Upcoming events
Register for a program, training or event below.
We regularly run public programs, trainings and community-based events across Victoria.
To book a program, training or workshop for your client or staff group, please reach out to us directly via our Contact page.
Body Language @ Kathleen Syme Library
Monthly free somatic and poetry sessions
Join our team for monthly free sessions at the library, blending grounding practices with poetry. These sessions will be accessible and choice-based, with gentle guidance from facilitators.
All welcome, and free to attend.
Session dates and times:
Monday 17 August, 6-7pm
Monday 21 September, 6-7pm
Monday 19 October, 6-7pm
Monday 16 November, 6-7pm
Monday 14 December, 6-7pm
To attend, contact the library directly:youngadults@melbourne.vic.gov.au
Foundational Somatics: Six-Week Course
Foundational Somatics is Collective Being’s introductory somatic program.
Facilitated over six-weeks, this program introduces participants to a somatic framework for wellbeing, anchored in body-mind strategies for nervous system regulation and embodied resilience.
Informed by somatic and mindfulness theory, evidence-based embodiment practices, and an awareness of the intersections between health, wellbeing and agency, this program has no prerequisite knowledge and is open to all.
About this program
This program provides a grounding in the core somatic practices that we utilise across our programs and trainings.
Foundational Somatics runs as a 6-week program, covering 6 core themes:
Week 1: Introduction and Personal Intentions
Week 2: Guiding Principles
Week 3: Orienting
Week 4: Grounding
Week 5: Centring
Week 6: Resourcing
Each theme has associated somatic practices and reflective prompts. The program also integrates group discussion and space for additional topics or themes that may emerge, based on the group’s interests and experiences.
What to expect:
As a core Collective Being program, Foundational Somatics inherently acknowledges and honours the lived experience and wisdom of participants, and affirms their rights to make choices about their own bodies.
Whether delivered in-person or online, the program aims to support and be adaptive to diverse learning and access needs.
Who facilitates this program?
This program will be facilitated by Collective Being team member Shannon Powell.
Shannon (they/she) is a writer, artist, yoga teacher, and qualified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. With a background in dance, creative writing, trauma-informed facilitation, and somatic therapy, their work is grounded in creativity, care, and liberation. Passionate about embodiment as a human right, they integrate movement and mindfulness to support resilience, alignment with values, and collective wellbeing.
Please note:
Registration closes end of day on Monday 31st August.
As a non-profit organisation, we do not generate any profit from our programs. The fees charged for our Foundational Somatics program cover delivery costs only. This means that we require at least 9 fee-paying participants enrolled for the program to be viable.
All Collective Being public offerings are free for First Nations people and communities. To access a free place, please reach out directly to us: hello@collectivebeing.org
If you are experiencing financial duress, reduced rate places are also available. Please connect us directly.
Please find our Payment Plan and Refund Policy here. We encourage you read the full policy before submitting payment for this program.
Applied Somatics: 20-Hour Training
Applied Somatics is a 20-hour Practitioner Training with 2 x online sessions and 2 x full-day in-person sessions.
Key training topics:
Introduction to the history and lineages of somatics
Science, theory and evidence-base of somatics
Introduction to core somatic interventions
Applied practice of core somatic interventions
Adaptations for diverse settings and communities
Community and clinical case studies
Live Q&A with Collective Being facilitators
This training also prioritises practitioner care, and the embodiment and application of skills to support nervous system regulation for practitioners in their work with clients and communities.
Following participation in all aspects of the training, participants receive a Certificate of Completion of Collective Being’s Applied Somatics training.
Why somatics?
Somatics is a practice that can be drawn on to support both individual and collective wellbeing.
Evidence shows that body-based, trauma-informed approaches can reduce symptoms of stress, while improving emotional regulation and interoceptive awareness. They also support neuroplasticity, helping the brain learn new, more adaptive responses to ongoing pressure and challenge.
Through movement, mindfulness, and nervous system education, our programs support people to notice what's happening in their bodies, understand how stress and trauma affect their systems, and learn simple practices to reconnect with safety, agency, and relationship.
What makes our approach powerful is its sustainability. Once learned, these tools become internal resources people can return to in their own time and in ways that suit their lives, building skills that are simple, effective, and adaptable.
Training dates:
Thursday 19th November 6:30pm - 8:30pm AEDT (2 hours, online via Zoom)
Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th November (9am - 5pm, full days in-person at Balam Balam Place, 15 Phoenix St, Brunswick)
Thursday 3rd December, 6:30pm - 8:30pm AEDT (2 hours, online via Zoom)
For more information regarding this training, see our website page here.
Who this training is for:
Allied health workers
Therapists/ psychologists/ counsellors
Body workers
Educators/ teachers/ coaches
Group facilitators
Peer workers / doulas / support workers
Yoga / mindfulness / dance / expressive arts facilitators
Anyone who is interested in weaving somatics into their work!
Who facilitates this training?
This training is facilitated by Collective Being founder and director, Jo Buick.
Jo (she/her) is an educator, strategist, and somatics practitioner. With 17+ years in the social justice sector, she has worked at the intersection of policy and practice in education, housing, out-of-home care, and refugee rights. Holding Masters degrees in both Teaching and Education and 1,500+ hours of training in embodiment and meditation, Jo’s studies have focused on trauma-informed, somatic, and decolonial approaches to community wellbeing. In her work, Jo is committed to dismantling barriers to wellbeing, with a specific focus on education, justice, and care.
Please note:
A 20% deposit will be required to secure your place for the training.
Payment plans are available at check-out, with six-week payment plans available for this training.
A limited number of subsidised places are available - please read the description for each pricing tier to make sure that you select according to your circumstances.
All Collective Being programs and trainings are free for First Nations people. To register for your free place in this training, email our team at hello@collectivebeing.org
Sound & Soma Fundraiser: Restorative Practice and Sound Bath (open to all)
This 90-minute event will include guided somatic stress-relief and restorative practices by Collective Being facilitator Isy Stoner accompanied the soothing sounds of live harp by Genevieve Fry
The practices shared are trauma-informed and accessible with different variations offered to support engagement.
All funds raised from ticket sales will support our program at Tarrengower Prison.
About your facilitator:
Isy (she/they) is a somatic psychotherapist and senior trauma-sensitive yoga teacher. With over 14 years experience as a facilitator of yoga and embodiment, and more recent practice in somatic psychotherapy, her work centres on access and inclusivity. She is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist with Cairnmillar Institute, and a certified facilitator with the Trauma Centre for Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY-F).
Specialising in mental-health aware, queer-affirming and trauma-informed frameworks, Isy’s approach to both counselling and embodiment practices is holistic, relational and body-focussed. Isy has worked with diverse communities and individuals including LGBTQIA+ folk, refugees, people living with physical and mental health conditions, and survivors of complex trauma. These experiences have concreted a commitment to emergent and collaborative programmatic design, and working with participants to create empowering and intentional impact.
Isy’s role at Collective Being aims to support the facilitation team to feel connected, skilled and heard. Isy provides the facilitation team with mentoring and skill development, as well as programmatic planning and debriefing, she also works alongside the Operations team to develop programs and trainings. Collective Being offers Isy a generative and radical space to collaborate with values-aligned colleagues. Isy is grateful to live, learn and work on Sacred Wurundjeri Wow Wurrung Country.
About the musician:
Genevieve Fry (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Narrm. Interested in exploratory music drawing inspiration from the natural world, their soundscapes encourage an inward journey touching on deep time, memory and sense of place. Genevieve’s drawing practice focuses on the meditative act of mark making as a response to sound, forming a symbiotic relationship with their sound making.
Genevieve is the co-founder of Eastmint artist run studios, label and performance space which focuses on presenting and supporting music that promotes deep listening from a diverse range of artists across all genres.
Cost:
$45 + booking fee.
As this event is a fundraiser we do not have subsidised or discounted places.
Please note:
75 Reid is an accessible venue with gender neutral bathrooms.
SOLD-OUT: Applied Somatics Practitioner Training (in-person and online)
THIS TRAINING HAS NOW SOLD-OUT.
Training Dates and Times:
This 20-hour training consists of 2 x online sessions and 2 x full days in-person:
Opening Session: Monday 15 September, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (2 hours, online via Zoom)
Training Days: Thursday 18 and Friday 19 September, 9am - 5pm (in-person at 75 Reid St, Fitzroy North/ Naarm)
Closing Session: Monday 22 September, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (2 hours, online via Zoom)
Cost:
$665.00 per person. Payable via three deposits.
Subsidised places and payment plans available for those experiencing financial duress.
All Collective Being trainings and programs are free for First Nations people and communities. Please email hello@collectivebeing.org to secure your spot.
Detailed Training Information:
Detailed information about our Applied Somatics Practitioner Training can be found here.
SOLD-OUT: Therapeutic Movement & Mindfulness Program (in-person)
This 8-week program consists of weekly 75-minute sessions:
Tuesdays 2 September - 21 October 2025
6:15pm - 7:30pm AEST weekly
In-person at 75 Reid, 75 Reid St, Fitzroy North/Naarm
About your facilitator:
Mykah (they/them) lives on unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
Mykah holds a Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling and has worked for over 3 years as a Psychotherapist at a Naarm based addiction hospital, specialising in individual and community care.
For over a decade, they have been facilitating private and public workshops with a focus on community-based trauma-informed somatics.
Cost:
For those who are financially secure: $405
For those who are financially resourced: $335
For those on low incomes and/or with caring responsibilities: $255
Note:
Subsidised places and payment plans available for those experiencing financial duress. NDIS and FAS/VOC funded places available.
All Collective Being programs are free for First Nations people and communities. Please email hello@collectivebeing.org to secure your spot.
More info:
Detailed information about our Therapeutic Movement and Mindfulness Program can be found here.
Foundational Somatics: 6 week introductory program (online)
This 6-week program consists of weekly 75 minute online sessions:
Tuesdays 5 August - 9 September
6:15pm - 7:30pm weekly
Online via Zoom
About your facilitator:
Shannon (they/she) is a writer, artist, yoga teacher, and qualified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. With a background in dance, creative writing, trauma-informed facilitation, and somatic therapy, their work is grounded in creativity, care, and liberation. Passionate about embodiment as a human right, they integrate movement and mindfulness to support resilience, alignment with values, and collective wellbeing.
Cost:
For those who are financially secure: $265
For those who are financially resourced: $205
For those on low incomes: $155
Note:
Subsidised places and payment plans available for those experiencing financial duress.
All Collective Being courses and programs are free for First Nations people and communities. Please email hello@collectivebeing.org to secure your spot.
More info:
Detailed information about our Foundational Somatics Program can be found here.
Mindful Movement & Poetry: Free class at Kathleen Syme Library
Detailed information about these sessions can be found here.
This 60-minute session offers a range of mindfulness and movement practices (including chair-based options) that can be integrated across daily life to support more spaciousness, reduce feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety and restore a sense of flow within the body. Drawing inspiration from the library, the facilitator will also integrate poetry into the session.
About your facilitator:
Irene (she/her) is an accredited yoga instructor and mindfulness meditation facilitator who has been teaching since 2010. She has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for many years and has been personally impacted by its transformative benefits, inspiring her to share it with others.
This spark led her to study across the globe with many esteemed yoga teachers and complete training from a diverse variety of lineages and traditions, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and trauma-informed yoga.
Irene believes in the values of inclusion, resilience, and self-compassion among many, and she is passionate about personal transformation and integration. She teaches an embodiment practice that translates beyond the formal practice into all dimensions of life – training the heart, the body, and the mind.
Cost:
Free.
Mindful Movement & Poetry: Free class at Kathleen Syme Library
Detailed information about these sessions can be found here.
This 60-minute session offers a range of mindfulness and movement practices (including chair-based options) that can be integrated across daily life to support more spaciousness, reduce feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety and restore a sense of flow within the body. Drawing inspiration from the library, the facilitator will also integrate poetry into the session.
About your facilitator:
Ezgi (she/her) was born and raised on the unceded lands of the Osage nation, Missouria, and Illini confederacy and now resides on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation.
Ezgi’s identity as a person of colour and child of Turkish and Bangladeshi immigrants has significantly shaped her passions, values and career. Her curiosity has led her to pursue various forms of education, including a Master’s in International Migration and Public Policy, a yoga teacher certification, and a Diploma of Counselling. She has woven trauma-informed and culturally aware practices into her various professional and volunteer experiences, and currently channels her energy into working with people from refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant backgrounds.
Movement, yoga, mindfulness, and somatic practices have created calmness, joy, connection, and ease in Ezgi’s life and she loves sharing these practices and learning alongside others in the community. Deeply aligned with Collective Being’s belief that wellbeing is a right, not a privilege, Ezgi is devoted to creating spaces where people of all different backgrounds and bodies feel safe, welcomed, and at ease.
Cost:
Free.
FULLY BOOKED: Therapeutic Movement & Mindfulness Program
This program is now fully booked. Please check out the dates for our Term 3 iteration.
Detailed information about our Therapeutic Movement and Mindfulness Program can be found here.
This 8-week program consists of weekly 60 minute online sessions:
Tuesdays 13 May - 1 July 2025
6:45pm - 7:45pm AEST weekly
Online via Zoom
About your facilitator:
Isy (she/they) is a somatic psychotherapist, senior trauma-sensitive yoga teacher, and qualified counsellor with 14+ years experience in embodiment practices. Certified in Trauma Centre Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), they specialise in mental health-aware, queer-affirming, and trauma-informed approaches. At Collective Being, Isy mentors facilitators, designs curriculum, and ensures accessibility and inclusivity of the somatic and mindfulness-based practices integrated into programming.
Cost:
For those who are financially secure: $405
For those who are financially resourced: $335
For those on low incomes and/or with caring responsibilities: $255
Subsidised places and payment plans available for those experiencing financial duress.
All Collective Being programs are free for First Nations people and communities. Please email hello@collectivebeing.org to secure your spot.
Mindful Movement & Poetry: Free community sessions at Kathleen Syme Library
Detailed information about these sessions can be found here.
This 60-minute session offers a range of mindfulness and movement practices (including chair-based options) that can be integrated across daily life to support more spaciousness, reduce feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety and restore a sense of flow within the body. Drawing inspiration from the library, the facilitator will also integrate poetry into the session.
About your facilitator:
Tea (she/her) is a Filipino-Australian multi-disciplinary artist, storyteller and wellbeing facilitator deeply immersed in an ongoing exploration of cultural identity, belonging and feminism.
Born and raised on Woiwurrung country to activist parents with a lineage of resistance fighters, Tea is driven by social justice issues and champions the liberation of historically oppressed groups. She currently works in advocacy and communications at Multicultural Arts Victoria.
Tea's curiosity in the intersection of mental health, wellbeing and art stems from her own journey of unpacking the mental, physical and emotional impact of assimilation and colonialism on her creative expression. Together with her background and training in yoga, somatics, theatre, sound, cultural safety and decolonising practices, Tea is dedicated to facilitating spaces for people to find deep rest in safety and embodiment.
Cost:
Free.
Embodied Care: Free classes for allied health professionals and carers
This series consists of 10 monthly 60-minute sessions on Sundays, 4pm - 5pm, at Green Monday Studios, Carlton/Naarm:
16 February- stress-relief practices facilitated by Jo (she/her)
16 March- restorative practices facilitated by Mykah (they/them)
13 April- spinal release facilitated by Jo (she/her)
18 May- connecting with nature facilitated by Mykah (they/them)
15 June- balance and stability facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
20 July- tension release facilitated by Anu (they/them)
17 August- sleep support practices facilitated by Isy (she/they)
14 September- grounding practices facilitated by Mykah (they/them)
19 October- breath practices facilitated by Anu (they/them)
16 November- lower body release facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
Cost:
Free.
More info:
Detailed information about our Embodied Care series can be found here.
Embodied Care: Free classes for allied health professionals and carers
This series consists of 10 monthly 60-minute online sessions on Mondays, 6:15pm - 7:15pm:
3 February- stress-relief practices facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
3 March- restorative practices facilitated by Shannon (they/she)
7 April- spinal release facilitated by Harry (she/her)
5 May- connecting with nature facilitated by Shannon (they/she)
2 June- balance and stability facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
7 July- tension release facilitated by Harry (she/her)
4 August- sleep support practices facilitated by Shannon (they/she)
1 September- grounding practices facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
6 October- breath practices facilitated by Shannon (they/she)
3 November- lower body release facilitated by Suralini (she/her)
Cost:
Free.
More info:
Detailed information about our Embodied Care series can be found here.