Workshops Hakomi Australia

Karen Baikie runs workshops from time to time, both in Sydney and across Australia. These workshops are suitable for individuals, couples, and therapists who are interested in exploring mindfulness and its applications in personal growth and therapy. They are grounded in the principles of Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy and provide a safe supportive environment for experiential learning. The workshops that Karen currently offers are listed below. If you are interested in a workshop which is not currently scheduled, email Karen and she’ll let you know as soon as a date is organised.


Resistance is NOT a problem: A Hakomi approach to working with defences

A two-day workshop with Dr. Karen Baikie, Certified Hakomi Trainer


In most areas of psychology and psychotherapy, and in our lives generally, resistance is seen as a problem. It’s seen to make the process of change slow and challenging. Therapists who perceive a client as resistant are likely to lose empathy and compassion for them, and individuals who perceive themselves as resistant are more likely to drop out or feel bad about themselves. So how do we make therapy effective when it feels challenging and stuck?

In this workshop, we will explore the Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy approach to dealing with resistance. In Hakomi, resistance is not a problem at all, in fact it is a signpost towards core material. We will explore various frameworks and techniques to explore stuckness and move the process forward.

In this experiential workshop, you will:
  • Be introduced to the methods and underlying principles of Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Explore the use of mindfulness as both an attitude and a tool for use in self-study and therapeutic settings.
  • Learn about various experiential techniques for investigating resistance with an attitude of curiosity and compassion to bring the process alive.
  • Understand how systems both within the client and between client and therapist can contribute to stuckness and learn how to navigate these systems.
  • Observe a live Hakomi session.

The workshop will include talks, experiential exercises, discussion and personal reflection. Participants will come away with skills that can be readily applied directly following the workshop, both with clients and in their own relationships.

This workshop will be of value to those interested in learning more about Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, including psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, other practitioners, and also lay individuals wishing to deepen self understanding and personal relationships.


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Bringing Your Self Into Relationship

An Interpersonal Skills Workshop


A three-day workshop with Dr. Karen Baikie, Certified Hakomi Trainer


Relationships can be the place of our greatest healing. This can only happen if we are able to successfully navigate the challenge and pain that so often occurs when our deepest wounds are touched by another. But many people find themselves ‘stuck’ in their relationships, both intimate and non-intimate, repeating the same cycle of hurt, disappointment, anger and disconnection, with each new attempt to change their situation often leaving them feeling just the same as before. Mindfulness offers a unique opportunity for people to study the states that they get into in interactions with another, in a way that can open the door to deeper understanding of both self and other, and ultimately deeper connection.

In this workshop, you will:

  • Be introduced to concepts used in Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy and Hakomi Embodied and Aware Relationships Training (H.E.A.R.T.®) for understanding relationships and interpersonal situations (including therapeutic relationships, intimate and non-intimate relationships) in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Explore the use of mindfulness as a tool for deepening relationships
  • Have the opportunity to study a specific relationship difficulty, with a partner, friend, parent, child, colleague, client or other.
  • Learn practical tools for exploring relationship dynamics & new techniques for addressing difficult interpersonal situations.

The workshop will include talks, experiential exercises, discussion and personal reflection. Participants will come away with skills that can be readily applied directly following the workshop, both with clients and in their own relationships. This workshop is suitable for those working therapeutically with both couples and individuals having relationship difficulties, as well as for individuals and couples wishing to deepen their own personal relationships. It will be of value to psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists and other practitioners who are interested in learning more about Hakomi or H.E.A.R.T.®

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Presence and Connection

An introduction to Hakomi


A two-day workshop with Dr. Karen Baikie, Certified Hakomi Trainer


The most powerful quality we can bring to any relationship, including the therapeutic relationship, is our capacity to be fully present. From birth, humans are wired for connection. Being present and attuned is what creates a safe, empathic connection. Mindfulness is a key tool for developing our capacity to be present with ourselves and with others.

In this workshop, you will:

  • Be introduced to the methods and principles of Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Explore the use of mindfulness as both an attitude and a tool for use in self-study and therapeutic settings.
  • Learn from recent neuroscience and attachment theory about how attunement and limbic resonance can create a safe, empathic relationship.
  • Develop specific skills, including loving kindness, that assist in supporting a deeper connection with others, in both personal and therapeutic relationships.

The workshop will consist of a balance of talks, experiential exercises, discussion and personal reflection, with an emphasis on skills that can be readily applied directly following the workshop. This workshop offers the opportunity to experience the Hakomi method of psychotherapy. It is suitable for those working therapeutically with clients and those wishing to deepen their own self understanding. It will be of value to psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, pastoral care workers and other practitioners who are interested in learning more about Hakomi or are considering enrolling in the Hakomi Professional Training.

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The Science of Love

Creating Connections that Heal


A three-day workshop with Dr. Karen Baikie, Certified Hakomi Trainer


Research has consistently shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is often the biggest factor in effective therapy, more so than specific therapy techniques. Additionally, in personal relationships, the quality of connection is a big factor in determining how satisfying the relationship is, whether that be with intimate partners, parents, children, friends or colleagues. What does it take to create a satisfying, safe, healing connection with another human being? And what gets in the way?

In this workshop, we will draw on principles from the literature on attachment, neuroscience, brain development, and mindfulness to explore ways to deepen connection. We will explore the science of love and psychotherapy, and experience practical ways to create a safe bond with another. In the realm of healing, there is nothing as useful as connection and mindfulness.

In this experiential workshop, you will:

  • Learn from recent neuroscience & attachment theory about the science behind a safe, empathic relationship.
  • Learn how to identify signs of attachment, arousal, safety & connection in yourself & another.
  • Develop skills that assist in creating healing therapeutic relationships and nourishing personal relationships.
  • Explore barriers to connection & what gets in the way of love.
  • Explore the use of mindfulness as b1oth an attitude & a tool deepening relationships in personal & therapeutic settings.
  • Understand the neuroscientific underpinnings of Hakomi Experiential Psychotherapy, in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Observe a live Hakomi session.

The workshop will include talks, experiential exercises, discussion and personal reflection and is suitable for both those working therapeutically with clients and those wishing to deepen their own self understanding and personal relationships. It will be of value to psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists and any individuals who are interested in learning more about Hakomi.

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