ELBOWROOM AUSTRALIA©
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT TO BE SAFE
Elbowroom provides trauma-informed movement recovery programs for women and gender-diverse people with lived experience of womanhood and gender-based violence. Our programs are designed specifically for those who have experienced interpersonal trauma such as family violence and sexual assault. Providing a safe and supportive environment, these evidence-based educational programs increase body awareness, assertiveness skills and confidence in re-claiming the right to be safe.
ELBOWROOM teaches by replicating real life scenarios, assisting women to detect verbal, emotional and physical violations and develop communication and physical skills to assert boundaries.
FACILITATORS
Our programs engage Therapists and Martial Arts Professionals who work together to provide an emotionally supportive and physically safe environment in which to enhance awareness, skills and a sense of personal agency.
FAMILY VIOLENCE
ELBOWROOM has been developed specifically for women who have been exposed to violence by those known to them. It offers opportunities to understand trauma, engage in regulation strategies, somatic experiencing and active-defence drills to assert physical and verbal boundaries in a way that was previously unsafe. The program is committed to providing a space to heal by focusing on people’s defensive body movement
and the strength of a calm mind.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
ELBOWROOM is committed to serving our community to reduce incidences of violence and provide a safe space to recover.Assessment procedures ensure participants are group ready. Pre and post psychological tests assist in evaluating outcomes.
TRAUMA INFORMED
ELBOWROOM modules are informed by current trauma research and self defence programs. Neurobiology, somatic psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour exposure therapy are embedded in the program. These evidence-based approaches are known to reduce symptoms of PTSD. Improvement comes from neurological remapping; enhancing awareness, insight and articulation of the felt sense, cognitions and emotions; attuning to peri-personal space and asserting boundaries.
Jennifer Dawson is the founder of ELBOWROOM. She has extensive experience working with survivors of interpersonal trauma and holds a 2nd Dan WGKA black belt. Jennifer has partnered to roll out the program with several community based agencies.. She has a particular interest in culturally sensitive practice, interpersonal trauma and its impact, utilising evidence based research to assist in recovery and enhancing strengths to rebuild healthy lives.
OVERVIEW
We offer both Activating Defence and Yoga Fusion Programs that combine evidence based approaches that assist women in trauma recovery.
· Psychoeducation
· Somatic Experiencing
· Regulation Strategies
· Components engaging either martial arts or yoga sequences
COURSE CONTENT
Understanding trauma and the nervous system
Human rights
Warning signs
Tuning into cues of safety
Sensing and asserting boundaries
Procedural tendencies and trauma
BENEFITS
Confidence, strength and resilience building
Awareness of patterns in relationships
Attuning to personal space and boundaries
Mindful awareness of body sensations as warning signs
Regulation of arousal through grounding, alignment and containment exercises
Attuning with defensive impulses that get stuck with trauma
Processing trauma by allowing the body to act in a way that was previously unsafe
Experimenting with verbal and physical responses to intrusion of boundaries
Active defence responses to realistic scenarios / or Yoga sequences that are trauma informed clients' expectations.
Facilitation Team
Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer is a Psychologist. She developed the ELBOWROOM training modules, based on current trauma informed research and self defence programs. Jennifer has extensive experience working with survivors of interpersonal trauma and holds a Ni Dan (2nd Dan WGKA Black belt). She has a private practice where she supports adolescents and adults.
Irena Krol
Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer Dawson
Irena has trained in the martial art of Aikido since 2002 and holds a 4th degree black belt. She and her husband run an Aikido dojo, SANGEN Melbourne Aikikai, in Surrey Hills. Irena is a certified shiatsu practitioner with extensive experience in teaching people about selfcare and wellbeing practices. She has also been working as a certif
Irena has trained in the martial art of Aikido since 2002 and holds a 4th degree black belt. She and her husband run an Aikido dojo, SANGEN Melbourne Aikikai, in Surrey Hills. Irena is a certified shiatsu practitioner with extensive experience in teaching people about selfcare and wellbeing practices. She has also been working as a certified life skills instructor for the last 10 years, helping to empower young people to better manage the challenges in their lives.
Katie Ferguson
Jennifer Dawson
Kerrie Baryczka
Katie has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 20 years and has qualifications and training in Kundalini yoga, Prenatal Hatha Yoga, Conscious Birth, Radiant Child Yoga and sound healing. She has a keen interest in trauma recovery and personal development and is currently studying Therapeutic coaching.
Integrating key principles of
Katie has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 20 years and has qualifications and training in Kundalini yoga, Prenatal Hatha Yoga, Conscious Birth, Radiant Child Yoga and sound healing. She has a keen interest in trauma recovery and personal development and is currently studying Therapeutic coaching.
Integrating key principles of NLP, hypnotherapy, developmental psychology, life coaching, EFT and mindfulness training, to help people live a healthier, happier and more relaxed life.
Kerrie Baryczka
Jennifer Dawson
Kerrie Baryczka
Kerrie is a registered yoga teacher/therapist, with over 25 years of personal practice and has a particular interest in trauma recovery
and neurodiversity. She shares a range of diverse strategies to assist in self-regulation, through breath, grounding and calming exercises.
HERE'S WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING
"This program is so essential in our current world – mindfulness, awareness, boundaries and movement for women is the missing link in the campaign around eliminating family violence"
“The partnered exercise assisted me to gain insight into my tendency to absorb others emotions as I find it hard to separate myself. I think this stemmed from always having to be alert to my ex partners mood and sudden escalations”.
"In the Sun and Shadow exercise I felt much more comfortable when my partner was the leader. I noticed feeling uncomfortable when I was in charge. This extends to real life where I find it hard to make decisions in case I'm told off or 'get it wrong'. I think I give others my power and I need to start having confidence in myself. I'm going to notice my tendency to do that and experiment with slowing down and responding in a new way".
"In the boundary exercise I suddenly recalled a recent incident where someone was unkind to me. I became shocked when I remembered that I didn’t defend myself. I was struck by the thought that I had “no boundaries”. These experiences relate to relationships in my life, where it had been unsafe to assert boundaries and to have opinions. This has probably been happening for a long time. It was only in that moment while doing that exercise that I became aware of it. It's given me something to work on".
“I have never had space to find wellness in my body, it was too important to keep vigilant and notice danger. I didn’t think wellness existed in my life anymore. I’m so grateful to have found it in the wellness meditation and the more I Inoticed it the bigger the area grew”.
“When the facilitator was asked to go outside and make a noise, even though I was expecting it I felt my body become tense and alert. I realised I live a lot of my life this way just waiting for something to happen. I often feel sore and tired, and intolerant to those around me that I love. I’m going to need to explore this more as it would be good to know that I’m safe now so I can rest”.
“We explored our procedural tendencies when relating to others using balls. When doing this exercise one woman caught her ball, held it for some time and threw it gently back to her partner. When asked why, she explained that she felt it was her responsibility to hold and manage everything that’s asked of her and also to make sure the other person (intruding upon her) is okay too”.
"Thank you for creating this wonderfully safe space. I appreciate being able to learn how to improve my self regulation and most importantly have a means/opportunity to practice these techniques as I struggle to do so outside of this time".
"Amazing program. I really enjoyed the whole program and enjoyed it more each week that I came. The group that we had and the bond that seemed to form with every one by the end was great. Thank you so much"
"Thank you for allowing me to participate in this program. I totally feel that I have become more aware of my thoughts/emotions. I have gained so much insight and strength within myself. Thank you"
"I cannot express how grateful I am for the education, safety and experience I have gained from this course. I have really evolved through the weeks so thank you!"
"I had a great time, it helped me be more self aware of my emotions and what my body is going through"
"Warm, wise, warrior women. It was a privilege to be part of this innovative, empowering, supportive and much needed program".
"I find the body awareness theme of the program vital healing; and the calming strategies taught were easy enough for me to do on my own. Thank you so much for facilitating a safe space for us"
"Incredibly insightful and empowering. I feel better equipped to heal from my trauma but also prevent it in the future. I have learned about my rights and am starting to believe them. This is so valuable; I will recommend it to anyone. I wish everyone dealing with trauma receives the insight, work and experience that I have had. Thank You!!!"
"The alter changing and reflecting different characteristics and strengths was a really visual/tangible reflection of the thoughts and space being held. I was grateful and felt respected when I needed to opt out of an activity".
"I appreciated what we learned a lot, especially sharing and listening to figure out what it all means. But I would have liked the course to be twice as long (16 weeks!)"