The Unguarded Heart

A COMMUNITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SURVIVED & ARE CALLED TO SERVE

ABOUT ME CONTINUED

Eventually, I surrendered to the fact that I could most powerfully access my personal process in the anonymity of groups, witnessing others do their own inner work, with complete control over what, when and how I might share my own personal material. I surrendered to my defenses, allowing for them.

I remember an early experience of a catalytic moment in a group setting. It was during another training with Dr. Estés. She was teaching us that the root of the word 'sacrifice' is the same as the root of the word, 'sacred'. She was encouraging us, lending us strength of heart, to reflect on personal losses, sacrifices, and bless them, make them holy... make them sacred.

Grief flooded me, the scab over my heart ripped off. That moment is my first memory of making contact with the heart wound from having had an abortion years before. It would take me years more to cleanse the wound and tend to the scar tissue forming, but I would succeed. And from that process of healing from an abortion, Sexual Memoir was born.

I arrived into "women's work" when, unexpectedly pregnant with my first, I began attending a local birth circle. The Southeast Women's Herbal Conference was my introduction to women's communities. From there, I entered into 4 years of intensive study with ALisa Starkweather.

I have continuously, without interruption, participated in circles and communities envisioned, founded and held by cisgendered or AFAB women for close to 2 decades.

I came to revel in the expanse of a group energetic field, freely sharing my own emotional catharsis with those present. Over time, I discovered that as my inner work became more dynamic, so did my presence as a leader and facilitator. This is an energetic truth. If I am deeply engaged in my own transformational process, my presence will catalyze and support parallel processes in others, just as my own process is impacted and inspired by the teachers and mentors I study with.

Where before I judged myself for not being "able" to open up with a therapist, I grew to respect my body's sense of safety in any given moment and not push myself past my defenses. Where before I feared I was projecting my undealt inner processes onto those I served, I now trust the resonance and synergy between us.

I also champion my truth that witnessing others do their inner work enables us to touch places in ourselves that are beyond language. Places that are to be felt and known to ourselves, not necessarily put to language or exposed to others.

I am also inspired to foster community spaces because we are not designed to heal on our own. Wounding that happened in relationship can only heal through relationship.

Now, having trained as a clinical mental healthy counselor, I respect psychotherapy and the power of the one-on-one therapeutic relationship between the client and clinician. And... my believe in the power of community as only grown stronger.

The Unguarded Heart is founded on this premise that women do not need more tools, strategies, or techniques. They need a reliable, consistent container to create the space for them to go inside themselves and do the work. They need community, and leadership that is dedicated to maintaining balance and clear boundaries.

Think of someone who is committed to keeping their body in peak physical condition and knows how to do it, but does not have time to work out and does not have access to the exercise equipment that they need.

My effectiveness as a facilitator is directly connected to my willingness to be held as a participant. I continue to utilize group spaces to stay with my own growing edges, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This ensures that I maintain empathy, nonjudgment and compassion for those I work with and hold space for.

I am passionate about creating containers where taking care of ourselves is how we take care of others, because of the safety and permission we grant one another when we respect and care for our own vulnerabilities.

My background as a mediator enables me to teach practical tools & techniques for communication that ensure clean boundaries between participants in my groups.

I have embraced & honed my innate sensitivities over time & use them to help group members stay connected with themselves so that they can undo years of people pleasing or compulsively caretaking others in group settings.

My continued practice as a bodyworker (massage therapist) equips me with an ability to create experiential online group settings that are grounded, calming & restorative with plenty of opportunities for movement & breaks. I take care to create virtual spaces that are interactive, experiential & as comfortable as possible.

My training as a clinical mental health counselor strengthens my commitment to fostering spaces that are psychologically safe & ripe with opportunities to engage in deep self-reflection.

I am impatient with ungrounded theory & over-intellectualization so I work hard to make complex ideas accessible & to concretize abstract theory so that my participants can put the information to good use in their lives.

My commitment to becoming a skilled facilitator of the Groove Dance Method keeps me on several personal-growth edges. Prior to training as a facilitator, I had never danced in front of members of my immediate community. Now, I am passionate about helping folks get into their bodies & shed their fear of judgment as they experiencing moving in ways that feel amazing.

Through years of study of earth-based spiritual practices I infuse my groups with accessible practices & inspiration to awaken creativity & rediscover your authentic spiritual expression.

I strive to stay in my integrity as a leader & facilitator through on-going self-study, mentorship from advanced teachers, & regular participation in group supervision.

Those who hold, are in the practice of being held.

We hold because we long

to be held.

MARYBETH FRANCESCA, MOTHERS AS HEALERS