Intro to The Playground

Is your inner child itching to come out and play? Have you been longing for authentic connection with yourself and others? Does your soul need a chance to express itself? Could your body use some care and tending?

Then come play with us!

This is one night experience (pay-what-you-can donation) that is focused on play, presence, and mind-body integration within community. It serves as a preview of our 6-week therapeutic group for women and nonbinary adults (aged 18+) that starts October 16. We will meet Monday evening September 25 in the U District (7:30-9pm). We will play with and explore the connection between our bodies and our minds, within ourselves and within relationship with others, through theater-inspired, mindfulness-based, and trauma-informed exercises.

What past participants have said about The Playground:

"I left feeling refreshed at having made contact with some parts of myself that I haven't gotten to play with much." - Judy

"The playground is a playful guided meditation, allowing you to explore ways of being human, explore ways of being embodied, individually and in a community of sorts. The playground is a potent addition to individual therapy." - Eileen

"Stepping outside of the unspoken rules of polite, everyday social encounter to enter the world of The Playground can call up some nervousness. But Katie and Emma offer a profoundly spacious and supportive container for this work, and the power of the ensemble is undeniable. Seeing other people be brave can offer us new permission to be brave; seeing others be playful can unveil a part of us that has been longing to express our sacred silliness. At the Playground, you get to practice giving and receiving, saying yes and saying no, risking and resting, within a circle that values boundary, consent, and collaboration. Let yourself risk showing up with curiosity - there's so much to enjoy and explore!" - Susannah

"I think this is fantastic for folks wanting to bridge any gaps they feel with their own intuition, in the presence and collaboration with others. It balances structure and freedom in such a way that, like a playground, you get to choose how much challenge is right for you." - Rachel

About the Facilitators:

Katie Lin, LMHCA, CBP (she/her) is passionate about weaving together the mind and the body. She is an artist, licensed psychotherapist, and certified BodyTalk practitioner who loves to ponder and play at the intersection of the body-mind-spirit, trauma healing, and theater. Katie grew up between the Czech Republic and the U.S., and feels most at home when she is integrating and weaving together two different ways of being in the world.

Emma Baker, LMHCA (she/they) is a multi-disciplinary theater artist and therapist who works at the intersection of healing and creativity. Hailing from the hills of Pittsburgh, PA, Emma moved out west where she is about to graduate from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology with her Master’s in Counseling. Emma currently works as an intern counselor at Edmonds College. At heart, Emma loves to play freely and wants to invite you to do the same.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

University Heights Center, 5031 University Way Northeast, Seattle, United States