Becoming Closer

Many of us have experienced how existing in our culture leads to competition, distrust and separation. We often have a small circle of close friends and sometimes none at all. Festival and conference participants skew towards the social side of that norm, but conversation is often kept “safe” and is rarely intimate. If we are lucky enough to have an inner circle of close friends, few of us make a regular effort towards connection in a deeper manner with

those we know less well. Covid and current political events have increased separation and deepened the divide. Being open to everyday deep interaction can shift the norms and expectations of our society. Over time we have the potential of creating a more trusting, compassionate and caring world as we become willing to have meaningful contact with a greater number of individuals and learn to widen our range of comfort and familiarity.

This will be an experiential workshop offering an opportunity to become closer to those we don’t yet know. After a brief introduction and somatic practice, the participants will mill around the room ending up pairing with one other person. Once paired, the dyad will explore a question with each person speaking and receiving in turn. Once completed, the group will reshuffle and repeat with new dyads and new questions. Finally, we will explore what we experienced in the exercise as a group: How were we challenged? What did we learn about ourselves and others? How might we bring these insights home and effect change in our community?

James Michael Seehof is passionate about supporting the creation of a world culture that is inclusive, compassionate and participatory. He attained a Graduate Degree in Psychology and was a licensed psychotherapist with a private practice for 15 years. He is currently licensed as an LMFT in Washington and as a LCPC and LMFT in Idaho. Beyond the clinical, he explored transpersonal, spiritual and growth issues. He worked with individuals, families and led groups on a number of topics. He attended over 50 workshops at locations including Esalen and Harbin and many conferences including the Mythopoetic Mens Movement, SAND and Bioneers. He led workshops through his practice and shared in diverse settings such as Occupy and substance abuse clinics. He has explored plant medicine through the use of Ayahuasca and Psilocybin. Recently he presented at Imagine Festival, Blooming Heart, Indralaya and SAND (Science and NonDuality Conference). He offers counseling, groups, plant medicine integration and workshops. He currently practices at the Healing Arts Center in Eastsound and on Zoom.

Alyssa Burnett is an LMHCA living on Orcas Island. She was an educator for 10 years before attaining her Graduate Degree in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She has a private practice on Orcas Island specializing in children and adolescents. Additionally, she works for a non-profit arts and education organization called Turning The Wheel, which is dedicated to making body-based creative expression and play accessible to individuals of all ages, experiences, genders, and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. One of her more recent roles is as a Mental Health Coordinator for a camp in the San Juan Islands. She is overjoyed to continue merging her passions for play, youth, and mental health and is committed to helping destigmatize mental health care for our future generations.