The Playground

Who says the playground is just for kids?

Have you been feeling stuck or lonely? Is your inner child longing to play freely? Is your soul yearning for authentic connection? Could your body use some care and tending?

Then come play with us!

This is a pay-what-you-can group running monthly on Thursday evenings (7-8:45pm) in the U District. The Playground is open to women and nonbinary adults (aged 18+). 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.

Registration for each event will close 12 hours prior to our start time (i.e. 7:00am on the day of).

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 Facilitator:

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.

To learn more, please visit our webpage: https://www.rivertreehealingarts.com/groups

Katie Lin and Emma Baker (co-creators of The Playground), share their story behind this experiential therapeutic group.

Emma and I demonstrate a roll down as an example of an exercise you might experience at The Playground. Roll downs can help us feel more in tune with our bodies, more grounded and centered, and ready to play.

Host or Publisher Katie Lin