The Safer You Feel,
the Safer You Become.
What if your professional growth
started with your nervous system -
not your to-do list?
Now in its 9th year, this 9 month program is a soft place to land for therapists who are ready to feel more grounded, more connected, and more like themselves, so they can offer that same safety to the clients who count on them.
You’ve learned the tools.
You hold space for others every day.
But who’s holding space for you?
Body of Work is your place to rest, reconnect, and tend to your nervous system
alongside other therapists who get it.
Body of Work is taking a break for now.
Instead, you might like to check out Embrace - a gentle 6 month program designed for YOU as a human. Not as a practitioner. As someone who needs support for themselves - personal life, professional life… all of it.
Body of Work might be exactly what you’ve been needing.
You’ve been in practice for a while now. You’ve done the trainings, learned the modalities, held space for so many.
And maybe - quietly - you’ve been wondering:
What about me?
In Body of Work, we create a space where therapists like you can land - fully. Where you don’t have to choose between being the expert and being human. Where nervous system care isn’t an afterthought - it’s the foundation.
In this 9 month program, you’ll be part of a small, intentionally held group of practitioners who are:
Ready to feel steadier, softer, and more supported in their work
Craving community that feels like home — diverse, affirming, and deeply understanding
Learning to trust themselves even more deeply in the space between what they know and what they feel
Looking for mentorship and consultation that acknowledges the full depth of both their inner world and professional path
Committed to being a safe enough place for others, and ready to feel more fully safe, too
When you feel supported,
your work deepens.
When you feel safe,
your clients do too.
It’s important to note that safety is a felt experience first, not an intellectual one, and so we have to show, not tell. Saying “we’re a safe space” tends to be activating rather than reassuring - instead, we have to BE it.
HOW?
A big part of how we do this is through internalising the knowing that Less is More.
In Body of Work, we explore what it means to trust that presence, attunement, and simplicity can be more powerful than performance or over-efforting. Instead of chasing the perfect intervention or trying to “fix” your clients, you’ll learn to settle into a slower, steadier way of working - one that honors your nervous system, deepens your intuition, and creates space for real transformation to unfold.
What We’ll Explore Together
Body of Work is a 9 month somatic, neuro-affirming professional development experience rooted in nervous system support, trauma-informed care, and collaborative community. Together, we’ll deepen our capacity to feel steady, connected, and confident - so we can meet both ourselves and our clients with greater presence and care.
Each group is different, as it’s designed to be responsive to the curiosities and needs that group members bring to our calls, but here are some of the key themes that tend to come up again and again:
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Welcome all neurotypes — neurodivergent, neurotypical, and neurocomplex — into your practice with care and clarity
Learn to recognize how neurodiversity may shape your clients’ experiences (and your own)
Understand the nuances of co-regulation, sensory needs, and pacing in therapeutic work
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Explore how to facilitate relational repair — even when you don’t think you did anything wrong
Build high-integrity relationships rooted in attunement, trust, and authenticity
Learn how deepen the sense of safety and dignity your clients deeply crave
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Strengthen your capacity for embodiment so you can show up present and attuned through somatic practices offered at the start of every call.
Practice co-regulation, mindfulness, and body-based resourcing for yourself and your clients
Integrate nervous system awareness, trauma healing, and attachment repair in real-time
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Support your clients without exhausting yourself and burning out. Trauma informed care includes you, too
Learn how to recognize and meet trauma when it shows up — with steadiness, not urgency, fixing or figuring out
Create sessions that offer clients a true experience of being seen, supported, and understood… no advice needed
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Tap into genuine empathy, not performative care
Learn to set boundaries that protect your capacity without shutting down connection
Experience the power of being held in a space where your full humanity is welcome
Body of Work Looks Like:
3 live group calls/month: Talks, consultation & mentorship, embodied practices & small group connection (1 hour 45 mins each)
Optional discounted 1:1 calls with Shelby for deeper support
All calls are recorded so you can revisit or catch up anytime
Private online community for connection between sessions
Small group size (max 12 participants) for intimate, meaningful engagement
9 months of structure, insight, and integration to help you become a more regulated, resourced, and intuitive practitioner
Ready to take the next step?
Join Body of Work and transform the way you work with clients, without sacrificing your well-being.
Enrollment for Fall 2026 will open soon.
Common Questions
& Concerns
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I get it - your time is so valuable and it never feels like there’s enough of it.
Body of Work is designed to fit into your schedule with 3 calls per month, giving you time to breathe and integrate between sessions. The deep support from the community will make every moment spent incredibly impactful. Participants often show up sharing that they missed each other and a week or two apart feels like too long!
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You’re not alone. Many therapists who join Body of Work already have excellent training — and this program is all about integration.
You’ll learn how to bring your existing knowledge into practice in a way that feels grounded, intuitive, and embodied. This isn’t just about adding more knowledge — it’s about deepening your connection to your existing wisdom and turning it into sustainable, authentic practice.
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We do things differently in Body of Work - the idea that ‘less is more’ is something we come back to again and again.
You’ll learn how to honor your own energy, set boundaries, and create a steady, supportive environment for both yourself and your clients. This isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about learning how to be steady and sustainable through doing less, while maintaining (or improving) the results your clients see.
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Body of Work is intentionally created for a diverse group of therapists — we embrace neurodivergence, different levels of experience, and varied approaches to therapy.
Whether you're newer to the field or have decades of experience, you'll find a place where your voice is heard, your experience is valued, and your humanity is welcomed. Some groups also contain coaches and other kinds of skilled facilitators - we all need connection and support, and the diversity in our approaches adds richness and depth to the group.
Past PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES
I created this supportive experience for you. And for US.
“It's a gift that people are showing up in such a real way - including Shelby - it feels like there's no pretense, it doesn't feel like we have to posture or be acting as if we've got it all figured out.
We can show up in a very real and raw way, sharing real and raw experiences that happen for anyone in a helping profession. It's vulnerable work. It's often tough on the spirit, it's often tough on the heart. And we can share those things with openness and honesty. I have never felt any judgement or sense of shame for my experience. It feels really safe, and really refreshing to be met in that way.”
Author of Motherwhelmed & Coach for Changemaker Mothers
BETH BERRY
“Shelby, there were so many moments where I had tears of appreciation for you. Thank you so much.
I can’t believe what you have created. I hold a really, really high standard for group facilitators ever since being spoiled by my teacher, Merete, and your space filled a void I’d had for a good group holding experience ever since working with her. Thank you so much.”
Structural Integration Practitioner
(Vancouver, BC)
TRACY DIXON
“Love the people that you attract, and the community that you attract. And I just love the way you hold the space and that there was a practice on every call. I love how you hold the container so gently but so firmly at the same time. Your listening skills are next level. And your somatic skills, how you notice things in the body, the little subtleties. You just embody your work. It's there. The skill level, the practice level, it’s not just here in your brain it’s all the way in.”
_
Coach for Revolutionary Entrepreneurs
Crystal Avila Langen
Investment in Your Growth
The Body of Work program is an investment in your practice and well-being.
Enrollment for Fall 2026 will open soon.
SCHOLARSHIPS
I am proud to offer a few scholarship places at a 50% discount and love supporting the community in this way.
I prioritize folks with marginalized identities—BIPOC, LGBTQI+, individuals with disabilities, single moms, refugees, first-generation immigrants, etc. If you’d like to apply for one of those spots, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can chat about it.
Ready to transform your practice?
Join Body of Work today and start showing up fully for your clients - and for yourself. Spaces are limited to 12, so if you feel like this is your place and we are your people - welcome.
Enrollment for Fall 2026 will open soon.
Who am I?
hi
I’M SHELBY LEIGH, MA, LPC
Shelby Leigh (she/her) is a Somatic Psychotherapist, trauma specialist, coach, educator, assessor, and Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience. Her approach blends nervous system support, somatic practices, attachment theory, and trauma-informed mindfulness to support healing in a deeply holistic and non-pathologizing way. Known for her neurodiversity-affirming, inclusive, and grounded presence, Shelby creates spaces that feel like a deep exhale—where all parts of a person are welcomed and honored.
Her work centers around supporting individuals with complex and developmental trauma, guiding clients and clinicians alike toward ease, wholeness, and self-trust.
Shelby also offers Adult Autism, ADHD, and Giftedness assessments through her private practice in Bend, OR, helping neurodivergent individuals access compassionate care rooted in understanding and affirmation.
When away from work, you’ll find her driving down a dirt road, taking in gorgeous views, road-tripping, wandering in the woods, rafting a river, midnight canoe stargazing, flying somewhere tropical, typing half-written memoirs, taking long naps, chasing sunsets - and always returning to the question: “What is the most loving thing I can do in this moment?”
COMMITMEnT
to Diversity & Inclusion
The Body of Work program is committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, ability, and expertise. To be engaged, participants must feel included and valued. We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is highly valued and seamless, where there is a deep sense of pride, passion, and belonging for every single person. We know that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative environment that delivers better learning, healing, growth, and connection. To support an inclusive environment where participants feel empowered to share their experiences and ideas, we ask that everyone who shows up is also committed to this vision.
Not only is the experience itself inclusive, but we’ll also explore broadening our collective awareness of issues specific to clients in marginalized populations or populations different from our own, and how to tailor the therapy we offer to those folx.