SEED
14th - 19th April 2026, Ireland
Deepening capacity to work with the body and nervous system through practice, presence and awareness.
What SEED Is About
SEED is a six-day experiential training for practitioners who want to include the body and nervous system in their work with more precision and confidence.
Many practitioners sense how crucial the body is but find it hard to stay with what they notice long enough for change to emerge.
You may experience the impulse to intervene prematurely, question the appropriateness of your timing, or notice internal responses arising that signal the need to ‘pause’ as the session unfolds.
SEED provides a practice-based environment to refine these skills. You’ll slow perception, build trust in what you sense, and strengthen your ability to respond to what is actually happening – internally, interpersonally and in the wider field.
Why This Approach
This training was developed in response to repeated requests from experienced practitioners wanting to slow down, notice more, and work with the nervous system in a grounded, relational way.
SEED draws on principles from Gestalt, somatic and polyvagal-informed approaches. The emphasis is not on adding techniques but on refining perceptual clarity, embodied presence and timing – qualities consistently linked to effective outcomes in therapeutic and facilitative work.
Research in neuroscience and relational psychotherapy highlights the role of co-regulation, attuned pacing and embodied awareness in supporting change. SEED focuses on cultivating these capacities through direct experience rather than theoretical instruction.
Focus Areas
SEED takes its name from four areas of practice. Each represents a capacity that develops and strengthens through repeated experience and reflection.
Sensing
Refining attention to shifts in the body and nervous system – your own, the other person’s, and in the relational field.
This includes noticing micro-movements, orientation, breath, tone and the quality of contact.
Embodying
Including your own body as part of the process. Staying present to sensations and posture, and recognising how your embodied state influences the interaction.
Engaging
Meeting what emerges with curiosity and respect. Staying with what is happening long enough to understand it, rather than rushing to interpret or direct it elsewhere.
Deepening
Allowing subtle shifts to take shape at their own pace. Developing confidence in when to support movement and when to stay with stillness or uncertainty.
How We Learn
Learning in SEED is experiential and reflective. It draws on the shared wisdom of the group as much as on the material introduced.
You will be encouraged to:
Notice how you learn best.
Ask questions that matter to your own practice.
Work with the responses that arise in the room rather than hypothetical scenarios.
Dialogue is central to staying close to experience, testing assumptions and making sense of what happened.
This is not a “banking education” model where information is delivered for you to store. It is a co-created learning space where professional experience is valued. The process builds on your existing skills and deepens them through practice, observation and shared inquiry.
Why SEED May be Relevant to Your Work
This training may be relevant if you want to:
Recognise subtle shifts in physiology, emotion, and relational tone with greater clarity.
Remain present and available during moments of intensity, stillness, or uncertainty.
Build tolerance for discomfort without moving too quickly to soothe or resolve.
Distinguish your own embodied responses from those of the client while maintaining connection.
- Sense how individual state shifts are influenced by the wider relational and environmental field.
Develop a refined sense of timing and pacing informed by nervous system dynamics.
Respond in ways that allow change to emerge rather than directing it.
Perceive more detail in what is happening within and between you and the client.
Make clearer decisions about when to act and when to hold back.
Navigate dysregulation and uncertainty with increased ease.
Core Capacities
Over the course of the training, you will systematically practise how to:
Establish and maintain orientation and autonomic stability under conditions of stillness, silence, and relational ambiguity.
Track micro-patterns of sympathetic activation, parasympathetic settling, and mixed autonomic states as they occur in real time.
Calibrate pacing and intervention to match phase-specific state shifts, supporting titration and integration rather than premature resolution.
Differentiate interoceptive, proprioceptive, and affective signals with clinical precision to inform case-by-case decisions.
Engage emergent somatic and affective expressions with appropriately graded contact, facilitating regulation without overriding the organism’s timing.
Support the consolidation of new patterns by linking shifts in state to meaning-making processes and broader relational contexts.
The training prioritises repeated observation, structured practice, and feedback to consolidate these perceptual and relational skills.
Residential Format
The residential setting creates conditions for deeper integration. Being in a dedicated environment with access to nature and shared space allows for continuity, steadiness and focus throughout the training.
Time outside the structured sessions is part of the learning rhythm. Opportunities for rest, informal reflection and peer connection allow the work to settle gradually through lived experience rather than through instruction alone.
Sessions will be from 9.30am – 12.30pm, 2.30pm – 5.30pm and 7.30pm – 9.30pm.
Additional Details
DATES
14th – 19th April 2026
LOCATION
The Corrymeela Centre, founded in 1965, is dedicated to reconciliation and peacebuilding, particularly in the context of the sectarian conflict in the North of Ireland, known as “The Troubles”. Corrymeela emphasises inclusivity, dialogue, and shared experiences to promote understanding and healing among people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
The centre sits above the seaside town of Ballycastle and boasts breathtaking views across the Irish Sea to Rathlin Island and Scotland.
Corrymeela is Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organisation, hosting over 10,000 people a year and having a live-in community of volunteers and staff.
“Corrymeela” is often translated from Irish as “the hill of harmony” or “hill of sweetness”.
ACCOMODATION & MEALS
Accommodation and meals are included as part of the residential format. Dietary needs will be collected during registration.
The cost for catering and accommodation is £545 for a shared room and £795 for a single room. All rooms are ensuite.
GROUP SIZE
The group will be limited to 18 participants to allow for depth, containment and individual attention within the learning environment.
ACCESSIBILITY
The chosen venue will aim to accommodate both physical and sensory accessibility. Further information will be provided before registration opens.
CPD / ATTENDANCE
While this is not a certification or qualification pathway, a letter of attendance can be provided for those documenting continuing professional development.
PILOT COST
For this first round, SEED is being offered as a pilot at a reduced rate of £375 (the standard fee will be £875).
This rate reflects a commitment to co-creating a thoughtful and well-paced learning environment. In future rounds, the full fee will help fund the participation of former attendees who return as assistants. They will contribute by witnessing practice sessions, offering guidance, and supporting the development of somatic and relational capacity in others.
Is This for You?
SEED is for practitioners grounded in therapeutic, coaching, or facilitative roles. It assumes familiarity with relational practice, reflective dialogue, and working professionally with others. It is particularly suited to those who want to deepen their embodied awareness through experiential learning.
You may find it a good fit if:
- You want to refine how you include the body and nervous system in relational work
- You are curious about how nervous system and relational dynamics shape professional interactions
- You are open to sharing stuck points and learning collaboratively
You are ready to participate actively and engage with others
You are comfortable with learning that unfolds through practice and shared inquiry rather than structured methods
You are willing to observe, experiment, and reflect as part of an immersive residential process
This training is not designed as a personal healing process or for those seeking immediate tools or techniques. It is best suited to practitioners who are ready to explore their existing approach in a slower and process-oriented way.
Registration is now open
If you would like to be part this pilot SEED training, you are welcome to leave your name and email below. We will then send you an application with joining instructions.