Relate & Regulate Practising Presence in Relationship

Welcome everyone!

Most people who struggle with their emotions aren’t too sensitive, they’re highly practised at overriding. They’ve learned to push past tiredness, talk themselves out of fear, and stay functional even when something inside says this is too much.

From the outside this can look like strength, but inside it often feels like pressure that never quite releases. When emotions are repeatedly overridden, the body doesn’t forget; stress accumulates, reactions become sharper, and shutdown appears without warning. This isn’t a lack of control, it’s delayed regulation.

Regulation isn’t about being calm all the time; it’s the ability to stay present while emotions move, without shutting down or exploding, creating space between feeling and reaction where choice becomes possible. And while self-regulation matters, it isn’t enough. Human nervous systems are social; they learn safety through connection, not willpower.

Co-regulation, being met by another steady presence, allows the body to settle, integrate, and recover, reminding us that we don’t heal by pushing harder, but by staying connected.

I want offer you a space where we remember how to co-regulation, a space that values presence instead of endurance, a space to listen not to fix, manage or resolve.

In this space we learn how to slow down, attune and focus attention and stay connected while emotion moves.

What This Space Is About

Most of our relational patterns don’t come from conscious choice, they happen automatically, especially under stress.

You might recognise:

• pushing past tiredness or overwhelm
• over-functioning for others
• withdrawing or shutting down
• reacting before you realise what’s happening

This monthly practice invites you to gently recognise and shop that autopilot, not through analysis or emotional processing, but through direct, embodied experience.

Together we practise:

• noticing what’s happening in the body
• staying present while relating
• responding with choice instead of reaction
• being with others without losing ourselves

Nothing is forced and everything happens at a pace the nervous system can stay with.

Session Format & How It Works

Each 60-minute session follows a steady rhythm:

• Arrival and grounding into the body
• Regulation and awareness practices
• Relational practice in small breakout groups (groups of 3)
• Pauses for integration and reflection
  

The Practical Goal

This space is about building usable capacity, not insight alone.

We focus on:

• learning simple, repeatable regulation tools
• recognising early signs of overwhelm, over-efforting, or withdrawal
• staying present during connection, difference, and pause
• building confidence in relating without self-abandonment

What we practise here is designed to translate directly into everyday life, conversations, relationships, and moments where you’d usually push through or check out.

Who This Is For

This space is for:

• people who want to practise presence and regulation with others
• therapists, facilitators, and practitioners seeking a steady relational practice
• anyone curious about authentic relating in a nervous-system-aware way
• adults who value structure, consent, and clear boundaries

This space may not be suitable if you are:

• looking for therapy, fixing, advice, or emotional rescue
• wanting trauma processing or cathartic emotional release
• currently in acute distress or needing intensive support

Important Notes

• This work is supportive, but it is not a substitute for therapy or crisis care
• Speaking is always optional; passing is always respected
• Nothing is forced. Nothing is rushed
• This is a practice space, not a discussion group
• You are responsible for your own wellbeing
• Punctuality is essential and non-negotiable

About the Facilitator

Maria is a somatic therapist and relational coach with a focus on nervous system regulation, authentic relating, and embodied awareness.

Her work supports people in building relational capacity without overwhelm, over-sharing, or self-abandonment. She works with clear structure, consent, and present-moment practice, creating spaces that are grounded, human, and well-contained — where learning happens through experience rather than explanation.