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

Relationships and Intimacy Therapy Group

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When: Thursdays

Time: 6-8PM 

Where: via Google Meet

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

Description: This weekly group offers a collaborative space for couples to drop in and learn effective tools for cultivating resources, building a coherent vision for growth, and managing communication strategies. Facilitators Suzanne Astar and Steve Domain are committed to create a safe-space for different relationship styles and configurations, focused on helping couples live the dream they have for their relationship. Group will include techniques from the Gottman Method, and Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT). 
 
Bios: 
 
Suzanne Astar is a Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee. She brings together body-based processing, Narrative Therapy, and Jungian Depth Psychology to help individuals, couples and families reclaim harmonious dynamics and strengthen insight for greater learning. She is both a movement facilitator and bodyworker helping individuals and groups access transformational states of well-being and wholeness. She uses her wisdom and training in these domains to help couples access their deeper truths and navigate challenging areas surrounding behaviors, habits and values. Her passion is to help communities through multi-faceted and interdisciplinary tools including story-telling, creativity and mindfulness.

 Suzanne is supervised by a Licensed Person, LPCC #7498 

BIPOC-Led Mental Health Support Group

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When: Thursdays

Time: 4:15pm

Where: via Google Meet

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

A weekly support group for navigating cultural expectations, identity, comparison, emotional overwhelm, and the pressures of modern life.
The group is BIPOC-led and especially supportive for individuals whose experiences are shaped by race, culture, immigration, family systems, and being underrepresented in academic or professional spaces, while remaining open to anyone seeking support, reflection, and community.

Some themes we may explore include:

• Anxiety, stress, burnout, and emotional overwhelm
• Comparison, FOMO, and social media pressure
• Relationships, belonging, loneliness, and identity
• Cultural expectations, generational differences, and family pressure
• Internalized shame, perfectionism, and self-criticism
· Effects of Colonial Values and Historical Trauma 


Facilitators:

Facilitators – Ishan Gala & Taylor Vitug

Ishan:  Hello, I am a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee working with a diverse population through the Liberation Institute. As a second-generation South Asian immigrant, I understand how complex cultural identity and generational experiences can be. I look forward to hearing what each person brings into the group and supporting you through your process.
Some themes I’m interested in exploring include generational differences, cultural expectations, belonging, and developing an identity that feels authentic to the individual while navigating multicultural influences.
It’s important to me that this group welcomes people from all backgrounds, and we aim to create a space where everyone feels seen, respected, and supported wherever they are in their journey.

Taylor: Hi! My name is Taylor Vitug, I am a second generation Filipino American. I’m a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern currently working towards licensure. Growing up between two cultures brings unique challenges throughout the lifespan. Having a supportive community where these experiences are understood can make a meaningful and positive difference. 

I am passionate about making my clients and individuals within this group feel valued, empowered, and seen. My clinical experience includes working with clients with a variety of populations and ages, and I value the opportunity to learn from each person’s unique story and lived experience. I look forward to connecting with clients and offering a space with reflection and support. I hope to see you there!