step into your personal power.
(Your authentic self is waiting.)
Your journey into the underworld begins with a written application form and short interview process, where you are given space to detail your vision / goals, your emotional patterns, and any energetic blocks, as you understand them. Upon completion of the written application, you will be prompted to select a time for a video interview (held via Zoom), where we will discuss the content of your application and I can answer any questions you may have about the coaching process and any tools or practices we may use for your personalized program.
While calendar invitations are issued automatically to facilitate scheduling, it is essential to note that these appointments may be respectfully withdrawn should it become evident upon review that our paths are not aligned for partnership.
Due to the deep and personal nature of my coaching program, my practice is structured to engage with only a select number of clients concurrently. Access to individually purchased 1:1 sessions is exclusively granted through a private link, which becomes available upon the completion of a minimum engagement in a 10-session package.
sliding scale payment options are available on a selective basis, prioritizing support for marginalized communities.
For inquiries, please contact hello@rachaelbesser.com after completing the application process.
For more information on what a session might look like, keep scrolling!
Body-Based Shadow Work Coaching:
What actually happens in a session?
Depending on the nature of the specific block we are working with, the session will typically contain a few key elements:
(Click the arrows below to expand on each topic)
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This portion tends to look very similar to motivational interviewing, where I will ask you questions about your experiences so that we can understand and begin to separate...
→ the events surrounding the block you want to process,
→ your mind's interpretation of related circumstances,
→ your awareness and understanding of the block and how it functions relative to your goals,
→ your desired outcome, and
→ any additional interpretations (relating to the block) that we may find even more juicy Shadow content in. -
Sequences tend to set themselves up to occur naturally out of coaching conversation. I may pause and ask how you're feeling about something you just shared, and then ask if you're ready to move into a sequence, where (upon receiving your consent) I will then ask you to close your eyes and we will begin.
Most sequences begin with identifying how an emotion or thought manifests in the body as sensations, and then we will expand into more ‘psychic’ content from there. Through the process, we will continuously tie in somatic awareness as your imagination naturally unfolds into its own vast world — your mind is a psychic realm, after all!
These sequences are largely informed by Parts Work, so we treat each and every aspect of the mind and body as their own 'part,' inviting them into a dialogue, or instructing them to follow certain guidance when appropriate ("go over there," "stay with another Part," "show me what this means," "take us to a separate scene," etc).
Sequences can feel somewhat like day dreaming or lucid dreaming, wherein the content can be surprising, or even feel like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Sequences can last anywhere from 5 minutes to beyond 45 minutes, and (depending on the client) an average session can contain 1-3 sequences. -
This could be anything from a simple grounding exercise before/during/after a sequence, to having you switch to sitting on the floor against a wall instead of in a chair. The idea of keeping nervous system regulation at the forefront of my practice is to establish safety in the body so that it can safely hold, and adequately process, all psychic and somatic content that may come up during the active imagination sequences.
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After we have finished with any sequences and regulation exercises, we'll take some time at the end of the session to reflect on what was discovered and felt. Reflections help us solidify what we've learned and noticed, and begin the process of integrating that knowledge into daily life. During this time, I'll ask you to share your thoughts, feelings, and insights about the session, and you'll also be free to ask me any additional questions about what came up.
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Depending on what came up during the session, I may suggest some additional exercises for you to try on your own following the session. These could be anything from writing prompts, mindfulness exercises, nervous system support, rituals, or even creative projects, to watching a movie or tv show.
The purpose of these assignments is to further your understanding of your experience, and to help you begin to integrate any of the Shadow aspects (aka, "Parts") we worked with into your conscious mind. -
My Shadow Work practice is largely informed by Jung's Model of the Psyche, so in this context, "psychic" content simply refers to sensations that the mind produces that aren’t also perceived using the traditional 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
Have you ever felt a feeling or sensation as a color or shape? Can you "see" sounds? (Synesthesia) Ever had a weird dream? Or suddenly had a memory, thought, or feeling combust out of [seemingly] thin air? Congrats, you're super psychic as far as my program goes!
In Jung's works, "psychic" does not primarily refer to extrasensory abilities or phenomena, but rather, to the totality of the human mind and its processes. His conceptualization of the "psychic" includes elements such as thoughts, memories, dreams, and beyond. He uses it to describe the inner world of a person, including material within both conscious and unconscious minds.
So by this definition.... your mind is an innately psychic space.
[Source: Jung, C.G. (1960) The Structure of the Psyche. In: Read, H., Fordham, M., Adler, G. (eds.) The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Vol.8, Princeton University Press.]
