EVENTS & GROUPS

Connect. Learn. Heal.

Beginning March!

Finding Freedom from pain: a guided healing group

Living with chronic pain can take more than a physical toll — it can shape how you think, move, and connect with yourself and others. Many people find themselves caught in a cycle of pain, tension, and exhaustion that traditional treatments alone don’t always address.

This 12-week group offers a safe and supportive space to explore a new approach to healing — one that honors the mind-body connection and helps you rediscover comfort, calm, and self-trust.

Guided by the book Freedom from Pain by Maggie Phillips and Peter Levine, we’ll move week-by-week through practical tools for soothing the nervous system, reducing fear and reactivity, and reconnecting with the body’s natural ability to regulate and heal.

🌸 What to Expect

  • Gentle weekly discussions centered on the themes and practices from Freedom from Pain

  • Mind-body exercises for relaxation, grounding, and emotional release

  • Education on how chronic pain, stress, and trauma interact in the body

  • Connection with others who understand the challenges of living with pain

  • Encouragement and accountability to integrate small, meaningful changes

This group is ideal for anyone seeking a compassionate, integrative path to healing — Whether you have a pain regimen down or are still searching for answers and solutions, this group is for you.

📘 Group Details

Book: Freedom from Pain by Maggie Phillips & Peter Levine
Duration: 12 Weeks-Saturday Meetings; Meet 2x month
Format: Virtual group (live video sessions)
Start Date: March 21, 2025
Facilitator: Kelsey Ruffing, MA, MS, LCPC
Cost: $45 per session (12 sessions)

*a 12-week commitment is necessary, not a drop-in group

Healing doesn’t mean ignoring pain — it means learning to listen to what it’s trying to tell you, and finding new ways to respond with compassion.

Join us and begin your journey toward greater freedom from pain, calm, and connection.

Contact:

-Kelsey Ruffing, MA, MS, LCPC to register at kelsey@kelseyruffingcounseling.com or 312.620.0714

 

Brainspotting Group Therapy

*Limited to 10 Participants*

This small, intentional Brainspotting group offers a powerful opportunity for deep emotional processing and nervous system healing within a safe and supportive community.

Brainspotting is a brain-body based therapeutic approach that helps access and release trauma, chronic stress, grief, performance blocks, and stored emotional pain by identifying eye positions (“brainspots”) connected to unresolved experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting works directly with the subcortical brain and nervous system — where trauma and emotional activation are held.

In this small group (maximum 10 participants), members will:

  • Learn how trauma and stress are stored in the brain and body

  • Experience guided Brainspotting sessions in a safe, structured format

  • Build nervous system regulation skills

  • Witness and be witnessed in a confidential, compassionate space

  • Reduce symptoms of anxiety, overwhelm, emotional reactivity, and chronic tension

  • Increase clarity, resilience, and emotional integration

Group Brainspotting can be especially powerful because healing happens not only individually, but relationally. Participants often experience profound shifts in emotional regulation, body awareness, and self-understanding while feeling less alone in their struggles.

This group is appropriate for adults experiencing:

  • Trauma or adverse life experiences

  • Chronic stress or burnout

  • Anxiety or emotional overwhelm

  • Grief or unresolved relational pain

  • Performance blocks (athletic, academic, creative)

  • Chronic illness-related emotional stress

No prior Brainspotting experience is required.

Because this is a processing-focused group, space is limited to 10 participants to ensure safety, depth, and individualized attention.

📘 Group Details
Duration: 12 Weeks-Thursday Meetings
Format: Virtual group (live video sessions-60min)
Start Date: April 2, 2026 @ 5pm
Facilitator: Kelsey Ruffing, MA, MS, LCPC
Cost: BCBSIL PPO, UNITED, AETNA PPO plans accepted: $55 per session OOP