The Wisdom of the Moving Body

Awakening Therapeutic Artistry through Movement, Dance, and Embodied Awareness - with Jo Hardy

The Invitation

For practitioners who recognise that the body holds the keys to transformation, this intensive CPD offers a dynamic expansion of practice—bridging the quiet depth of the 'felt sense' with the vitality of letting the body 'speak'. By integrating the subtle currents of somatic awareness with creative movement and embodied inquiry, we cultivate the agility to inhabit the full spectrum of presence—from deep stillness to dynamic expression. We learn to dynamically track and follow the therapeutic process in and through the body, reading somatic narratives in real-time to safely guide clients from habitual holding patterns into more fluid, authentic expression.

Rooted in the Karuna Institute’s evolving lineage, we ground our inquiry in the core principles of Relational Mindfulness and a trauma-informed perspective. This foundation supports us to cultivate a compassionate, open-hearted presence, empowering us to hold the full depth of human experience with safety and resonance.

Ultimately, this CPD offers a unique bridge between the depth of psychotherapeutic understanding and the power of embodied expression. Whether you work 1:1 or with groups, this work empowers you to deepen your trust in the body’s intelligence, guiding those you support to drop beneath the story and express the aliveness that lives beyond words.

Core Learning Outcomes

•          Cultivate Resourced Presence: Develop the capacity to inhabit a grounded, spacious witness, utilizing the "archetype of the dancer" and conscious movement resources to remain centered amidst intensity. You will learn to hold a safe container that supports clients to articulate embodied polarities without becoming overwhelmed.

•          Track the Therapeutic Arc: Refine your ability to read somatic narratives in real-time. By tracking the subtle currents of the "felt sense"—posture, micro-movements, and breath—you will learn to follow the body’s unfolding process as a direct doorway to unconscious material.

•          Navigate Nervous System Regulation: Bring the Window of Tolerance to life through a movement exploration of our somatic architecture. You will learn to recognize the physical "shapes" of regulation and dysregulation, helping clients metabolize arousal and shift from reactive states into responsive presence.

•          Facilitate Fluid Expression: Gain confidence in guiding clients from habitual patterning into creative expression and adaptive flow. You will learn to bridge the gap between "talking about" the body and letting the body "speak."

•          Integrate Conflicting Self-States: Learn to work with distinct parts and inner conflicts somatically. By externalizing these "shapes" through movement, you will facilitate embodied dialogues that illuminate internal dynamics and support the integration of the self-system.

•          Refine Relational Attunement: Deepen your sensitivity to the relational field and the "space between." Through experiments in proximity, leading, and following, you will enhance your capacity for co-creation, navigating boundaries and connection with greater agility.

Who is this for?

This intensive CPD is designed for professionals seeking to expand their clinical and facilitation toolkit by integrating the intelligence of the body and conscious movement. It is particularly suitable for:

•          Psychotherapists, Counsellors & Psychologists Who wish to move beyond exclusively cognitive modalities or expand the scope of their somatic work. You will learn to translate the "felt sense" into creative movement, gaining the confidence to invite embodied expression alongside deep listening to the therapeutic field.

•          Coaches, Bodyworkers & Somatic Practitioners Seeking to integrate creative movement into hands-on or conversational work. You will gain specific tools to read nervous system cues and safely guide clients to process emotional intensity through the body, expanding your range beyond "fixing" or "talking."

•          Creative Arts Therapists, Teachers & Facilitators Seeking to enrich their practice by connecting with the intelligence of their own moving body. This CPD offers a restorative space to expand your somatic vocabulary, enriching the creative resources you bring to your professional settings.

Whether you are new to somatic inquiry or an experienced mover, this CPD offers a unique synthesis of therapeutic precision and embodied wisdom. You will leave with a deepened trust in the body’s intelligence and skillful means to support organic transformation.

About Jo Hardy

Jo Hardy brings a unique depth of experience bridging clinical psychotherapy, transformational coaching, and conscious dance facilitation. As a senior trainer on the MA in Mindfulness-Based Core Process Psychotherapy at the Karuna Institute for 12 years (1994–2006), she has long integrated deep clinical wisdom with the vitality of embodied practice. Her therapeutic foundation is further grounded in Biosynthesis Body Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Supervision (CCPE).

With over 35 years of experience, Jo is an accredited teacher of 5Rhythms (Waves and Heartbeat), Open Floor, and was a long-time faculty member of the School of Movement Medicine. Her work is also deeply informed by Amerta Movement (Suprapto Suryodarmo), Internal Family Systems, and Collective Trauma Integration (Thomas Hübl). Known for her grounded clarity and down-to-earth humour, she currently leads The Art of the ChangeWeaver, a year-long training in embodiment facilitation, and teaches workshops internationally with a specific focus on China.

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