Workshops

“Making Peace With Your Birth” Workshop

After hearing many stories of women who have experienced difficult births, whether they be vaginal or cesarean births, Julie Keon was motivated to offer some sort of space to honour their births, which were in most cases very unexpected and to one degree or another, traumatic. Many women are left feeling angry, frustrated, sad, resentful, guilty and/or confused about their births. This workshop will help the participant to explore any residual feelings she may have around her birth, gain awareness as to where she is at as far as making peace with her birth is concerned, free up some of the emotions that may be sitting quietly awaiting expression and will help to validate her experience. Writing exercises, guided visualizations, support and further, supportive resources will all be a part of this workshop. This is not an ongoing support group nor is it a therapy session. If you feel a need to make peace with your birth, this workshop may be a good starting point or a wonderful way to bring about closure. It is important that participants are at least 4 months postpartum as many emotions lie dormant before this time and you may not get what you need out of this type of experience if you are still in the earlier postpartum months. This is a women-only workshop and so we ask that childcare arrangements be made.

Some feedback from past participants:

“This workshop was organized with tremendous grace, elegance and simplicity. Best of all, it provided a safe, nurturing and healing place of support and exchange for women."

"Julie Keon knows what she is talking about.  I look forward to passing this one on to my friends who become new moms. What a powerful acknowledgement of the right of passage we have come through." 

"I really appreciated the sharing of stories between the women and Julie's motherly presence......feeding us, serving tea and being so attentive to our feelings/dietary preferences. I was surprised by the magic of what happened to me afterward.  I feel so much better about it all now. I know I'll have ups and downs but I've never felt such peace about my birth until now. Thanks again!

 “I was surprised at how helpful it was, especially since I am also working with a counsellor.  Before taking the workshop, I felt that it might be moderately helpful but I was willing to give it a shot.  However, after taking it, I was surprised at how much I got out of it especially the rituals, which were extremely powerful for me and symbolic.”

 “Hearing other women describe similar feelings that I had and thought were "abnormal" was very validating.  Julie is a very caring person and her guidance & support throughout the workshop was wonderful.”

 “I feel that taking your workshop assisted me to mentally, emotionally and spiritually prepare for our daughter's birth and is part of the reason why I had such a wonderful birth experience this time around. Going from an unplanned c-section to a home VBAC was very fulfilling for me and special for our entire family. Thank you for helping me to get to the place I needed to be so I could have the perfect birth. I could not be any happier.”

Fee for workshop: $125 (includes light lunch)

*Sliding scale offered to those experiencing financial hardship*

For more information: Julie at 613-646-9912 or at mothernurture@sympatico.ca

Workshop takes place over two 3-hour sessions in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley (location TBA)