We recently connected with Jenny McGrath and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny , thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Blending movement, embodiment, and somatic awareness into a mental health practice felt like taking a big risk. Unfortunately, the psychology world has often imagined as though we exist as floating heads. Talk therapy has been the primary way folks have dealt with mental health issues since Freud. While it felt risky to me in the “Europatriarchal” (Minna Salami) way that healing is done- I’ve found along the way that engaging the body and movement for healing are nothing new for indigenous practices and ways of being. Unfortunately the severing of our connection from our bodies and each other comes from a history of white supremacy that predates Freud in which communities were systematically removed from their bodies. So this compelled me to engage another risky thing- recognizing that individual healing is not separate from engaging the oppressive systems of patriarchy, white supremacy, christian supremacy, ableism, and so much more.

I have found that the more risks I take- the more allies I find along the way. Kesha Fikes has been an incredible mentor to me and she has coined the term and practice “somatic extimacy” that acknowledges our individual somas (bodies) are not separate form the ways we’ve been socialized. I think that when we take risks we can learn so much about ourselves and the world that we wouldn’t if we just played it safe.

Rosa Luxemburg said “Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” I seek risks as a way of moving and potentially becoming more conscious of our psychological, social, financial barriers. This gives rise to innovative ways of continually breaking free and exploring new liberations.

Jenny , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a licensed mental health counselor, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (Registered trademark symbol), and movement educator. I have been in private practice for 8 years working with primarily white, cisgender women who grew up in fundamentalist Christianity. I specialize in helping individuals who came out of purity culture understand the impacts of Religious Sexual Shame (Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers) and Religious Trauma (Marlene Winell)

Movement has always been a passion for me, and I fundamentally believe we are not compartmentalized beings. The more we can find freedom in moving our bodies- the more fluidity we can find in our ways of thinking, being, and relating. Peter Levine says that trauma healing is “moving from fixity to flow.” This is what I do with clients in a movement-centered way.

I help individuals see how their personal story fits into collective stories of harm and trauma. By recognizing the dogmas and ideologies we’ve been indoctrinated into individuals can find truer, freer ways of being and moving through their lives.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Most of my life I was given black and white answers to everything. I have learned over the hears that NOTHING is binary. I grew up with a strong “moral imperative” that aught me certain things were “wrong” or “bad.” After spending nearly a decade sitting with clients through all of the ups and downs of life I’ve learned that there is no “right” or “wrong.” All there is is responsibility to the decisions that we make. This to me is incredibly empowering and evokes our sense of agency and autonomy.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely. I am so grateful that I get to weave a passion for movement and dance into a therapeutic process. Growing up I wanted to be a professional dancer, and I broke my foot in highschool which derailed those plans. I have come to be grateful for the journey over the years, because becoming a professional dancer would not have been the kindest thing for my body or my psyche. Now I get to explore the movement I love and help individuals and communities explore movements they love while feeling less alone in the world- it’s the best combination of all the things!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.indwellmovement.com
• Instagram: @indwell_movement

Image Credits
all photos from https://www.adventureswithkate.org/