Group Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this group for?
This group is for adult singers who think they have (or may have) experienced trauma during childhood and are considering any of the following questions:
Even though I have difficult childhood memories, was it really that bad?
Was it right how my parents treated me (what they did and/or did not do)? Was it right what they led me to believe about myself, about our family, and about how to interact in relationships, about my voice, my singing, my creative and emotional expression?
Did my childhood experience leave me with emotional and relational difficulties that have significant negative consequences in my present life?
How can I gain awareness of how those present difficulties are linked to my childhood experience, and how can I create a recovery path, a process toward healing?
Do I have stuck places around my singing and my voice in general, that I keep bumping into, over and over, and I want tools to help me heal?
Do I find it challenging to call myself a singer?
Am I overly critical of my singing, my voice, and my creativity in general?
Do I think I’m too much, my voice is not good, or right, there is something wrong with me and my singing?
Do I struggle with any of the following things related to my singing: perfectionism, anxiety, shame, internal criticism and harshness, & overseeking external affirmation and validation?
Do I struggle to practice or invest in my singing?
Do I believe there are talented/gifted/special people who are singers, and I am not one of them?
What will we do in this group?
Download our curriculum HERE.
What is the RRP (Relationship Recovery Program) model?
The trauma model that we use was developed by Amanda Curtin LICSW of Cambridge MA.
The model is based upon inner child work where the client is helped to connect between two parts of who they are. The first part is the adult and the second the inner child. The adult is the expert on the present and the inner child is an expert on the past.
The adult part of ourselves is the part that seeks therapy and functions as best as we can in our present lives. The child part of ourselves holds our emotions and reactions to people, places, and things.
When people grow up in dysfunction and trauma, the child part of us becomes exiled and repressed in us. When we grow into adulthood that child part still very much exists and often runs us in ways we don’t like or are not aware of.
The inner child part of our selves can be considered the right brain or depending on which neurological lenses we are looking through, the limbic system (amygdala, hippocampus). The adult part of ourselves can be seen as left-brain or frontal lobes.
The interaction between hemispheres and or parts of the brain reduces shut down or activated “triggered” responses and make way for deeper emotional changes. Over time, the client becomes more present and able to keep their thinking brain online rather then having their feeling brain (inner child) take over.
RRP should not be thought of as internal family systems or other modalities of parts work. The parts work in RRP consists of the inner adult and inner child with variations of the child’s age or developmental stage. It is not focused on multiple entities as in IFS.
For more on the RRP model, click here.
What does singing and creative expression have to do with childhood trauma?
Childhood trauma can negatively affect the way we express ourselves in the world, and alter our ability to truly express in a connected and authentic way.
Singing is emotional expression set to pitch, and trauma can shut us off from our emotional responses and expression. Because of this, we can often feel as though we can’t access our creativity or our voice. Trauma healing work can help us connect more deeply to our expression, our singing, and our creativity.
What will we do singing-wise in the group?
We will have many opportunities to explore our singing voices, as well as different somatic and inner child exercises that will connect us more deeply to our body experience, and to both past and present experience.
Specific technical vocal coaching is not the goal of this group, but rather investigation into the deeper layers of your relationship to your singing and voice, and how your childhood trauma may have affected you in that way.
Do I have to be a singer to participate in this group?
This is a tricky question because you may not believe you are a “real” singer because of your trauma!
Do you have to be a professional singer, have years of experience singing on stages and training, have singing be your vocation? Absolutely not! We welcome you if you do, but no, you don’t have to.
If you love to sing, if you are a secret singer, if you know deep down inside you were meant to be a singer or use your voice in your life, then this group is for you. If you have years of conventional training, but no real somatic or trauma work, this group is also for you.
We will be singing in front of each other in these groups, so if that thought or idea terrifies you, or you have no experience with that at all, this group may not be for you. But… on the other hand, maybe it’s exactly what you need!
Do I need to have an individual therapist?
Yes, we highly encourage you to have an individual therapist outside the group to help you process content that may come up for you in the group.
What is the investment?
$125 per session, to be paid weekly to paypal or venmo.
There is an early bird discount to pay the full group in advance which will offer a $360 total savings!
How many people are accepted into the group?
8-12 people, depending on the people we interview. It will be a very intimate group.
What is the duration and schedule for the group?
The first group will start in the fall, and be weekly 2-hour sessions for six months, with time off for holidays.
Is this group in-person or online?
This group is entirely online.
How do we participate?
We have an assessment form to fill out at the link below, and then we will have individual interviews to see if you might be a good fit for the group.
Since this is trauma work, we need to assess if you are ready and have enough support to participate.
We do have limited spots, though, so enroll today to ensure your spot!
"Marissa was the perfect blend of empathetic listener and the tell it how it is kind of friend you always wanted. I can't imagine trusting anyone else with my deepest shame."
Individual Client
“Ali is brilliant—the perfect voice teacher for me, and probably anyone who wants a teacher who is delightful, fun, supportive, compassionate, and really knows her stuff!”
Jen Lee