Connected Healing Series

A skills-based healing workshop series for Laurier students impacted by gendered and sexual violence.

Upcoming Workshops

Now You're Speaking My Language: Sexual Communication and Consent

September 26, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

In this interactive virtual workshop facilitated by Jeneka Jool, participants will obtain practical skills to learn how to discuss sexual needs and consensual practices with partner(s). You are more than welcome to join solo or bring along a special someone to make improving your intimate relationship(s) a little more collaborative

Trauma, Food and the Body

October 29, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

Trauma, Food, and the Body explores the connections between gender-based violence and how we approach food, eating, and our bodies. This workshop, facilitated by Dayna MacDonald, will unpack how trauma shapes our relationship with our bodies and how we nourish them, particularly in the face of diet culture, beauty standards, and fatphobia. Join us to learn to challenge harmful narratives and build practical skills that embrace body sovereignty.

Love in Action: Reconnecting with the Inherent Wisdom of Our Bodies

November 28, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

This workshop will work to build awareness of how our bodies have organized to take care of us. We will learn about safety shaping and practice some essential skills to help us be more present, more open, and connected to ourselves.

This workshop is hosted by the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management and facilitated by Nazbah Tom! Nazbah Tom (Diné) is a somatic practitioner. Their original training is in drama therapy which offered an experiential form of psychotherapy with individuals and groups. As a somatic practitioner they use a combination of conversation, breath work, gestural work, bodywork, and incorporating new somatic skills to support and guide individuals and groups through a process of embodied transformation

Trauma and Sleep

January 21, 2025 from 2:00pm to 4:00 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

This virtual workshop, facilitated by Nadia Booraki, will explore the intersections of trauma and sleep. Together we will aim to understand how the body’s trauma responses can often lead to sleep disturbances. Join us to learn more about recognizing what triggers your nervous system and develop self-soothing practices in moments of distress that can support your sleep health.

Cultivating Self-Compassion After Trauma

February 27, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

This virtual workshop, facilitated by Nadia Booraki will guide you through the process of exploring the connection between self-compassion practices and trauma recovery. We will gently identify self-critical part(s) and practice creating a new kind of relationship with yourself, one that can be based on welcoming self-compassion in a difficult moment, rather than feeling overwhelmed by impacts of self-criticism and fear. Join us to learn more about the gifts of self-compassion as a helpful tool in trauma healing.

Past Workshops

Love in Action: Reconnecting with the Inherent Wisdom of Our Bodies

March 7, 2024 from 1:00 p.m to 2:30 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Register here

Reclaiming Self Pleasure

Speaking Your Healing Group

3-session, virtual closed group for those impacted by gendered and sexul violence

Tuesday Nov 14th, 21st and 28th from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

What do we do in the aftermath of sexual violence? How do we rediscover our voice? How can we begin to express what happened or who we are now? If rape culture demands our silence – is expression the path to our healing? These are some of the questions this group seeks to explore.

Speaking Your Healing will discuss the importance and the challenge of self-expression for sexual violence survivors and participants will be given space to explore their thoughts, feelings and/or reflections through the written and spoken word (i.e. letter-writing, poetry, prose, short stories, creative non-fiction, etc.). This workshop is closed to those that have been impacted by sexual violence. This includes those who've experienced sexual harassment as well as sexual assault.

About the Facilitator:

A Montreal-based writer, advocate and educator Malek Yalaoui has been called many things but the most frequent of these is “force to be reckoned with.” Born in North Africa but bred in the American Midwest, Malek’s work is all about reconciling her multiple, intersecting identities as she moves towards wholeness. A queer femme of color and adult survivor of child abuse living with long-term depression, the sole purpose of Malek’s work is to heal herself and her community. Malek believes in the power of representation to lift up underserved communities and uses social and independent media to highlight both her own voice and the voices of other women of color. Current projects include SistersInMotion MTL, Poetry Nite at Kafein,the Chai Chats Podcast and her work with McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education office supporting students of colour. Two years ago, Malek wrote about her #metoo experience here.

Reclaiming Self Pleasure

Feb. 15, 2023 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

This workshop will delve into how we can:

Cultivate a mindful self-pleasure practice for embodied self-love
Learn strategies for self-consent and somatic awareness
Diversify approach to pleasure and being honest about what truly feels good and safe
Trauma-informed approaches to intimacy and solo sex for folks of all genders and sexual orientations
Build a new association between pleasure and safety and making a trigger plan in case trauma responses occur (ie. navigating freeze)

This workshop is facilitated by Marlee Liss and hosted by Consent is Golden (Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management).

Love in Action: Reconnecting with the Inherent Wisdom of Our Bodies

Jan. 26, 2023 from 2 to 3 p.m.

This workshop will help to build our awareness of how our bodies have organized to take care of us. We will learn about safety shaping and practice some essential skills to help us be more present, more open, and connected to ourselves.

About the facilitator: Nazbah Tom (Diné) is a somatic practitioner. Their original training is in drama therapy which offered an experiential form of psychotherapy with individuals and groups. As a somatic practitioner they use a combination of conversation, breath work, gestural work, bodywork, and incorporating new somatic skills to support and guide individuals and groups through a process of embodied transformation.

Taking Care of You (Self-Care for Survivors)

Dec. 1, 2022 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Facilitated by the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region.

Whether you experienced a recent trauma, or it was long ago, the effects of trauma can impact survivors deeply. Managing all of this while in school can be extra difficult, but you don’t have to deal with it alone.

This is a workshop for survivors of sexual violence to learn more about the ways in which trauma impacts our minds and bodies. We will discuss strategies for getting through the hard days and explore pathways to healing.

Speaking Your Healing

Nov. 10, 2022 at 2 p.m. | Virtual, Zoom | Registration is closed.

This workshop is only open to self-identified survivors of sexual violence. This includes those who’ve experienced sexual harassment as well as sexual assault.

What do we do in aftermath of sexual violence? How do we rediscover our voice? How can we begin to express what happened or who we are now? If rape culture demands our silence- is expression the path to our healing? These are some of the questions this workshop seeks to explore.

The first half will be spent discussion the importance and challenge of self-expression for sexual violence survivors; during the second half, participants will be invited to express their thoughts, feelings and/or reflections through the written and spoken word (for example: letter-writing, poetry, prose, short stories, creative non-fiction, etc).

About the Facilitator

A Montreal-based writer, advocate and educator Malek Yalaoui has been called many things but the most frequent of these is “force to be reckoned with.” Born in North Africa but bred in the American Midwest, Malek’s work is all about reconciling her multiple, intersecting identities as she moves towards wholeness. A queer femme of color and adult survivor of child abuse living with long-term depression, the sole purpose of Malek’s work is to heal herself and her community. Malek believes in the power of representation to lift up underserved communities and uses social and independent media to highlight both her own voice and the voices of other women of color. Current projects include SistersInMotion MTL, Poetry Nite at Kafein, the Chai Chats Podcast and her work with McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education office supporting students of colour. Two years ago, Malek wrote about her #metoo experience.

Healthy Hookup (Sexual Communication and Consent)

Oct. 24, 2022 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Facilitated by the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region

In this workshop, we will discuss tools to improve communication in our sexual relationships. Using a want/will/won’t list can help us talk about our boundaries, wants, and needs with a partner.

This workshop focuses on themes of pleasure, consent, and intimacy to encourage healthy sexual relationships.