The Awakening Way — Private Sessions

In person in Western Massachusetts, or by video chat or phone — The Awakening Way is a transformational holistic approach to healing, personal growth, creative expression, and spiritual development.

I offer two general types of sessions, depending on your need:
~ One is face to face counseling, coaching, and guidance.
~ The second is body-centered healing work, involving hands-on therapies, and other somatic approaches.

In Awakening Way Face to Face we work to uncover who you truly are — your authentic nature. From this center, we investigate the questions arising in your life, and the obstacles you experience in manifesting the fullness of your life and creative expression. For spiritual seekers, I offer guidance, counseling, and coaching on the path of awakening. I also work with individuals who seek a holistic approach to therapy, healing, and growth. Finally I work with artists in a variety of media, performers, young adults, and cultural change-makers, to support their creative unfoldment, the releasing of blocks, and the realization of their true potential.

In Awakening Way Bodywork I work intuitively, informed by my decades of experience in a wide variety of approaches, including polarity therapy, breathwork, yoga, neuro-muscular release techniques, Body-Mind Centering® and other somatic disciplines. I see the body as a vessel for all that you are, and work effectively to release tension, and open up the natural flow of energy and presence throughout your being. My work dissolves disease and pain, and fosters deep relaxation and the opening of insight.

All my work is influenced by my experience as a Zen teacher, and as a creative artist.

The way we work together is highly individual and tailored to your needs. Sessions always incorporate unconditional support, deep reflective listening, and skilled holistic therapy which arises from attending to what really matters to you.

The results my clients report include:

TESTIMONIALS

“My whole day went better because of the session you blessed me with yesterday. I was more fluid in TRX and more relaxed swimming. I connected with people all day in a more open-hearted way. Thank you for integrating me. That’s what it felt like you did. Plus it felt really good. I just soaked it up.”
Nancy Fletcher: founding director of Act Now Inc.

“With John I feel the art of the possible. He has a wide range of wisdom perspectives to which he has rapid access. He seems to take in the essence of what you’re saying, and with curiosity, pluck, and perky energy offers a positive perspective, or maybe two or three, filling one with hope and with constructive next steps. In his company it feels nothing has gone wrong, and that the next step of discovery is right there, so ripe and ready.”
Dan Kinsey: performer and social worker, Northampton, MA

“John creates a space that allows for what is to be. This helps me to step forward. At the same time, having built trust and a shared field, he knows when to offer leadership, which is really artful. He shares his wisdom from a really rooted and grounded place. Even though it is deeply powerful and instructive, his guidance does not come as if from on high, but rather from reality right in front of me, connected to what we are talking about, unfolding at a pace that matches my pace. Our work together has been really impactful. Our last session literally comes to mind every couple days, reminding me that it’s okay to take up space, which is what my gifts are for. I am really grateful to him, grateful that this happened, and also for the strength and skill which enabled it to happen.”
Aaron Brodeur: designer, Bay Area, CA

“Thank you so much our session. Wow! I deeply benefited by how you were with me - the nature of your insights, your presence, your clarity. Spot on. Your portrayal of my inner “gremlins” both delighted me and made me squirm! How amazing it is to have the now-so-obvious become apparent! Whoa!”
Carol Hetrick: Wholistic Healing Practitioner

“I was so grateful today for your ability to clarify for me why I have been feeling stuck spiritually/emotionally and point the way through that. The images and explanations you gave me have been extraordinarily clarifying — making very challenging and difficult material accessible to my rational, intuitive, and emotional means of knowing all at once. The hurt child and adult were both able to understand and start to process the information we talked about. My spirit also began to have some inkling of an understanding...some stirring of the soul...thawing of the ice-slumber...re-awakening from hibernation. Philosophically, the precision of your analysis of my spiritual and theological queries clarified the areas where I was thinking narrowly, or dichotomously, and pointed the way out of the box I had put myself in with my own thought.”
Chris Scheller: Director of Family Ministries at a UU church, Winchester, MA

“Counseling with Genyo is a privilege. He offers a rare combination of empathy, clear-sighted objectivity, unflagging attentiveness, and skillful, reflective listening that encourages communication and promotes insight, even in thorny situations that might at first seem impassable. His gentle but firm demeanor, his sensitivity, his keen and alert intelligence, his spiritual depth, and his wisdom about human emotions, make the counseling an experience to treasure. I’ve learned a lot from Genyo, and recommend him enthusiastically.”
Rev. Steve Kanji Ruhl, Zen Minister, Leverett, MA

“It’s like a waterfall. You are continually supportive of my creativity, and reflect to me my highest aspirations.”
Kendra F.- social science researcher

“You heard my innermost need, and were able to give me concrete things to do realize my goals.”
Sarah Elston, arts facilitator and music teacher.

“John creates a safe environment where all parties feel heard and validated. He has expertise in deep listening, with a strong ability to reflect back what has been said. He is a very skilled facilitator with a keen ability to build bridges amongst all parties involved resulting in positive outcomes.”
Judith - teacher and Zen practitioner, Northampton, MA