Saturday, October 8th | 1-5pm | Brigid’s Loft at 280 Quincy Street in Port Townsend, WA
Tell me…
…Are you in a partnership and wishing for more joy and play in your lives?
…Are you feeling run down as a couple by the stressors of the last two years and just, daily life?
…Do you yearn for tools to cut through the grind and tap into the magic between you two?
If so, join Jessica & James for a nourishing and playful celebration of partnership on Saturday, October 8th from 1-5pm. The first half of the workshop will focus on communication tools for growing feelings of compassion, desire, playfulness and trust between you, led by Jessica. The second half will include a hands-on introduction to non-sexual partner massage that everyone can try for greater relaxation and body connection, led by James. You will leave with a renewed sense of vitality for your partnership as well as tools that you can immediately incorporate into your day-to-day lives to “grow and keep growing the good” of your relationship.
At this workshop, we will be:
- Inviting your innate compassion for one another to blossom
- Cultivating greater understanding between you, no matter how long you have been together
- Revealing and growing the genuine bond between you two that was always there
- Integrating a spirit of play into your relating so it doesn’t have to feel like so much “work”
- Building a set of communication tools and massage techniques that you can learn easily and repeat often after the workshop
We will not be:
- Rehashing old arguments or the tensions that go round and round between you two
- Blaming or pointing fingers to suggest it’s someone fault for any lack in the relationship
- Trying to “fix” or “therapize” either of you or your relationship
- Analyzing or processing your relationship history
- Focusing on what isn’t working, except as it may need gentle attention to facilitate what can be working
More about this workshop:
The Communication Part: In this workshop, we will be leaving “problem solving” behind and bringing attention to the present moment through communication designed to help us arrive into the now, together. I (Jessica) will guide you through a series of partner communication and connection exercises that you can think of as portals into the “now”, as well as into the love, care and compassion that were always there between you. Rather than “talking as processing”, this will be partner communication as a meditation itself into presence. That spark – what some people call the “aliveness” in connection – becomes more available when, rather than rehashing the past or anticipating the future, we enter into the present . No previous experience necessary.
The Massage Part: Touch is a language of its own. Like language, touch is often misunderstood. This course will help take the ambiguity out of caring touch. We will cover topics like preparing your hands and initiation of touch; communicating care through depth, pressure and tempo; understanding muscle fascia; how to positively influence neurology without an agenda; and the importance of understanding basic anatomy to influence well being.
Class notes for massage: During this class, when giving touch, we will be using our hands. Please ensure nails are well trimmed. We will receive touch on our arms and/or legs, both of which are incredibly complex pars of our bodies thus are very good for learning. Please ensure that you have clothing that allows completely free and unrestricted access to one or both of these areas.
Who is this workshop for?
Couples of all sorts. Long-term, married couples. Newly dating. Friends who want to grow your connection. Co-parents who want to deepen your working relationship. LGBTIQA+ couples warmly welcomed.
Workshop discounts: We acknowledge the impact that systemic racism has on our economic realities and experiences. As one way to address this inequity, we are offering a discounted rate to couples who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, who are invited to attend this workshop at 50% off of the ticket price.
This is not for you if:
You tend towards conflict that you can’t easily derail. You don’t like to sit across from the other person for extended lengths of time. You prefer to keep your relationship at home and don’t feel comfortable being “seen” in any way by others as a couple. You feel challenged being around couples who don’t love the same way you do.
We will provide:
- A limited number of back jacks
- Chairs
- One 3′ X 10′ mat for each couple for massage
- Water/tea
- Light snacks
Please bring:
- Your own seating if you have specific seating needs (eg. back jacks, cushions, etc)
- Snacks
- Your water bottle
- A flat sheet
- Cozy blanket
- 1-2 pillows
Cost & Registration:
In the hopes of keeping this affordable, the cost of this 4 hour workshop is the price of one, private therapy or coaching session at $199 per couple. To register, there are two steps:
- Send payment to Jessica via Venmo at “Jessica-Tartaro”. Last four of phone number 5562.
- Then, send an email to DrTartaro@gmail.com. Let us know who you are, your pronouns, the nature of your relationship (married/dating/friendship/your own category) and what you each hope to get out of this workshop.
You will receive a confirmation within a day of your registering with more information about the event.
“Togetherness & Touch” will be a day of learning, inhabiting your body and opening your heart, in the service of strengthening your connection with your partner. You will be invited to go slowly, move at the pace that feels comfortable to you, and adapt the exercises so that they fit yours and your partner’s needs. In the spirit of Dr. Rick Hanson’s work on “growing the good”, we will be focusing on cultivating and fortifying the strengths of your relationship and helping the two of you direct your collective attention to “what is working” or “could be working” rather than “what isn’t”. It is our hope as facilitators that this style of couples relating may “fill your cup” as a couple and grow your resilience for the challenges that intimacy brings.
We look forward to learning and loving with you on October 8th!
About the space/Covid precautions: Brigid’s Loft is the former Jefferson Community School. It is the big, yellow building next to the Courtyard Cafe. Participants of this workshop can park in the ample, free parking in the lot directly across from the Loft and then enter the building from the front at street level. From there, you will go up the short staircase and proceed to the back of the building where we will be gathered in the enormous ballroom at the top of the Loft. The sprawling ballroom is 60 feet by 30 feet and offers extensive floor space for spreading out and physical distancing as needed. Participants will not be required to mask but are welcome to mask to the degree that you feel comfortable/safe doing so. Note, unfortunately, this building is not ADA accessible; there is no alternate access to the venue other than the stairs.
FACILITATOR BIOS
Dr. Jessica Tartaro (she/her) is a cis-gendered, able bodied, Sicilian Jewish Intimacy Coach & Connection Facilitator with nearly 20 years of experience in the healing arts working with individuals, couples and groups. Former Fulbright scholar, she passionately believes that everyone can learn how to have closeness with others – whatever your history – through committed practice, connecting with your body and a good dose of play. In the winter of 2020, she founded the free, weekly intimacy podcast, “Under 10” so that anyone who wanted it could learn the tools for healthy connection. Find all 50+ episodes as well as connect with her for private coaching and speaking at your event at www.DrJessicaTartaro.com.
James Vanwert is a licensed massage therapist who is passionate about holistic health and interpersonal connection. After growing up in a low-touch family with minimal positive emotional or physical interaction, he attended massage school looking for a way to develop a platform for positive healthy touch. He chose to make massage therapy part of his contribution to the community after experiencing the immense healing his massages brought about. James’ therapeutic techniques and deep, intuitive nature help people heal from all kinds of dis-ease including lack of relationship, complex physical and emotional trauma and end of life needs. He is especially excited to collaborate with Dr. Tartaro to support local couples to incorporate therapeutic massage into their intimacy and connection. Read about his range of services and schedule a massage with James at https://handtohandfitness.com/.
