holding space page

When was the last time someone genuinely listened to you

and provided a safe, judgment-free space to explore your thoughts?

Is the process of finding the right therapist overwhelming,

leaving you drained of time, money, and energy?

Do you feel like your family and friends are

too close to truly understand you?

I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel

- Maya Angelou

The term “Holding Space” is defined in Amy Wright Glenn’s book Holding Space ~ On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go

as the practice of showing up with a compassionate presence to life as it arises,

especially when it arises with difficulty and loss.

My Scope of Practice

As a Holding Space Consultant, I am committed to do the following:

I am committed to using every moment of our time together to offer undivided support as you share stories, express emotions, and make meaning of what is going on for you right now. This means I will do a lot of listening. At times there may even be quality moments of silence ~ and I welcome you to breathe through those times knowing I hold them in peace.

I am committed to supporting you by holding space for your life transition, personal reflections, and/or mourning in accordance with your inner wisdom, values, pace, and process. You may be mourning many forms of loss ~ death, change of job status, the end of a relationship, loss of health, and difficult life transition. No matter the loss, I am committed to listen and care.

In any part of life, but especially in grief, we can all benefit from multiple circles of support. This consultation offers one approach to holding space for loss wherein I listen and affirm your inner knowing/wisdom. As you may be aware, there are many other approaches, including those that are more change-oriented in terms of offering therapeutic tools for transforming behaviors, addictions, and personal challenges. If you are interested in exploring additional approaches, I am happy to offer resources for you to consider.

I am committed to your safety and well-being. I will support you in seeking professional therapeutic guidance should I believe that the content of our conversations ~ or the nature of the difficulties you are experiencing ~ falls outside of my scope of practice. Seeking professional therapeutic support can be an additional helpful circle of support for many. Please note that holding space consultations are not professional therapeutic services and are not intended to replace professional therapeutic services. If you have questions about how holding space consultations are different from professional therapy, please let me know.

What you share ~ in terms of names and identifying features of yourself and those connected to your story ~ is held in confidence. I regularly meet with other members of the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath and Dying for continuing education and to enhance my skills in holding space during consultations. I have a deep reverence for confidentiality and go to great lengths to protect the privacy of those we serve even during these learning opportunities. Nonetheless, I am a mandatory reporter and, as such, stories of abuse/harm to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities will be reported to appropriate agencies. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this aspect of our practice.