Interoception for Self-Care and Self-Helpers
I’ve been an occupational therapist since 2002 and have had the pleasure of serving hundreds of amazing clients, both children and adults. Many of my clients have struggled to feel comfortable and regulated both in their bodies and in their environments. Over the years, I’ve grown more and more passionate about how to nurture self-understanding and self-regulation in effective and kind ways to help my clients feel more comfortable and ultimately thrive in life.
When it comes to regulation difficulties, many of my clients report such deep levels of shame and guilt—this comes from trying so hard to regulate, only to grow overwhelmed by many aspects of daily life. This is compounded by how drastically misunderstood they are by others and mislabeled with terms such as ‘challenging’, ‘oppositional’, or ‘defiant’. And then, to make matters even worse, many are subject to compliance-driven models of support where they are judged solely on their observable behaviors (e.g., the refusals, the elopement, the meltdowns, the shutdowns). Their inner experience is never explored or acknowledged.
Does this sound like your experience? If so, just know that you’re not alone. Read on to learn more.
Why Make Interoception an Important Part of Your Daily Life?
As an OT, I’m trained to see beneath the surface and to consider deep factors that could be contributing to the dysregulation experience. In collaboration with my clients, I’ve been continually seeking effective supports that address these deep factors. In the past, my clients were trying various regulation strategies and programs, and although they were experiencing gains, there was this nagging feeling that something was missing, something was getting in the way of full regulation success. And then, one day, I read an article written by a scientist named Dr. Bud Craig. In this article, Dr. Craig described a sense called interoception—and this was the moment that my practice completely changed for the better.
After reading the article, I immediately wondered if interoception could be a big deal for my clients–so being an ultra-curious person, I ran right to my clients and their families and began asking lots of questions. And at the same time, I was reading all that I could get my hands on about interoception. What we discovered between our conversations and the research is that interoception was indeed a really big deal for my clients. So many were completely unaware or very confused about how their bodies were feeling, thus making understanding and regulating their emotions nearly impossible.
Interoception has been widely studied for decades but is only now making its way into practical application. Thankfully, this information is rapidly improving our ability to understand dysregulation, which in turn is driving more effective (and kinder) interoception for self-care supports that honor each person’s unique inner sense.
As a result of our interoception-based supports and resources, my clients have made gains in areas such as:
Identifying and understanding their own emotions
Recognizing their own personal early signs of distress (before a full meltdown or shutdown)
Independently using coping strategies during times of early distress
Connecting with a wider variety of feel-good regulation strategies
Communicating emotions and needs to others
Recognizing when hungry, full or thirsty
Toilet training success (daytime and/or nighttime)
Developing healthy sleep habits
Pinpointing symptoms of illness or injury
Describing the way certain body parts feel (verbally and non-verbally)
Developing more confidence within social connections
“As a recently diagnosed older person (50’s), Kelly’s interoception work has been paramount in helping me finally understand myself. This understanding has allowed me to teach others about me and what I need from them to feel safe, comfortable and validated. I finally can stop blaming myself for my past ‘behaviors’ that many people mislabeled as purposeful or malicious. Kelly’s work has changed my life!”
– Helda G.
Interoception for Self-Care Resources to Inspire Inner Curiosity & Discovery
I have been passionately developing a wide variety of interoception-based supports that can be used with a wide variety of learners to help with interoceptive awareness. These supports are never meant to change who you are (because you are awesome!) and should always be used in a way that honors and validates your unique experience in the world.
The overall goal of our interoception supports is to enhance your level of self-understanding—your ability to understand more about the sensations in your body, to understand your own personal emotions, and to connect with the things in life that promote the feel-good sensations within your body.
Here are some of our most popular interoception for self-help resources that can inspire inner curiosity and self-discovery.
On-Demand Course: A 3 Step Approach to Nurturing Interoceptive Awareness
Do you want to learn more about interoception in a location of your choice and in a way that allows you to stop and start at your own convenience? Then this course is for you. Watch and/or listen to this 3.5-hour course all at once or watch/listen a little bit at a time.
All registrants have unlimited access to the course for 180 days from time of purchase so plenty of time to watch the course whenever suits your schedule. The course was originally designed for professionals supporting the interoception growth in their clients, however many self-helpers have taken the course and found it to be filled with valuable information applicable to their own lives.
This course can also serve as a great introduction to The Interoception Curriculum (purchased separately) as it includes a solid overview of this step-by-step framework. If you are someone that finds it helpful to listen to an author speak about a resource before you implement it, then this course can be a great place to start.
$149.00 USD
My Interoception Workbook: A Guide for Adolescents, Teens, and Adults
If you would benefit from exploring your current interoception levels, this interactive workbook provides a highly structured, concrete, and visual guide for doing so. This resource allows you to gain valuable insight into your inner experience while empowering you with a higher level of self-understanding.
$39.00 USD
Interoception Activity Cards
If you are looking for fast and fun activities to enhance interoceptive awareness, these cards are for you. Each card deck has a unique set of activities that require little to no equipment or materials.
Interoception Activity Cards
$89.00 USD
Interoception Yoga Cards
$49.00 USD – $69.00 USD
Interoception Exercise Cards
$49.00 USD – $69.00 USD
Body Check Ring
Does you struggle to put words to the sensations you notice in your body? This convenient resource serves as visual and language support that can help. Simply print the Body Check Ring and go—or if you love to laminate…do your thing!
Added value: if you are looking for fun interoception activities to do, check out the BONUS that comes with this resource: a mini-online course and booklet that gives you instructions and demonstration of five super engaging and effective interoception games.
$59.00 USD
The Interoception Curriculum
Are you struggling to find a professional that can effectively support your interoception growth? Take matters into your own hands with The Interoception Curriculum (IC). Originally written for professionals to use with clients and their families, there are now hundreds of self-helpers implementing the curriculum on their own.
The IC provides an evidence-based, step-by-step framework for helping a variety of learners to learn more about their own unique body-emotion-action connections.
A Good Value: The IC comes with a book containing 25 lesson plans plus access to 600+ pages of downloadable instructional materials (hint: visual supports that don’t require much work from you!). The IC will empower you with a better understanding of your personal body sensations and emotions.
Tip: If you are doing The Interoception Curriculum in a self-help manner, it can be helpful to have a mentor support you or collaborate with you.
$199.00 USD
Live Online Courses
Our LIVE online courses are about two things: cutting-edge topics + fresh, evidence-based strategies. All of this to help you better support interoception for self-care or, for mental health professionals, the clients that you serve. Connect with us LIVE each month for a dynamic learning experience filled with practical information you can begin using immediately in your practice. Can’t make the live date? No worries. All registrants will receive unlimited access to the recording for two weeks following the LIVE online course.
All courses are $69 each
