Embodied Dreamwork:
Using the Body to Work with Dreams and Parts
This workshop is designed specifically for therapists and facilitators who want to deepen and expand their understanding of how to work with dreams through direct contact with body awareness.
“Dreams are not puzzles to interpret, but living experiences to be felt. When we meet them through the body, we meet the parts of ourselves that are waiting to be known.”
What you'll gain...
Dreams as Embodied Experience
​​Shift from interpreting dreams to directly experiencing them through present-moment body awareness.
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Dream Figures as Parts
Understand dream characters and themes as parts of the psyche seeking relational contact.
Somatic Tracking in Practice
Learn to track sensation, movement, and emotional tone to support integration and depth.
Embodied Dreamwork
Using the Body to Work with Dreams and Parts
The Nitty Gritty...
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Who It's For
This workshop is designed specifically for therapists and facilitators who want to deepen and expand their understanding of how to work with dreams through direct contact with body awareness. No prior experience needed.
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What to Expect
Participants will learn how to track bodily sensation, emotional tone, and implicit meaning as they arise in the body, and how dream figures and themes can be understood as living expressions of the psyche that can be met directly and relationally.
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This workshop will be an experiential deep dive on working with dreams in an embodied way, using parts work, shadow work, and ritual that welcomes the dream world into a co-created, relational space. Rather than working in dyads or small breakouts, we will engage directly with participants’ dreams together in the room. Through live facilitation and in-the-moment clinical framing, participants will witness and take part in the unfolding of dream material as it is contacted somatically and relationally.
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The emphasis throughout the day will be on learning by doing: observing how to track the body, how to orient to dream figures as parts of the psyche, how to slow the process down, and how to support safety and integration as powerful material emerges. Clinical and facilitation skills will be modeled and articulated in real time so participants can understand both the “what” and the “why” of the work.
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This workshop is open only to therapists and facilitators. No prior experience in Hakomi or formal dreamwork training is required.
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Retreat Date & Time
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Saturday, April 18, 2026
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9:00am-5:00pm
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Held at a private residence in San Anselmo, CA. Lunch will be provided.
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Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
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Approach dreams as living, embodied experiences rather than material to be interpreted from a distance
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Frame dream figures and themes as expressions of parts of the psyche
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Track somatic cues such as sensation, posture, movement, and emotional tone in real time
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Use mindful, present-moment awareness to support the organic unfolding of dream material
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Understand how to apply embodied dreamwork principles within clinical sessions, groups, and facilitation contexts
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Support integration and coherence by working at the intersection of psyche and soma
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Cost + Registration
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$250 fee- Please reach out to us if you'd like to inquire about sliding scale spots.
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​Space is limited to 12 participants.
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About the Facilitators
Grady M Fort, LMFT
I have been deeply involved in group retreat settings for over 20 years, both as a participant and a facilitator. Throughout this time, I have witnessed the profound power of group work to foster connection, create a sense of belonging, and provide the space for shared healing and growth. Group work has the unique ability to bring people together in community, where they can feel seen, heard, and supported in their journeys. My love for parts work stems from its ability to address core material in a way that is deeply compassionate and non-shaming. This approach allows us to meet ourselves with understanding, to honor every part of who we are, and to move toward greater inclusivity and a profound sense of wholeness. It’s a process that embraces both the vulnerable and the protective aspects of our inner world, helping us build a more cohesive and compassionate relationship with ourselves. As someone who values the power of shared experience, I strive to create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive space where each participant feels empowered to explore their inner landscape. My hope is that this work not only supports individual growth but also deepens our collective understanding of the beauty and complexity of being human.​ I’m honored to walk alongside you in this journey of self-discovery, healing, and integration.
Shai Lavie, LMFT
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working with adults, adolescents, and families in private practice in San Anselmo, California. I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 1995 and became licensed as an MFT in 1999.
I am certified in the Hakomi Method of mindfulness-based psychotherapy and serve as a Certified Hakomi Trainer on the faculty of the Hakomi Institute of California and Hakomi Mallorca. I am also certified in Somatic Experiencing®, Peter Levine’s trauma-resolution approach. Over the years, I have served as an adjunct professor at Sofia University (formerly the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology) and have taught at John F. Kennedy University and the California Institute of Integral Studies. I previously served on the faculty of the Marin Mindfulness Institute, where I taught professionals how to integrate mindfulness into work with adolescents.
For more than a decade, I led therapeutic groups in schools throughout Marin County and San Francisco. I have also facilitated over a dozen wilderness Rites of Passage programs for youth through Wilderness Reflections, Stepping Stones Project, and The Marin School. I am certified as a Wilderness First Responder.
I have been practicing Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Beginning in 2001, I taught meditation for many years in the Teen and Family Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
I have provided psychotherapy trainings for clinicians at multiple organizations over the years and i'm honored to share this space with you.
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