7 HOMECOMINGS MEDITATION

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7 Homecomings Meditation Group

Open group, weekly on Mondays 4:30-5:15pm

Starting 10/26/26-12/2/26

Offered by donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. Suggested $10 goes to help others receive mental health services at Liberation Institute

RSVP for location: lynnep@liberationinstitute.org

The 7 homecomings is a guided meditation practice that comes from Lama Rod Owens. Bringing together the buddhist concept of taking refuge with the needs and context of contemporary life, we will reflect on how these “homecomings” are sources we can lean into for strength, clarity, and purpose. For more info about the practice itself visit Lama Rod’s website here.

Lynne Piper is a community facilitator and current social work trainee at the Liberation Institute with a background in earth-based spirituality and ritual, as well as buddhist studies and practices. They completed training and certification from Lama Rod Owens to teach the 7 homecomings in 2023 and love sharing it as a regular drop-in community offering.

 

The Artist’s Way

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Description of group: the Artist’s Way Group

Are you interested in learning to listen to and trust your authentic expression and creativity more?

Monica is facilitating an Artist’s Way group starting in mid-October! We will meet weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 pm PST on-line for 12 weeks, from the comfort of your own space.

We will have weekly check-ins, creative exercises and self exploration following a non-denominational spiritual approach. We’ll sequence ourselves with one chapter a week of Julia Cameron’s book, the Artist’s Way.

Please let us know if you have any questions. Space is limited to 10 participants. Feel free to share with any friends who live in Oregon or California who may be interested.

 
Date/Time: Tuesdays from 6-8pm PST starting mid-October, 10/13
 
Online or in-person: online
 
RSVP is FULL contact for waitlist: monicam@liberationinstitute.org 
 
Fee: Offered by donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. Suggested donation for the 12 week series is $120
Monica is a counseling intern at the Liberation Institute with more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education and schools. Her work with children and families has shaped her belief in the importance of curiosity, connection, and creating spaces where people can safely discover and express who they are. She approaches counseling with care and respect, drawing from trauma-attuned, non-pathologizing, existential, feminist, somatic, mindfulness, and Internal Family Systems perspectives. Grounded in sovereignty, she believes we can be connected to others while remaining rooted in our own agency and inner knowing. She is especially drawn to supporting people through life transitions, relationships, identity, and meaning-making.

 

Caring For Our Nervous Systems In These Political Times

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TITLE: Caring For Our Nervous Systems In These Political Times

DESCRIPTION: The current political climate is stressful for many people. In this workshop we explore how nervous system awareness and intentional restorative practices support self-care, sustainable engagement, empowered action, and connection to self and

others. Using a neurobiological approach to political analysis and engagement, informed by Somatic Experiencing and attachment theory, participants will explore how the human stress response impacts thinking, behavior, and relationships—and what we can do about it.

Where: RSVP for time and location

Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To RSVP or learn more: email melora@liberationinstitute.org

About the Facilitator: Melora is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, nervous system educator, and lifelong political activist. Raised in a politically engaged family, Melora has been immersed in political analysis and social justice action since childhood. She brings potent professional and life experience, along with a deep commitment to creating a more just and hospitable world—one nervous system at a time.

The Ethical Slut Book Club

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TITLE: The Ethical Slut Book Club

DESCRIPTION: We are going to be reading The Ethical Slut and having an accompanying discussion on Ethical Non-Monogamy and Polyamory.  Whether you are new to polyamory and ethical non monogamy, you’ve been doing it forever, or you’re currently single this group is a great opportunity to talk about what is happening in your life and coming up for you in your relationship(s). The Ethical Slut is the essential classic book on polyamory and is a great icebreaker for us to talk about what we are reading and what is coming up for us.


EXPECTATIONS (how to prepare/show up/takeaways): Have a copy of the book The Ethical Slut and an open mind.

Date/Day of the Week: Wednesdays starting on October 7th through December 2nd.

Time: 5:30pm-6:50pm


Where: Online, email RSVP for video call link


Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.


To RSVP or learn more: email bear@liberationinstitute.org

About the Facilitator: Bear is finishing his masters in counseling at Prescott College this semester and his passion is working with queer and polyamorous/ethically non monogamous individuals, couples, and polycules. He has been in polyarmorous and non monogamous relationships himself for 20 years and loves the opportunity to bring his own lived experience being in the polyamorous and queer communities to support people.

Authentic Movement

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Authentic Movement is a relational movement practice centered on deep listening, embodied expression, and witnessing. In this practice, one person moves while another witnesses with attentive presence, creating space to be seen in authenticity without judgment or performance. Through spontaneous movement, stillness, and reflection, Authentic Movement invites communication through the body and cultivates awareness, connection, and trust in inner experience.

Facilitator Bio: Sarah-Luella Baker (Sarah-Lu) facilitates Authentic Movement spaces focused on embodiment, presence, and relational witnessing. Their work supports participants in exploring authentic expression through movement, reflection, and compassionate observation. Sarah-Lu is a transdisciplinary artist, witch, somatic practitioner, and experiential evolutionary astrologer. An RSMT/E with an MFA in dance, they weave somatics, ritual, ancestry, astrology, and radical education in service of individual and collective liberation. Sarah-Luella is a graduate student in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling at Naropa University. Supervisor #: Brad Byrum #T2185

When: 10 AM- noon Saturdays, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 7, Dec 12
Where: SE Portland, Location shared upon RSVP. We will provide the Zoom/Google Meet link or physical address after registration to support privacy and confidentiality.
Cost: Donation-based
RSVP Email: [sarah-lu@liberationinstitute.org](mailto:sarah-lu@liberationinstitute.org)

Hawai’i Mindfulness Group 

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Mondays 6-7:30, drop-in, meets virtually, free
 
Description: “Join us Monday evenings from 6:00–7:30 PM for a free, online mindfulness meditation group. This welcoming drop-in space offers guided meditation, mindfulness and self-compassion practices, and opportunities for group discussion and connection.”
 
Facilitator: Katrina Kinsley, email directly to join this group katrina@liberationinstitute.org 
 
Bio: “Katrina Kinsley is a Mindfulness-Based Counseling Intern at Liberation Institute Hawaii, providing individual and group therapy. Her gentle, compassionate approach integrates mindfulness-based practices to help clients manage stress, develop effective coping skills, navigate challenges, and strengthen their capacity for emotional well-being. Alongside her clinical work, she facilitates mindfulness and self-compassion groups throughout Hawaiʻi, creating welcoming opportunities for individuals to cultivate greater presence, resilience, and peace.” 
 
Katrina is supervised by Stever Dallmann, PhD

Positive Masculinity Wednesdays, 6-730PM

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When: Wednesdays, beginning July 29, 2026

Time: 6:00-7:30 pm

Where: Online (link provided when registering)

Cost: Free

To RSVP or learn more: jean-paul@liberationinstitute.org

Positive Masculinity is a therapy group for anyone who identifies as a man, including cis and trans men. Together we’ll explore what kind of man we want to be through honest conversation, reflection, and shared experience. We’ll examine the messages we’ve inherited about masculinity with curiosity rather than judgment, exploring how they shape our relationships, work, purpose, friendship, love, fatherhood, sexuality, and the expectations we carry in a changing world. This is not about finding the “right” way to be a man, but about discovering what authenticity, integrity, and connection look like for each of us.

About the Facilitator: JP Jenkins is a clinical mental health counseling intern whose work is informed by over 30 years in the creative arts, mindfulness practice, and a deep interest in relationships, identity, and human flourishing. He integrates mindfulness, somatic awareness, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches to create spaces where people can slow down, reflect honestly, and deepen their relationships with themselves and others. JP is supervised by Brad Byrum (license #T2185)

The Long Beginning

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When: Every first Friday, starting Friday April 3rd 

Time: 4-5:30 pm

Where: Online- Zoom

Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To RSVP or learn more: Email brittneyv@liberationinstitute.org

The Long Beginning is a process-oriented space for women in the midst of early adulthood who are navigating anxiety, identity, relationships, and the pressures of becoming someone in the world. Group sessions will include relational sharing, gentle somatic awareness, reflection, and facilitated group dialogue. Curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to show up as you are are all that is required.

About the Facilitator: Brittney Van Matre is a depth-oriented facilitator who works with anxiety, identity development, career change, and life transitions. She brings 20+ years of executive leadership and coaching experience to her practice. Brittney works with women in early adulthood who are navigating career stress, relationships, and the uncertainty of this life stage. She brings warmth, steadiness, and deep respect for the unfolding process of change. Brittney is a therapist trainee, supervised by Brad Byrum #T2185.

Animal Loss and Grief Support Group

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When: Tuesday

Time: 6-7 PM

Where: via Zoom/Drop-in

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. Donations welcome but no one turned away due to lack of funds 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

Description: This group is dedicated to honoring the deep bonds we share with our animal friends and the profound impact they have on our lives. The loss of an animal companion can be deeply painful, and yet often misunderstood or minimized by others. People often tell us things like “just get another pet,” leaving many feeling unseen in their grief. This group offers a safe, compassionate space to honor and process animal-specific grief – a very real and often invalidated form of loss. Whether you’ve lost a beloved companion animal, you are experiencing anticipatory grief for a companion animal, or you work in a setting where animal loss or euthanasia is part of the job – such as veterinary care, animal shelters, or rescue organizations – you are welcome here. Guided by two compassionate therapists who have also experienced the pain of animal loss, this group offers a safe, supportive space to process animal-specific grief – a form of loss that deserves to be seen, validated, and supported. Through guided discussions, somatic experiencing and therapeutic exercises participants can share memories, explore emotions, and utilize tools that promote resilience. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with others who truly understand what it means to lose animal friends – and to be reminded that your grief is valid, your bond was real, and you are not alone.


Facilitators: Steve Dumain & Kelly Duane de la Vega

Steve “Dumain” is pursuing his Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. He currently serves as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at the Liberation Institute, providing telehealth therapy for individuals, couples, and groups across California. His clinical orientation draws from various styles, including depth, somatic and family systems psychology; including trauma-informed practices, and mindfulness-based approaches. His work emphasizes the integration of the unconscious, body awareness, and relational healing to foster self-understanding and resilience and a mindset of growth and wisdom. He is particularly interested in working with clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development, and relational issues. With a strong commitment to inclusivity and social justice, Steven aims to support individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and identities through an integrative and compassionate therapeutic approach.

Kelly Duane de la Vega is pursuing her Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a focus on depth work, taking a psychodynamic approach to therapy. She currently serves as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) Trainee at the Liberation Institute, providing telehealth therapy for individuals, couples, and groups throughout California. She also co-facilitates a grief and loss support group at a senior community center in San Rafael.

Kelly is a lifelong pet owner who considers animals to be vital members of the family and essential parts of one’s support network. She understands the profound bond that can form between a person and their pet, and the unique pain of navigating that loss in a society that often minimizes or misunderstands its significance. She brings both personal experience and clinical sensitivity to her work with clients processing pet loss and bereavement.

Kelly Duane is Supervised by a Licensed Person, LMFT #78183