Name: Hakomi Workshop - In and Out of Character: From Protection to Connection
Start: 2026-04-08T23:00:00+12:00
End: 2026-04-12T05:00:00+12:00
Location: Auckland - Venue TBC

Hakomi Workshop - In and Out of Character: From Protection to Connection
*A two-workshop series with Jules Morgaine, Certified Hakomi Trainer
*Dates:
MODULE 1: Thursday 9 — Sunday 12 April 2026
MODULE 2: Wednesday 3 — Sunday 7 June 2026
*Venue: Auckland - to be confirmed
Character styles are formed early in life in response to our environment, around core human issues of contact, safety, need, dependency, separation, self-esteem, control, sexuality, competition and competence. These character styles create protective and supportive defences in our childhood, which later become unconscious and therefore outside our awareness. In adulthood, these patterns become limiting, making it difficult or impossible to fully achieve our potential in relationships, work, parenting and other aspects of our life.
Clients come to therapy wanting change in some way, to let go of certain feelings, thoughts and behaviours that do not work for them. They also come for something less easily articulated, but often expressed in this way “I want to find my real self” or “I want to know who I am”. What often gets in the way is “Character”.
There are typical patterns of behaviour, body and beliefs that have been described since Reich first talked of ‘character armour’. Character styles are patterns of thinking, feeling, behaviour, belief, relating patterns imprinted in the body and in the neurophysiology as much as in the psyche. Present day knowledge of character is drawn from developmental theory, object relations, bioenergetics, self-psychology and neurophysiology. In Hakomi psychotherapy a knowledge of character processes assists the therapist to be sensitive to individual clients, and provide effective therapy within the principles of Hakomi.
This series of 2 workshops, module 1 four-days followed by module 2 five-days, will help you understand human behaviour more deeply and compassionately. We will explore 8 different character patterns, both in relation to ourself and clients we work with. I will offer teaching on ways to work effectively with each character pattern in order to enable clients to more fully embrace the potential of their lives. We will also explore the way our own character patterns can limit our effectiveness as therapists and learn ways to move beyond this in the therapeutic relationship. The workshops are designed for therapists, those interested in learning more about their own character styles, but also for people working in corporate or education areas where an understanding of human behaviour is useful.
Workshops Explore
* The creation of character styles that protect us, but at the same time limit our potential, and prevent real connection with others.
* Character styles which consist of states of consciousness, behaviour patterns, emotional tendencies, core beliefs about the self and the world as well as typical body structures and postures.
* The influences that shape our typical defensive patterns.
* How to recognize character styles in ourselves and others.
* The ways in which character impacts on others, bringing forth responses that tend to reinforce the core beliefs.
* How to relate to others in a way that maximizes the chances of real connection, and reduces the likelihood of being caught in destructive relationship systems.
* The application of this knowledge to psychotherapy practice, and relevance for relating in a variety of settings.
This series explores the etiology of the five basic categories of character used in Hakomi and the developmental wounds associated with each. Participants will learn to make theory-driven hypotheses about the needs and core material of various clients by examining their clients’ physical, emotional and behavioral tendencies. Participants will also practice using the mindfulness-based techniques of Hakomi to bring these strategies into consciousness so they can be examined and transformed. Upon completing this training, participants will be able to use the character map to design more targeted and refined therapeutic interventions and will recognise when their own character habits may be shaping their interactions with clients in limiting ways.
DATES AND TIMES OF WORKSHOPS
Module 1:
9 — 12 April 2026
Thu to Sat: 9.00am—4.30pm • Sun: 9.00am—3.00pm
4 Days, 6 hours, daily
Module 2:
3 – 7 June 2026
Wed to Sat: 9.00am—4.30pm • Sun: 9.00am—3.00pm
5 Days, 6 hours, daily.
COSTS
Early bird: $1800.00 +GST ($2070.00) by 9 Jan 2026
Full Fee: $2000.00 + GST ($2300.00) by 9 March 2026
Instalments:
1: $1200.00 +GST ($1380.00) by 9 March 2026
2: $1100.00 +GST ($1165.00) by 9 May 2026
Please note this is a two workshop series so attendance at both workshops is required.
*Jules Morgaine, PBANZ, APANZ, CHT, MHP
Is a registered psychotherapist, holds an Advanced Practice certificate with APANZ, a Masters of Health Practice and is a Certified Hakomi Therapist and Senior Hakomi Trainer with the Hakomi Institute (USA) South Pacifica Team. She leads Hakomi Comprehensive Skills trainings in Aotearoa, Perth and Melbourne. Having come from a background of Mental Health Services as an Occupational Therapist she has subsequently trained in Psychotherapy including Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy. She has been in private practice since 1992 offering psychotherapy and supervision. Currently she primarily offers supervision to Hakomi graduates working towards certification. Jules currently has a passion for mentoring the next generations of Hakomi therapists and teachers alongside sharing and developing the work of Hakomi to meet these current times where recognition of diversity provides both challenge and deep reward. Jules lives in Taupo with her long term partner and has adult children living elsewhere in Aotearoa.
REGISTRATION
For more information and registration https://hakomi.co.nz/workshops/character/