Description

Wheel of Consent

An Introduction for Psychotherapists, Counsellors & Support Givers

The Wheel of Consent by Dr Betty Martin is a framework and practice to understand the dynamic between giving and receiving in relationships. This model is based on clear communication and understanding of a person’s desires, boundaries and limits. It looks to distinguish between who is doing and who the gift is for. Once that distinction is made the entire touch and relationship dynamic becomes clear, which brings ease, confidence, self-responsibility and freedom to interactions.

This workshop will delve into a range of practices bringing awareness to the sensations in the body. Noticing sensations will provide information to each person about what they want, what they don’t and where their limits and boundaries might lie. This knowledge will provide the participant with opportunities to notice, allow, trust and to choose. The exercises explored in the workshop will give language and practices to deepen and develop ways to express the participants’ needs in a given moment to access what they want. While the Wheel can use touch-based exercises, this framework can be implemented in non-touch scenarios.  It is a practice that hopes to cultivate values of generosity, integrity, gratitude and surrender in our relationship dynamics.

Who should attend

• professionals who wish to build better ethical practices within their own lives and work.
• folks who want to get better at knowing what they want and need and asking for it.
• People who wish to develop their skills in navigating embodied consent in all their relationships
• anyone who want to get clearer in their yes’s and no’s and setting clear limits

Outcomes/ Benefits

• Understand and explore the four components of the wheel of consent
• Explore a framework to support making agreements, contracting with clients and building safety and connection.
• Slow down and notice, trust, value and communicate your needs, wants, desires and limits as well as expanding your capacity to choose.
• Understand why we don’t ask for what we want and what we do instead
• Understand the difference between domain, boundary and limit.
• Learn that choosing is more important than doing
• Notice and connect to what you want and need and understand how what you want matters and is essential to ethical practice
• Expanding beyond the binary of yes and no to include and honour a broader spectrum of response
• To awaken the direct route of pleasure (foundational to access the Take Quadrant) and know the difference between the direct and indirect route of pleasure

Facilitator

Nirvana Pilkington (they/them)

Nirvana comes from a background in movement, somatic therapies, education and bodywork. They initially became curious about consent while observing the dynamics and quality of relationships in acrobatic partnerships when teaching acroyoga. Nirvana noticed how mutual agreements between partnerships gave more room and scope for play and safety. Not long after, while studying sexological bodywork, they were introduced to a framework that provided practices and language to facilitate making those agreements known as the Wheel of Consent.

Nirvana uses the Wheel of Consent framework within private practice. They are also passionate about teaching the Wheel in workshops, sexuality events and assist on trainings. Nirvana believes this practice provides a lens to observe relationship dynamics with less judgement, making room for accountability and a guide when navigating repair with integrity.

Co-facilitator

Sharon Gray (She/they)

Sharon is the Head of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience at Gestalt Therapy Brisbane. She’s a PACFA accredited Counsellor and Supervisor. She has a background in outdoor education, pastoral care, school and tertiary education, senior management and psychotherapy. She learned about the Wheel of Consent model from friends and supervisees who work in Sex and touch based therapies and through engaging with Betty Martin’s resources. Sharon is interested in the development of the therapists’ personal and professional self and wise and ethical uses of power in relationship and sees how the Wheel framework can finesse the practice and relationships of therapists and others in roles of support.