect to each other? What gets in the way?

🍄 Nature Connection- How do we belong to/ are part of the land? What timeless practices might awaken our remembering?

🍄 Soul Work- What is the biggest conversation you can have with the world? How can dreams/ ritual/ beauty awaken the myth within? How might your gifts be needed right now?

Your guide:

Carly is an integrative counsellor, eco-therapist and song bird from Ontario Canada. She loves weaving spaces where modern therapeutic explorations can be stretched wide to include our relationship with culture, earth, each other and mystery. She is a huge fan of watching blue herons hunt, being in the general vicinity of all trees and welcoming people right where they’re at.

What’s Involved?

Each session will have space for group counselling/ council-ing: Participants will drop in to explore the themes alive on their hearts- to witness, and be seen by others. Group counselling practices invite participants to deepen beyond simply sharing into encountering the other and our impact on the wider world.

Each session we’ll work with practices of wild belonging to get resourced and develop a felt sense of connection with the more-than-human world. Practices may include:

  • Naturalist learning

  • Sit Spots/ intuitive wandering

  • Fire making

  • Dream work

  • Discovering more-than-human allies

  • Ritual making

  • Bird watching

  • Hand craft

  • Community song

  • Council

  • Imaginal journeying

  • Nervous system tending

  • Grief and Praise tending

  • plants!

  • Poetry

Cost

We offer programs on a sliding scale basis in an effort to provide access to folks from a diverse set of life circumstances.

The sliding scale for this program is tiered as follows:

$30.00/ Session - $50.00/Session (plus one contribution to fire wood)

Total fee for the series:

$240 - $400 (payment plans available)

In addition, we are asking for each participant to donate one time to cover the fire wood for an evening. This could be a contribution of wood or money (about 15$)

Given the timing of the event it may make sense for us to coordinate having a light (low fee) optional dinner provided. We’ll discuss this as a group before hand to ensure its the right fit for everyone.

If you’re gainfully employed, the invitation is to pay the full price, otherwise please choose a place along the scale that allows you to participate. If you are really motivated to participate but are unable to meet these price points feel free to reach out. Depending on enrolment, we may have a partial scholarship available.

If you’re curious about which payment option to choose, or about sliding scales in general I have found this article to be quite thorough and interesting: Sliding Scale: A Tool of Economic Justice

To register, email carly.joynt.counselling (@) gmail.com with interest and to apply. There will be a $100 deposit required to hold your spot :)

To register: