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When Connection Breaks: A Somatic Path Back to Each Other

As a disclaimer, EnvisionCo Blog is reader-supported. Some links on this site are for additional informational purposes whereas some others are affiliate links (don't worry, these will be clearly marked as such). When you click through an affiliate link on our site and sign-up for a service or finalize a purchase, we may earn affiliate commissions. This of course is at no additional cost to you. Additionally, EnvisionCo Blog is for informational and educational purposes only and is in no way intended to be a substitute for financial advice by a registered certified financial planner, medical advice by a qualified physician, or therapy by a trained mental health professional.


Heads up:

This one’s mainly for those in my audience who provide psychotherapy services (i.e. therapists, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and other mental health professionals). If you’re reading as a client or just curious, the ideas can still be interesting, but they aren’t a substitute for personal mental health care.


If you have ever sat with a couple or a family and felt the weight of a moment slipping away, you already understand how delicate relational work can be. One comment can land in a way that was never intended. One partner may begin to shut down while the other moves closer with urgency. Before anyone fully realizes what is happening, connection begins to fade into distance. You have likely found yourself wondering what to do in those moments. This somatic workshop was designed with that exact experience in mind.



Understanding Rupture and Repair Through the Body

Rupture and repair are often discussed as emotional or cognitive experiences, but they are also deeply physiological. Rupture is not just something people think or feel. It is something that happens in the body. Repair, in the same way, must move through the body in order to feel real and lasting. The workshop, (affiliate link) Relational Rupture & Repair Work: A Somatic-Developmental Approach, introduces the core concepts of Relational Rupture and Repair Work, a model developed by Somatic Experiencing faculty Dave Berger and Abi Blakeslee. Their approach integrates attachment theory, psychodynamic principles, and somatic awareness to support clinicians in responding to relational dynamics as they unfold in real time.


Rather than focusing only on verbal communication, this model invites you to track what is happening beneath the surface. You begin to notice shifts in posture, changes in breath, and subtle physiological cues that signal a rupture is forming. With this awareness, you are better equipped to guide repair in a way that feels embodied and natural rather than forced or scripted.


Learning Through Live Demonstration

This workshop goes beyond theory by offering an interactive learning experience. A participant will present a couple or dyadic dynamic from their clinical work. Through role play, that relational dynamic will be brought into the room, allowing participants to observe the process as it unfolds. Abi Blakeslee and Dave Berger will then demonstrate how to work with the dynamic using somatic interventions. Following the demonstration, they will carefully deconstruct the process, explaining the reasoning behind each intervention and the timing of their responses. Participants will gain insight into what was happening within each person’s nervous system and how those physiological responses informed the direction of the work. This level of clarity helps translate theory into practical skills that can be applied in clinical settings.


Meet the Trainers

Dr. Abi Blakeslee

Dr. Abi Blakeslee is a globally recognized trainer in trauma recovery and the founder of Implicit Psychotherapy. She serves as senior faculty with Somatic Experiencing International and brings a highly integrative approach to her work.


She holds a PhD in clinical and somatic psychology as well as a master’s degree in counseling and depth psychology. Her work incorporates the study of implicit memory, psychophysiology, and attachment, along with both primary and secondary trauma interventions. She is also involved in neuro-consulting and clinical research that explores the psychobiological principles of trauma and healing.


Dr. Blakeslee has professional affiliations with organizations such as the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, Women in Neuroscience, and the Society for Neuroscience. Her teaching supports clinicians in understanding the deeper, often unseen processes that shape relational experiences.


Dave Berger

Dave Berger is a somatic psychotherapist, physical therapist, and educator with nearly forty years of experience in the field of somatics. His early work began with the development of an undergraduate focus in somatopsychology, which laid the foundation for his continued exploration of the mind-body connection.


He later pursued graduate studies in physical therapy at Stanford University and somatic psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. His work has been influenced by leaders in somatic practice as well as approaches that include family systems, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and various body-based therapies.


Dave is a faculty member with the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, where he teaches professional training programs. He is also the developer of BASE, a model designed to help trauma therapists integrate bodywork and somatic education into their practice. His clinical experience includes working with PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, relational challenges, and complex medical conditions. His passion lies in helping practitioners bridge the gap between physical and emotional health in meaningful ways.



What You Will Walk Away With

This workshop is designed to provide practical tools that can be integrated into your work with clients. Participants will learn how to work with cycles of relational rupture and repair through embodied interventions. They will explore how to organize somatic repair strategies using classical attachment styles as a guide. In addition, participants will develop a clearer process for supporting embodied relational repair within couples and dyads. They will also evaluate how relational affect can be understood and applied from both a physiological and kinesthetic perspective to support meaningful repair.



A Gentle Invitation

This workshop is designed for counselors, social workers, therapists, marriage and family therapists, case managers, and other mental health professionals who work within relational contexts, particularly those looking to integrate somatic approaches into their clinical practice. It offers more than just information. It creates a space where the work can be experienced, allowing you to witness rupture and repair unfold in real time and deepen your understanding beyond theory. If you are ready to expand how you support couples and relational dynamics, this training offers a meaningful next step. Take a moment to explore the opportunity and consider how it might support your growth as a practitioner and enhance the care you provide to those you serve.


A friendly reminder here, to help us keep creating free educational content, the EnvisionCo Blog participates in affiliate partnerships. If you choose to purchase a course through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If this article resonated with you, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, or have you share it with a friend or colleague who might need this resource today. Small conversations about mental wellness can make a meaningful difference. And please remember that wherever you are on this wellness journey, do not worry about getting it perfect; just get it going. Until next time. Happy reading!



Affiliate Links

Financial strain can create its own kind of rupture within us. Even when we are trying to rest or move forward, the nervous system can stay activated, holding tension, worry, or a steady hum of mental noise. This is often a protective response, much like what we see in relational rupture. The system is trying to stabilize, even if it does not yet have the right pathway to do so. Bringing gentle awareness to financial stress can open the door to repair. For some, simplifying high-interest debt into one predictable payment can create a greater sense of steadiness. Options like a  SoFi Personal Loan may help consolidate balances and lower interest. If you explore this through my affiliate link and are approved, SoFi currently offers a $300 bonus to both of us. As always, choose what best supports your overall sense of balance and well-being.


“We are born in relationship, we are wounded in relationship, and we can be healed in relationship.” ~Harville Hendrix

Here at EnvisionCo Blog, we try to keep ads to a minimum making our blog entirely reader-supported. We may feature links on this site for additional informational purposes. From time to time, we may feature other links which are affiliate links (and these will be clearly marked). When you click through an affiliate link on our site and sign up for a service or finalize a purchase, we may earn affiliate commissions. This is of course at no additional cost to you. However, if you like what you see and would like to make a donation to help us keep ads to a minimum, we would greatly appreciate it! Nothing fancy. We accept the price of a cup coffee with as much gratitude as we would the price of a tank of gas!


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