We are very happy to introduce Avi Vodnoy Wolf. Avi Joined the Green House in January of this year. We talked to Avi about their decision to join the Green House and what it means for them.
How did you learn about the Green House?
A mentor of mine, Rae McDaniel, told me about LifeWorks as a place I would enjoy working. They described Lifeworks as a sex-positive, LGBTQ-friendly practice that worked with a depth psychology approach and I was ecstatic. These are all of my favorite things in the world. When I went on Lifeworks’ website, I saw that the practice had the Green House post-graduate training and I felt it would be a great way to grow myself as a new therapist.
What drew you to the Green House?
I always want to continue learning as a therapist, and I could not imagine a better way to do that than having weekly training, supervision, and group consultation. I’m also passionate about working with queer folx.
What are you hoping to gain by being in the Green House and how do you imagine it will impact your future?
My hope is that through the Green House’s specific training related to sexuality and erotic identity, I’ll gain more nuanced ways of welcoming the erotic aspects of a client’s experience. I believe that when our access to sensuality and sexuality is invited, we gain access to vitality, healing, and a deep engagement with others. As a dance/movement therapist, I’m inspired to help clients discover the unique ways they access their erotic selves and the ways they feel ownership over their own bodies. I hope the future impact of my participation in the Green House is that I can more fully facilitate my clients’ integration of mind, body, and the erotic self.
In the short amount of time, since you joined the Green House, what has surprised you most and why?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the training and supervision. The practice really means that they use a depth approach – I am being engaged in deep ways, intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically.
Anything else professionally that you are particularly looking forward to this year?
In April I completed the first year of implementing a program that I created to support actors’ mental health. The program provides actors with education about the physiological impacts of portraying emotion onstage and teaches body-based skills that help actors exit emotion and character. I have had the honor of implementing the program during the 2018/2019 academic year with acting students at DePaul University’s Theatre School and I’m very excited to discover what parts of the curriculum worked and what is yet to be developed.