‘I’m inviting you…’
This June, Autistic Revolution (AR) welcomed Courtney Freedman-Thompson of Chameleon Coaching to guide community members through a somatic release and mindfulness online event.
Background
While Autistic Revolution is a magazine, we see it more as an invitation of community. We know the importance of being able to spend time together in fun, leisure or learning – or perhaps a mix of all three!
Our June Community Event was hosted by AR Editor, Jenny Loughran and Associate Editor, Laura Hellfeld.
A bit about Courtney
‘I’m a certified trauma-informed holistic, somatic & mindfulness coach. I help people reconnect to themselves, recover from burnout, expand their capacity and build their resources so they can feel better and live more in alignment. I work with clients 1:1 and in my new SPARK SOMA & SOUL online group membership, (chameleoncoaching.co.uk/membership), as well as holding classes, workshops and mini retreats.
I believe we all deserve to be 100% ourselves. To reconnect back to who we really are. Back to the true essence of who we are. Back to our bodies, our inner wisdom, our nervous system, so that we can live in alignment with who we really are. In connection with ourselves and others on a deeper level, and nature too.’
Photo of Courtney taken inside from the shoulders up. Courtney is a pale person with short, blonde hair and fringe. She is smiling gently at the camera and wearing a black top and brown rimmed glasses.
Photo of Jenny from the waist up and taken outside in front of a green door. Jenny is a pale person with short, curly and blonde-brown hair. They are facing the camera and smiling gently. They are wearing a red collared shirt over a blue vest.
Photo of Laura from waist up. Laura is a pale person with red-blonde hair to their shoulders. Laura is facing the camera, smiling and wearing blue rimmed glasses. They are in front of a colourful graffiti wall with a pink peace sign.
The Session
Community members were welcomed into the space and we greeted each other in our very authentic way – by an impromptu show and tell. We enjoyed holding up and showing each other fidgets, stim jewellery, plushies and pets. What a gorgeous way to start.
Courtney introduced herself and the ethos of the session. Everything is an invitation and we continued to hear that line often throughout our time together. We were invited to try things out and explore what feels good to each of us. And while that seems simple, Courtney reminded us that we often try things out for self-care because others have done it and encourage us that we will love it too. But, we all have different experiences and different needs and so maybe self-care ideas like meditation or breath work or cold showers work for you but maybe they don’t and that’s ok. Therefore, self-care and somatic exercises are about starting with awareness.
Courtney then invited us to try out different somatic exercises and guided our reflections. Each of these exercises were like collecting data for ourselves. We were encouraged throughout the session to take pauses and simply feel.
Notice During the Pause
- Do we feel good or not?
- Did our breath change?
- Did our tension change?
- Does the exercise bring your energy up or down?
- Does the exercise feel safe?
We did this for Movement, Unwinding, Breathwork and Self-Touch.
| Some Tips: For those with hypermobility, small movements may be safer in general. Somatic is about micro moments for self care and embodiment. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, it may feel hard to take a deep breath in – maybe try lengthening the exhale And perhaps consider adding in a vocalization like a sound or sighBring stim movements into somatics |
Time to Process
Our session concluded with time for community members to ask Courtney questions and to reflect on what we learned and explored.
Common Themes
- Enjoying time in a judgement-free space
- Feeling welcomed and included
- In just small movements and small amounts of time, we were able to provide ourselves with a lot of self-care
- Empowerment in taking time for ourselves and purposeful movements
Attendant Feedback
‘I forget my body exists. So these (somatic exercises) are great for saying ‘hello’ to my whole self’ Jilly Holly of Neurodiversity University.
‘I’m grateful for Courtney at Chameleon Coaching for enabling me to feel safe in a space where I could relax whilst helping me to understand what my body is trying to tell me.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to connect and share a neurodivergent affirming space with my community.’ Jenny Loughran of Autistic Revolution
‘Wow, what can I say? I booked this event without much thought, prompted by a link a neurodivergent friend sent in our WhatsApp group. Entering the Zoom chat, I was immediately struck by the welcoming and calming community I had stumbled upon. Initially, I was a bit nervous about the content, but I quickly realised I had no reason to be—Courtney made the whole experience entirely optional.
I had never heard of somatic exercises before, and while trying them felt a bit odd at first, I was amazed at how effective some of them were for me. Although not all exercises resonated, the ones that did were truly beneficial. Laura’s energy was exactly what I needed after a long day, bringing a refreshing and invigorating vibe to the session.
Overall, I’m thrilled to have discovered this community. The sense of belonging and the resources provided are things I’ve found lacking in my area. I look forward to more events like this and am eager to continue participating in this supportive and enriching environment.’ Heather Price
‘To Laura, Jenny and Courtney. This session was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. It felt wonderful to join this group of people; I immediately felt a sense of connection, understanding and calm even though I did not know anyone. A very welcoming, safe space.
I have attended quite a lot of well-being webinars in the past, with themes of grounding and mindfulness but this time Courtney made it so bespoke for autistic people, for example I loved the way she suggested we could incorporate our stims into our grounding work. This makes so much sense to me – and I am already doing it! It feels good. I came away feeling more positive about how to manage my current levels of stress. It was empowering, validating and reassuring.
I also loved at the end how you all stated it is hard to say goodbye- I struggle sooo much with this in life and tend to joke about it with people who know me I just recognise it as part of me now and people who know me will hopefully just accept it as one of my quirks! So thank you all again- I look forward to the next session!’ Attendant
Thank You
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Courtney for having held the space for all of us in such an inviting and gentle way. We would also like to thank all of the community members who set aside this time to join in. Thank you so much for spending time with us.
To follow Courtney’s work
Facebook: @chameleoncoachinguk
Instagram: @chameleoncoach
TikTok: @chameleon.coaching
Thank You,
Laura Hellfeld and the Team at Autistic Revolution
Last modified: 6 January 2025