The Journey Begins with You
What’s included?
Our Journey Together ~ A Year of Awakening
My goal in creating this group is to offer a supportive space for women to connect, learn to listen to their intuition, and find their way back to their most authentic selves. We’re spending this year together so that you can walk away with a sense of personal empowerment and the tools to sustain it for a lifetime.
This profound journey requires an open and curious mind.
The atmosphere within our group is one that is completely non-judgmental, supportive, and safe. To ensure everyone gains the full benefit of this experience, members are expected to be interactive and complete exercises, reflections, and readings. You'll be asked to sign a group agreement that outlines these expectations, fostering a truly committed and engaged experience.
For your convenience, a members-only website will provide access to weekly chapter prompts and a private group chat will be available through Telegram, keeping our connection vibrant between meetings. We will strive to have all of our sessions in person, with the exception of inclement weather or illness when we will seamlessly move to Zoom to ensure our continuity. Please remember that books are not included in the one-time member registration fee and you will be asked to choose a journal format that suits you at your own expense. I will also provide each member with a binder with weekly agendas and may add handouts of interest throughout the year.
The Books
Discover yourself through writing—Experimenting with and defining your unique journaling practice
Your Journey to Self-Discovery Through Writing
With Tristine Rainer’s The New Diary 2nd Edition (2004) as our guide, you'll embark on a beautiful exploration to find your unique journaling practice. This isn't just about putting pen to paper; it's an invitation to discover new and creative ways of writing that truly resonate with you. You’ll be gently encouraged to explore your deepest thoughts, feelings, and that all-important inner voice, as you thoughtfully consider the origins of your core beliefs, both past and present. It's a foundational step in your inner awakening, helping you truly see and understand yourself.
We explore new ways of thinking as you define your personal values, mission and vision statements
Crafting Your Vision and Purpose
Moving beyond introspection, we turn to Sharmadean Reid’s insightful essays on new ways of thinking and being a woman in the world. This segment of our journey is designed to inspire profound reflection, inviting you to identify and confidently outline your personal values. You’ll be guided to craft a clear, working vision and mission statement for your life, empowering you to approach your aspirations with renewed clarity and purpose. It's about translating your inner discoveries into tangible steps as you begin to define your path forward.
Stepping Into Your Fullest Self
As we bring our year-long journey to a close, we’ll delve into Tara Mohr’s Playing Big. This is your soulful roadmap for unhooking from the need for outside praise and learning to trust your own Inner Mentor. Together, we will practice the art of taking "leaps"—imperfect, intuitive actions—as we bridge the gap between listening to your intuition and living as the authentic woman you are meant to be. This final step ensures you walk away not just with knowledge, but with the courage to stop over-preparing and start leading your own life.
Cultivating Your Internal Strength
We’ll delve into Pooja Lakshmin’s modern essential, Real Self-Care. We’ll approach this text through a fresh lens, synthesizing everything you’ve learned to move beyond surface-level "wellness" and into the practice of true internal sovereignty. Together, we will explore how to ground your strength in clear boundaries and cultivate the resilience needed to sustain your growth long after our group concludes. It is about honoring your needs as a non-negotiable foundation for your new way of being.
We go deep and learn how to grow in spite of early gendered conditioning and work together to help you find your individual voice
Reclaiming Your Personal Power
Our journey deepens with Kasia Urbaniak’s powerful book, Unbound. This text will gently yet profoundly challenge you, inviting you to go deep within yourself and thoughtfully ask hard questions about power and influence. This particular exploration will require a bit more inward reflection and emotional depth, and we'll navigate it together as a group in an atmosphere of unwavering, non-judgmental support.
A gentle note:Unbound contains profanity and explicit references to sexuality. Please keep this in mind, if these topics make you uncomfortable in any way, this may not be the right group for you. This transparency ensures our shared space remains comfortable and impactful for everyone.
FAQs
-
You absolutely can read the books and learn a lot, and definitely do it in less time. However, we are social creatures, and we live in a world where most of our human connection now consists of clicking a button or writing a few short words to friends online in the midst of our to-do list. Busy women rarely get time to themselves. Having the opportunity to set aside time for yourself each month to connect with other women in a meaningful way sets intention, and creates a sense of purpose. Also, research supports the idea that we're more likely to make lasting changes when we have a sense of support and accountability. I created this group as a framework to provide that space.
-
The cost includes a one-time, non-refundable registration and materials fee of $75. You are responsible for purchasing the required books on your own, in any format that works best for you (physical, e-book, or audio). You will also need to decide on a journal format that suits you and purchase a journal if you opt for a non-digital approach.
-
This fee covers several essential aspects of the group experience. It accounts for my time in interviewing you as a potential group member and covers the cost of various materials. Each member will receive a binder containing agendas for the books we cover, and I may provide additional handouts and resources throughout our time together. This ensures a structured and enriching experience.
-
The group is scheduled for one four-hour session per month. Ideally, these sessions will be held in-person; however, Zoom will be available for inclement weather or emergencies. While the amount of time you choose to invest in personal reflection and engagement outside of meetings is up to you, please remember that you will get out of this experience what you put into it.
-
No. While the group is facilitated by a licensed therapist, and we will certainly support one another, this isn’t a process group focused on the dynamics between us. Instead, think of it as a guided journey into self-discovery and skill-building. We are coming together to explore specific tools—like intuition and personal empowerment—and then practicing how to bring those insights back into our daily lives
-
The final size of the group will be determined by the number of applicants. Some exercises are also best done with a partner. While we can meet with as few as four if absolutely necessary, more is ideal for optimal group dynamics.
-
We will plan to meet at the Pittsford Library. (If this needs to change you will be notified in advance.) The specific room location and exact dates will be determined once all group members have been assembled and registered. This allows us to find times that work best for the majority of the group.
-
You will have access to a members-only website and a private group chat on Telegram for ongoing discussions and connection between sessions. Participants can also contact me directly through email. I will primarily communicate with all members via email for updates and reminders. I will ask for contact numbers for emergencies only, such as last-minute cancellations or rescheduling due to unforeseen circumstances.
-
To express your interest and begin the registration process, please reach out to me via email. I will then provide you with more information and guide you through the next steps, including a brief interview to ensure the group is a good fit for you and for the collective.
-
While some of the texts we explore may touch upon feminist themes and women's empowerment, the overarching purpose of this group experience is not political or ideological. Instead, the entirety of our time together is dedicated to finding, remembering, and exploring your own core beliefs, values, and inner voice. Discussions will consistently be focused on individual experiences, personal growth, and self-discovery within a supportive, non-judgmental space.
-
Please don't hesitate to reach out! You can send any additional questions by contacting me.