Your Body is Never Trying to Hurt You with Kate Block

Episode 109. Kate block is a gem. She's a therapeutic bodyworker, yoga teacher, and fellow science lover. She's also someone who walks the walk, meaning she listens to her body and what doesn't feel right for her, and makes uncomfortable changes when necessary. Today you get to hear her story, and a whole bunch of wisdom, and I am confident you will enjoy it as much as I did. I am realizing more and more that something that really lights me up is finding innovative solutions for healing for both myself and my clients. Kate is a wonderful example of that because she's helped me get better in touch with my body and the lessons I've learned through somatic practices and this conversation apply to both therapists and our clients. Kate is intuitive, and truly has a gift for this work. Oh, and fun fact, without formally learning about Internal Family Systems (IFS) she basically does Parts with with her clients because it just made sense to her. Cool stuff, right? You're going to love this conversation, so let's dive in! We cover: What is bodywork and how does it differ from massage therapy? How Kate combines the wisdom of talk therapy and bodywork to help her clients reach the next level of peace and healing Why she reminds people that "your body is never trying to hurt you" and what she means by that Why the question, "What do you feel in your body?" often feels hard, and how to practice embodiment Kate's approach to meal prep (one of my favorite answers to the integrated motivation question) and how you can use this knowledge to change a "should" to a "choose to" for something you want to do, but don't really enjoy And much more! “I know I shouldn’t focus on weight loss, but…” (Polarized Parts Alert!) Are you feeling unsure how to guide a client who wants to improve their relationship with food, but also wants to lose weight? We offer this super cool transformational exercise that can help your clients work to understand their polarized parts, build self-trust and listen to their intuition! This free PDF gives step-by-step instructions for doing one of my all-time favorite exercises (based on Internal Family Systems theory) to explore polarized parts. It will help clients get to know the parts of themselves without judgment, understand their intention, and create empowerment and harmony in their bodies. This is hands-down one of the best ways I’ve found to help support client autonomy and build self-trust at the same time. I can’t wait to share it with you! Sign up today to use this innovative tool! Who is Kate Block? Kate Block is the founder of Little Dipper — a therapeutic bodywork and private yoga practice located in the Forest Hills area of Grand Rapids (thisislittledipper.com). Her work at Little Dipper is grounded in her belief that the most transformative massage therapy, bodywork, and movement isn’t about “fixing” anything about you or your body, it's about fostering a deeper connection to your own body and heart. Kate loves helping her clients address physical and emotional issues in a way that focuses on root causes so that they feel and live better.  She is deeply passionate about the human body, health + wellness, and a well-marbled, medium-rare ribeye. Her post-grad biology background informs both her work as a licensed massage therapist and the approach she takes in leading her clients and students in yoga and movement. For Kate, therapeutic bodywork is all about learning how to show up, connect, and move (both literally and metaphorically) from a place of alignment with your deepest, truest self. Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider-patient relationship.