Psychotherapy and the Sun presents
The Wild Self
An embodied art journey into the unconscious through movement and mask
As we cross the threshold of equinox and begin the plunge towards the days of darkness, a small group will gather and tend to the shadows and the light through deep creativity.Four Sunday mornings in Fall 2026 | Mnidoo Mnising
Creative shadow-work
A Deeper Belonging
How do we ease the pain of isolation in a world bereft of deep belonging? How do we restore our belonging to community, to the sacred and to self?This workshop courts belonging by tapping into the wellspring of our deep wild self. Through embodied creativity, movement and craft, we'll invite an unknown side of the self, a citizen of the unseen sacred world to come forward to be witnessed and honoured. By inviting play and creativity to the surface, we make friends with a stranger within us and claim the belonging that is ours.The individual work of bringing light to darkness reverberates well beyond our own hearts. Warmth for our shadow means warmth for the Other. Personal work such as this IS community work.
What colleagues have said
"Mariana's layers run deep. There's a strong sense of honesty and integrity that quickly mades me comfortable. Other words that come to mind are: genuine, playful, intentional, courageous, creative, and leader. Working alongside her has helped me be more courageous in my own life and has served as a constant reminder to live as authentically as I can."- Daani W.
"Mariana has an aura that automatically makes me feel comfortable. It is flowing, benevolent, and with an authentic energy. She not only listens to me, but also receives me wholly, the way I am, with a rare welcoming calm and kindness. She has a wisdom that she generously and gently wraps you with when she senses it is needed. She has an approach that gives me trust in my ability to find my true path and qualities and the strength to fight some of my fears, blockers, and triggers."- Isabelle M.
What we'll do
What is mask work?
The idea of working with masks may bring up specific images, especially for those who have previously engaged in other types of mask work. Know that this is not a workshop about the "masks that we wear," the "false self," or about revealing the "true" or "authentic" self behind the veneer of our personality or the social roles we play.Rather, this is a deep dive into the unconscious creative self through a first-hand embodied encounter. Through creative movement and impulses, we make more familiar a dark edge of wildness within us, so that we may then hold a widened definition of "I" and "us".While we may be using art to do this, the aim is not to make beautiful artful masks. Rather, we will be using clay, charcoal, and paper maché as tools to entangle our consciousness with material reality. The masks we make and what they look like will be incidental. The important piece is the process we undergo.This process is based on the work of the late Richard Pochinko, beloved Torontonian clown visionary and pedagogue. This process is deep and magical in its ability to turn off the mind and allow creativity to flow through the unconscious and the body, in service to love and magic.This kind of mask work is courageous, non-intellectual, often surprising, and always whole-hearted.
Who this is for
Calling forth courage
Making contact with the unknown takes courage. Each group member will call forth, without story, a personal point of suffering. They will then beckon and court a deepened somatic awareness of its complexity and wildness through the embodied creation of a mask. We'll use clay, paper maché, and charcoal to give material form to the wisdom that the body gestures into existence. This work requires courage, surrender, and sacred play.This workshop is for you if...
You're longing to reconnect with your sense of play
You sometimes feel exasperated by your suffering and are curious to come to know it in a new way
You're longing to engage the world non-virtually, through your senses
You feel prepared to suspend judgement and surrender to your body's wisdom
You've thought of yourself as "not creative"--no art experience or skill is necessary to join!
Questions or uncertainties? Please reach out and I'll be happy to chat through email or phone.
Schedule and logistics
All sessions take place on Sunday mornings from 10am to 1pm. Refreshments and light snacks will be available. Participants are invited to bring a potluck item for the Day of the Dead lunch feast on November 1st.Sunday October 18 2026
Session 1: Introductions, movement exploration, clay workSunday October 25
Session 2: Paper maché, hands as an extension of the heart, making charcoal sticksSunday November 1 (Day of the Dead)
Session 3: Charcoal, polarities work through movement, potluck feastSunday November 8
Session 4: Walking our masks, honouring our learnings, closing ceremony
Fees include all materials, refreshments, snacks and HST. Participants choose the fee category below that feels like an investment yet doesn't create undue financial hardship. Payment in installments is possible, simply ask!Generative: $ 345
Sustaining: $ 245A low-cost spot may be available, so do not let cost be a barrier if you feel called to participate--be in touch to inquire. If you're able to choose the Generative payment, please do knowing you're supporting others in attending.To create an experience of safety and emotional and creative freedom, this closed group will be a maximum size of 6. A vow of confidentiality will be required of participants. No photography permitted.
Location
Sessions will be held at the Honey House located 15 minutes West of Little Current on Mnidoo Mnis / Manitoulin Island. This airy, sun-filled loft space will house our work. Some activities may take place outdoors.Deadline for applications is Sunday October 4.
Mariana Lafrance
Mariana is a Gestalt Therapist, interdisciplinary artist and French-Celtic animist practitioner. Graduated from the Gestalt Institute of Toronto (5-year training program in embodied relational psychotherapy), she belongs to the Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapists.Her formal training is bolstered by 14+ years of practice in group facilitation, embodied creativity, as well as thousands of hours spent on the land observing and learning from the other-than-human world. She studied the Pochinko clown technique with John Turner at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance and was initiated into core shamanic practice by Daniel Leonard of The Medicine Circle. She is a community song leader through Mila Redwood's lineage.
Applications now open
Feeling the call?
Follow the link below to the registration page to fill out the application form. Spots are limited so do not wait if you feel drawn to this work. Deadline for applications is October 4.Please be in touch if you have any questions, I'll be happy to chat!