A 6-week gentle samba therapy series Mondays July 14 - August 18, 2025, 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Step into a welcoming and supportive space to discover a unique pathway to inner balance and well-being. This 6-week gentle movement series, "The Samba Sanctuary," invites you to explore foundational Brazilian Samba rhythms – from the grounding Samba Básico to the energetic Samba No Pé and the rooted Samba Reggae/Samba Afro – as a gentle tool for self-discovery.
Each 90-minute session offers a consistent and calming warm-up to center your body and mind, followed by a creative check-in to gently connect with your present experience. Through brief, accessible psychoeducation, you'll gain insights into valuable well-being concepts such as grounding, acceptance, self-compassion, connection, and resilience. The heart of each session lies in the joyful and accessible samba dance instruction, where you'll be encouraged to move at your own pace, fostering a deeper connection with your body and its natural rhythms. We'll conclude each session with a reflective circle, providing a space to share insights and integrate your experience.
No prior dance experience is necessary. "The Samba Sanctuary" offers a gentle and embodied approach to cultivate inner balance, reduce stress, and discover the inherent joy and grounding power of Brazilian Samba in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Join us to find your own rhythm of well-being within the sanctuary of movement.

Move Your Body: Learn basic Samba steps – no experience needed!
Cultivate Calm: Explore simple well-being practices for stress reduction.
Connect Within: Enhance body awareness and find your inner rhythm.

***This course is best as a whole series to create community and emotional safety (not drop in). If you sign up, please do not anticipate missing more than 2 classes from the series. If you do need to miss a class or two, please let your instructor know the dates, because attendance will shift the dynamic of each session. Your presence matters in the best way!

Register Here

Are you a creative soul feeling the weight of stress and mental health challenges, leaving little room for your artistic spirit to flourish? Do you long to reignite your passion, find inspiration, and connect with a supportive community that understands the unique challenges of the creative mind?

Join our "Coping Through the Creative Process" mini-series, a transformative 5-week journey designed to help you break through creative and mental blocks, cultivate mindfulness, and rediscover the joy of making. This experiential group will provide a safe and nurturing space to explore your inner world through art, foster self-acceptance, and build resilience.

Led by me, Taylor Franklin, a Clinical Intern with a background in art education and a passion for expressive arts therapy, this series will blend therapeutic modalities like DBT and mindfulness with hands-on creative exploration. We'll dive into common themes that challenge our mental health, using the powerful group dynamic to immerse ourselves in the flow of creative work, process thoughts and feelings, and forge deep connections.

What to Expect:

• Unleash Your Creative Power: Discover new ways to access your creativity and overcome mental and creative blocks.

• Supportive Community: Connect with like-minded individuals in a safe and confidential environment.

• Experiential Learning: Engage in hands-on creative projects that promote self-discovery and emotional processing.

• Mindfulness & Therapeutic Tools: Learn practical techniques to manage stress, anxiety, and burnout.

• Renewed Inspiration: Rekindle your artistic spark and find joy in your creative endeavors.

This series is for you if you are:

1. Struggling to find time or inspiration for creativity.

2. Experiencing stress, anxiety, or mental burnout that impacts your creative energy.

3. Looking for a supportive community to share your creative journey.

4. Ready to use art as a tool for healing and self-discovery.

Participant Testimonials from Previous Series:
"I absolutely LOVED this group! It was incredibly inspiring. It really made something come alive inside of me! The safety that we created in our group was absolutely remarkable."
"The openness and honesty that we shared allowed me to truly open up my creative process which was incredibly healing. I’m even considering starting a new career as a result of how alive the group made me feel!"
"Absolutely INCREDIBLE to sum it up… I feel truly blessed to have art and the creative process back in my life as a result of this class. Thank you so much for the opportunity."

Important Details for Registration:
Dates & Times: Wednesdays from 5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
July 9, 2025
July 16, 2025
July 23, 2025
**Optional self-directed creative sessions: July 30, 2025 & August 6, 2025
August 13, 2025
August 20, 2025

Cost: $175 for the 5-week series
Attendance Policy: This is a full series, not a drop-in group. To foster psychological safety and community, participants cannot miss more than one planned absence.
Payment Options:
Insurance: Willow Counseling accepts many insurance plans. Please contact us to verify your coverage.

Sliding Scale: If you are paying out of pocket and you have financial concerns, a sliding scale is available. Please email Taylor at taylor@willowcounselingandarts.com to inquire about options.

Register Here

This three-part series offers a gentle yet profound journey into the world of your ancestors. We will explore the deep and ongoing connection between our lives and their presence, discovering how understanding our lineage can bring a sense of belonging and solace.

Workshop 1 - Saturday, June 14, 9:30 AM - 11 AM: A Gentle Introduction to Ancestral Connection

This first workshop serves as a gentle introduction to connecting with your ancestors. We will explore the idea of ancestral lineage and how our ancestors influence our lives. Through guided reflection and a simple honoring ritual, you'll learn how to acknowledge and begin to connect with your ancestors of blood. We will also introduce the concept of our four primary blood lineages (maternal grandmothers, maternal grandfathers, paternal grandmothers, paternal grandfathers) as a foundation for deeper exploration in the following workshops. This session will include introductory ancestral connection practices.

Workshop 2, Sat. July 12, 9:30 AM - 11 AM: Connecting Through Creativity: An Experiential Workshop

Building upon our introductory session, this workshop will delve into the powerful role of creativity in connecting with your ancestors. Through simple guided art-making experiences, you will explore different ways to engage with your lineage through creative expression. This experiential session will help you tap into intuitive insights and foster a deeper, more embodied connection with your ancestors through various artistic mediums. No prior art experience is necessary – just a willingness to explore

Workshop 3, Sat. Aug. 9, 9:30 AM - 11 AM: Honoring Your Lineage: Building an Ancestor Altar

In our final workshop, we will focus on tangible ways to honor and connect with your ancestors through the creation of an ancestor altar. We will explore the many forms an ancestor altar can take and discuss meaningful objects and elements to include. You will learn practical steps and considerations for building an altar that resonates with your personal beliefs and intentions, creating a dedicated space for remembrance, connection, and receiving guidance.

Who is this series for?

We invite anyone seeking to gently and intentionally explore the concept of ancestral lineage connections and tune into the wisdom and guidance of their ancestors through ritual and creative expression to enroll in this series. No prior ancestral connection experience or art-making skills or abilities are required. Just a desire and curiosity about your ancestors and the potency of your creativity. All are welcome!

Register Here

The Dinner Party’s mission is to connect young adult grievers to a caring and supportive community of peers, transforming our most isolating experiences into a source of long-lasting companionship, personal meaning-making, and culture change. We envision a world where the death of our people and the isolation of our grief are met with authentic care and community; where we form connections with peers that make us feel deeply seen and heard in our grief, celebrated and empowered in our stories, and better equipped to show up for ourselves, others, and the world at large, as we navigate loss and life beyond.

Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/nh8ve3en