Sandra
Creator & facilitator (she/her)
I’m Irish and I live in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. I discovered I’m autistic in January 2021, three days before I turned 47. The initial months after being formally identified were a bit of a rollercoaster ride – I felt mostly profound relief and even excitement but it was interspersed with shock and doubt, as well as grief and anger about not knowing much sooner. I gradually reframed many of my life’s experiences in light of this new identity and whilst I imagine the process of self-discovery and integration will continue for the rest of my life, I’m glad to say I’ve emerged feeling whole, empowered, and proudly autistic!
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My Tamalpa journey
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I began studying the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® with Tamalpa UK in 2018 and completed my Level 2 training in California, Europe, and online in 2020.
Through the training and practice my range of movement and creative expression has expanded and this has profoundly supported my physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. I am now more confident as a mover and experience dance and movement as nourishing, self-regulating, and resourcing whatever my emotional state.
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I regularly use the creative yet practical tools of the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® to access the innate wisdom of my body and discover resources, which help me navigate life’s circumstances, choices, and unpredictable changes. This increases confidence in my own decisions and supports personal change and growth.
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Why I want to work with fellow autistics
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Given how supportive and transformative the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® has been for me, I am highly motivated to offer my certifying, Level 3 practicum project to other autistic adults.
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Additional professional training
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In addition to my Tamalpa practice, I am in my final year of a three year training to become a Somatic Experiencing practitioner, which is a body-oriented therapeutic modality for healing trauma and other stress disorders.
I serve as a lived experience practitioner on the Board of Ethics and Governance at Khiron House Trauma Clinics in the U.K.
To enhance my knowledge and skills in working professionally with fellow autistic adults, I am enrolled on AUsome's 6 month Practitioner Certificate Course starting in October.
I am committed to holding the safest possible space for you to work in, so I engage in continuing self-development practices and have ongoing professional supervision.
How I resource myself
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I nourish myself through the arts, nature, a regular movement practice, and cherished relationships with my husband, six adult and teenage children, and friends.
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Victoria
Assistant
she/her
I’m Scottish and live in Brighton, U.K, with my partner and two daughters who are 11
and 12. Through my journey with my daughter who was identified as autistic just over a
year ago, I came to question whether I am too and in June 2022 I was formally identified. It is such fresh information I imagine it will be a journey of processing and rediscovering my identity through this new lens. At the moment I am with the feeling of huge relief!
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My Tamalpa journey
I was first introduced to the Tamalpa Life/Art Process ® work in 2016 and it's had a
profound impact on my life. I had never previously done somatic work and had buried
my creativity for many years. The sense in the Tamalpa work that there is ‘nothing right, nothing wrong’ allowed me to grow in confidence and connect with the wisdom of my body.
I have observed how, as the range of my drawing and movement has increased, this in turn has expanded my ability to connect with my inner emotional life in a way that I had never known. I regularly use the Tamalpa Life/Art Process ® tools to support me with questions in my life and to check in with where I am at physically, emotionally and mentally.
I am currently in my Level 2 Tamalpa practitioner training and I'm delighted to have been invited to assist on Sandra’s wonderful project. I have previously assisted on two online courses for women in recovery from addiction and I am presently assisting on an in-person course in London for a mixed gender group at an addiction treatment centre.
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My professional approach
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Creating a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space where a person can be fully themselves is of paramount importance to me and I am committed to supporting Sandra in its creation.
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How I resource myself
I live by the sea and nourish myself with regular walks, exercise, art and creativity, and my
treasured friends and family including my two cats.
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Audicia
Supervisor
Audicia Lynne Morley has been one of Sandra's and Victoria's Tamalpa teachers since the start of their training and she is Sandra's Level 3 supervisor. Participants will not meet Audicia but the project is influenced and supported by her unparalleled knowledge and experience.
Audicia has spent over 30 years working in the fields of the performing arts, somatics, health and well being. She is a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist RSMT and Registered Somatic Movement Educator RSME with ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association).
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Audicia's Tamalpa journey
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Audicia graduated from the Tamalpa Institute in 2006 having studied with Anna and Daria Halprin from the late 1990’s. During that time she served on the board of directors for the Tamalpa Institute for 6 years where she met and worked closely with Lian Wilson, Creative Director of Tamalpa UK . Audicia was invited by Lian to support the establishment of a Tamalpa training in the UK in 2012 and since that time she has served as core faculty and as Programme Director for Tamalpa UK.
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Audicia is certified as a Planetary Dance facilitator, trained by Anna Halprin, and has presented the Planetary Dance and Tamalpa Life/Art Process® workshops both in the UK and internationally.
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Inspired by her time with the Halprins at the Tamalpa Institute’s Mountain Home Studio in California, Audicia established an international centre dedicated to the development of movement, health and the arts – State Theta Galleries – in Scotland, where she now lives and works.
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VIDEOS
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For those who prefer an audio/visual presentation of information,
there are videos of Sandra reading the information from the website:
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FURTHER RESOURCES
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For a list of
websites, books, papers and a glossary of terms
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