Gathering Each Other Up

Hi there!

First, welcome, welcome, welcome! There are some new folks here (hello!) and I am want you to know how glad I am to be here with you. I love sharing what's on my mind and topics that I believe will support you and your relationships, and I don't take for granted that there is SO much information and input happening in your individual world. Thank you for being here with me and taking a few minutes to read.

If you know me in “real life”, you know how much I adore the poet and artist Andrea Gibson (they/them). A few years ago, they were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and they died on July 14. There is no way I can do them justice in my description of them, but I will try: they were a beacon of light, a symbol of hope, an encouraging and comforting voice, and a lover of this absolutely wild world. I had the privilege of seeing them live in 2016 when they opened for Gregory Alan Isakov at the Orange Peel in Asheville, and I was never the same after that. You can listen to one of my favorite spoken words poems here if you’d like.

Their death has been a celebration in many ways. The loss is real, but the outpouring of love and appreciation I have seen for them is nothing short of magical. They changed many lives and mended many hearts, including my own—and I never even met them. Thank you, Andrea, for being you. I’m so glad we were here at the same time.

In my teary reflections this week, their transition has been making me wonder: what am I doing here? What is my legacy? How do I want to show up and how can I love my life and this world even more? What is truly meaningful to me, and am I living in alignment with those values? What distracts me from what matters? What do I want to share and how do I want to offer the kind of healing that changes lives and hearts and creates safety and connection? I believe Andrea would say (more eloquently than I can) that each of us can do this in our own unique way, and that every offering is meaningful and powerful and needed.

Which leads me to some news about my own path forward:

I am writing another book!

I was approached by New Harbinger Publications to create a professional psychology book about attachment theory. I am truly honored and touched to have the opportunity to share more of this work in the world, and to work with a publisher whose values are so aligned with my own. I am digging in and doing lots of reading and sorting through the research so I can share what I’ve learned in an accessible and cohesive way. I am hopeful that this book will support therapists in learning how to support their clients in healing from early relational attachment wounds and showing up in the therapy room with skills and self-awareness, and also support people who are interested in learning the nuances of attachment theory for their own personal healing. There is much more to come about this book, but I’m beyond excited to share the news with you now. Thank you so much for celebrating this with me :)

I also want to remind you that registration is open for the Relational Nourishment Project! I’ve been working on the details of the project and organizing the content, and it’s going to be SO GOOD. I am excited about a lot of aspects of this project, but the one that is coming up most strongly right now is the opportunity for us to meet the moment—to show up and practice being in community together. I believe we are going to need each other more than ever before, and this project is all about practicing. About being imperfect, learning together, and really living into the values that we have and putting them into action. As always, we can read and consume all the content we want, but until we are really showing up and practicing what is meaningful to us, that information is stuck inside our minds and we can’t put it out into the world in the ways we want to.

While I was between sleeping and waking the other morning, it occurred to me that I want to lower the price of this offering. I'm not sure I've ever done this before once I've launched something, but I feel called to make an adjustment here. As the project is shaping up, I truly just feel so excited about it and it's flowing with so much ease that I want it be accessible and feel abundant, not just for me but for everyone who is a part of it. I've cut the cost in half for each month, so the total cost for the 6 month commitment is now $1500 ($300 deposit to secure your space, and then $200/month for the group). It's worth much more than this, and this is the *only* time I will run a group like this at this cost--but if you were interested and cost was a barrier, I hope that feels more accessible for you. Come join us :)

I want to share an example of what a month in the Relational Nourishment Project looks like. Of course, the group will shift and change depending on the members, and we can co-create the kind of support system that we all desire (which is part of what I love about this opportunity).

A Month in the Relational Nourishment Project

Here’s a peek into the first month of the group. Members are also encouraged to connect outside of these times if desired.

September Monthly Theme: Nourishment

Large Group Meeting (1): Reflection on the theme of Nourishment. Exploration of how we want to frame this topic. What does Nourishment mean to us in the context of relationships? What is important for us to learn this month? How do we want to dig deeper into this theme?

Small Group Neighborhood Meetings (2): Time for each participant to share their experiences with Nourishment. What is each person struggling with? How can we offer support? What skills are needed that could help each of us reach our relationship goals? Small groups offer an opportunity to practice and really focus on individual needs and the collective experience of the theme.

Creativity/Nourishment Practice (1): An opportunity to gather with others and engaged in an activity that is nourishing for you—painting, writing, knitting, walking, whatever feels good! This will be a “body-doubling” activity where you show up on Zoom and participate however you wish. You can chat and connect or just listen.

Journal Prompts (2): Reflect on your intentions for the month and also how it went for you.

Private Podcast Episodes (3): What does it mean to be nourished in a relationship?, Consuming Mindfully, and Intentionally Moving Toward Nourishment

Special Gathering (1): Candlelight yoga with a facilitator!

Reflection questions on the discussion platform
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All large group meetings and didactic groups will be recorded. Small groups may be recorded if all members provide consent.

If you are interested in the project and you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I am here to support you and help you determine if this is a good fit for you.
Thank you so much for reading and for being here with me. I’m grateful to be connected to you.

Warmly,

Elizabeth