Hey there. Thank you for booking time with me. I am excited and honored to be a part of your journey. I invite you to treat this session as a mini psychedelic trip and orient accordingly.
This page will help you get a sense of what to expect, how to prepare, and how both of us can make the best of this experience. I hope it also answers most of your doubts, questions, and concerns.
About Me
Please check out my About Me page. To get a sense of my vibe, here’s my most recent podcast appearance: The Explorer Poet Podcast — Ep 57: Theo. (You’ll see my face when we get on the call.)
After exiting the finance industry, and then dabbling in the world of marketing, I have now transitioned to doing this work full-time. I enjoy helping people move toward deeper connection, clarity, and joy in their lives. Apart from this, I spend my time obsessing about meditation, altered states, and relational intricacies.
Scheduling
It’s okay to reschedule or cancel, just do it as far in advance as you can (ideally >24hrs). Please avoid last-minute changes. (Refer to the calendly confirmation email for canceling / rescheduling links)
Heads up, the session could end up going a little over 2 hours (although unlikely). I am happy to go beyond the time constraint if we are in the middle of processing something important. I also recommend planning some free time after our session so that you have the space to process, reflect, and integrate. Please schedule accordingly.
Intention
I’d like you to think about what you want to explore in our time together.
It could be something that’s currently alive for you in your self-exploration journey, something you are trying to untangle or nurture. Or a recurring pattern of thought/behavior that disturbs you and holds you back. It can be something abstract, like wanting more authenticity or self-compassion. Or something concrete, like wanting to not feel anxious and awkward in social situations.
If you’re not able to narrow down on a specific intention, that’s okay too. I’ll help you do that on our call.
Set / Headspace
If you have the space, I’d recommend doing this Guided Metta (loving-kindness) meditation (30 minutes) just before our session. Metta is very synergistic with parts work and will enrich your experience.
If you’re totally new to IFS/parts-work, I’d request and recommend checking out this Tim Ferriss podcast episode with the founder of IFS: Richard Schwartz — IFS, Psychedelic Experiences without Drugs, and Finding Inner Peace for Our Many Parts (#492) (Some familiarity with parts work will save us time and help you dive in more quickly)
If possible, try to let go of any expectations of what you want to “accomplish” or “solve” in this session. We will set an intention for our exploration, but we’ll not restrict ourselves with any rigid agendas, staying open to whatever adventures await us. I invite you to approach the session with a spirit of curiosity and see it as an opportunity to meet yourself at a deeper level.
Setting / Logistical Recommendations
For an optimal experience —
- Please choose a quiet space where you’ll be uninterrupted for 2 hours and can express yourself without inhibitions. Somewhere you feel safe enough to speak out, move your body, and cry.
- Please block off the time and let people in your household know you’re occupied so you’re not disturbed. Also, you might want to grab a bottle of water.
- Please download Zoom on your laptop and test your mic/headphones. You’ll find the zoom link in the meeting confirmation email. (If either of us has internet issues during session time, we’ll switch to audio-only/phone call).
- Please have the webcam at eye level and show your upper body so I can get some sense of your somatic experience. We can do an audio-only call if you’re not comfortable with showing your face (although I wouldn’t prefer that).
- Please ensure your phone is on do-not-disturb/airplane mode for the duration of our session.
During the Session
- I am here to co-explore with you, not push/pull you in any specific direction. All of my suggestions are invitations. Nothing I suggest is required. If your intuition is pulling you in a different direction, I’m happy to reroute.
- The core of my coaching philosophy is “loving the resistance”. As we seek transformation and approach suppressed pain, it’s natural for resistance to arise (experienced as some form of “difficulty”).
We don’t want to resist the resistance, ignore it, or push through it. Resistance is where the gold is. If we can be curious about it, attune to it, understand the concerns and wisdom behind it, kindly reassure and attend to it — the resistance melts away and the exploration becomes superfluous.
Resistance can take the form of
-
-
-
- annoyance / frustration / impatience
- anger / resentment
- anxiety / restlessness / worry
- feeling intimidated / scared
- feeling cluttered / overwhelmed
- skepticism
- reluctance / hesitation
- distraction / intrusive thoughts
- dissociation / visuals going blank
- self-doubt
- confusion / disorientation
- tiredness / fatigue
-
-
The resistance can also be interpersonal. You could feel like I’m rushing, or maybe I said something that doesn’t feel right, or something about my way of being could make you feel uncomfortable. Whatever it is, if you feel like the process is not flowing smoothly at any point, please bring it up so that we can explore and attend to the resistance. (Even if it’s something minor, verbalizing it really helps)
- Our exploration does not depend on me knowing the details of your life. If there’s some stuff from your life you’re not comfortable talking about, you can choose to relay it to me in an abstract way. But if you feel talking about something difficult can help you, I would definitely encourage that and hold a safe space for you.
- In general, feeling safe is critical for learning and transformation. If any part of you is feeling unsafe or concerned in any way, please don’t hesitate to verbalize it.
- Sometimes, we might have to go back and forth between various resisting parts for the process to start flowing. Remember that self-discovery is a non-linear process. Things often click randomly and suddenly. As long as we stay patient and curious, we’ll uncover and integrate something fascinating.
- I’d like you to let go of any concerns about “wasting” my time or worrying about my experience. If they arise, feel free to verbalize them. But I’d like you to assume I’m completely comfortable during the session. If there’s something, I’ll bring it up.
- Sometimes we end up unconsciously using thinking and rambling as defense mechanisms. If I sense something like this happening, I’ll gently request you to pause talking/intellectualizing and turn within.
- There is no obligation to go through the entire session. You can decide to pause or stop the exploration at any point. (There’s always the option to explore the resistance to continue with the session)
Potential Risks
An exploration like this is not always easy or fun. It can bring up challenging feelings such as grief, anger, fear, and shame. Some of those feelings can linger after the session. It is possible that the body will react to these feelings in uncomfortable ways. You may also experience shifts in beliefs, views, and long-held patterns. At times, this can feel destabilizing.
I will do my best to create a safe and resourced space, and to mitigate any overwhelm that may arise for you, but please check in with yourself. If you feel like your current life situation is very unstable, or if you’re struggling with very serious mental health problems, it might be wise to refrain from an exploration like this.
Agreements
- Everything you share (including your identity) will be held in the strictest confidentiality by me. I hope I can expect the same from you (re: my identity).
- If anything we do together doesn’t work for you or “feel right”, including my prompts or attitudes, you agree to bring it to my attention.
- Exploration of this sort can sometimes create projection/transference. If you notice any strong emotion arising toward me, you agree to bring it up so that we can explore and integrate it into our awareness. (If you are unclear on what projection/transference is, please refer to this link)
- We both agree to be on time for our sessions. If either of us is running more than a few minutes late we agree to let each other know via email or Twitter DMs.
- You acknowledge and understand that I’m not a licensed mental healthcare professional. Our work together is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and/or treatment of any kind.
- You understand the potential risks. You acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility to exercise your own judgment in choosing to participate in this work.
Payment
This is a pay-what-you-want session. You can pay me after the session based on what the session was worth to you and/or what you can afford right now. You’ll find my payment link in the post-session email.
If you’re curious about doing more exploration together, check out this page: Deeper Engagements
You can also support me by talking about your experience on public platforms and/or by sending other people my way. Thank you 🙏🏼
You can contact me via Twitter DMs or email me (nowth3o at gmail)
Thank you for reading and I’m looking forward to meeting you 🙂