Body Mind Conversations
Daniela
Cristofaro
Year of training:
2022
Related qualification:
Certificate of Sexological Bodywork
How many and what type of workshops/classes have you previously facilitated?
Mostly sexuality workshops
- "I want more of this" is a a workshop I have facilitated three times (in Murwullimbah, on Norfolk Island, and at Bloom Festival in the Northern Rivers (12-20 participants at each).
- "Shadows of Eros" is a workshop I facilitated about the Core Erotic Theme in Byron Bay (22 participants).
- "Beyond your Edge" is a workshop I facilitated at Taste of Love festival about the Resilient Edge of Resistance and Traffic Light system (60 participants).
- "What's your Sex Style" is a workshop I facilitated at FEAST 2022 about Mosher's Sex Styles.
- I taught an embodied interactive boundaries and consent workshop at Norfolk Island Public School with 30 x 16-17 year olds.
- I also teach regular dance (salsa dance) classes and have been doing so for 20 years with large groups of 30-50 people.
- I have also been holding a weekly tea ceremony for the past 9 months with up to 9 participants where I offer a mindful and somatic drop in before we start.
What qualities do you bring to your facilitation?
- Qualified Psychotherapist, so grounded and highly trauma-informed
- Calm and confident
- Experienced leading big groups
- Empathic and good space holding capacity
- Well-versed in Sexuality workshops and festivals - I have been attending sexuality and embodiment workshops and festivals regularly since 2016 including Dancing Eros, Celebrating Sexuality, FEAST, Bloom, Emergence, Contest, Taste of Love etc
What relevant skills and experience/qualifications do you have in addition to Sexological Bodywork?
Qualified in Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy (3 year training)
Currently completing Masters in Counselling
BA (Hons) in Psychology
Certified NLP Practitioner
Facilitator Bio
Daniela is a Somatic Psychotherapist and Sex Educator who supports clients in exploring the deep connection between body and mind. Trained in Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy and Somatic Sexology, she is currently also completing a Masters in Counselling. Having explored the edges and extremes of her own sexuality, Daniela has found herself coming back to the richness and intense pleasure available in simple deep somatic presence. Through her psychotherapy practice, Body Mind Conversations, she helps individuals and couples listen to the body’s whispers, uncover insights, and create space for transformation, connection, healing, and deeper pleasure.
Workshop 1 Name:
I want more of this!
# of participants:
20-30
Workshop 1 duration:
2 Hour Workshop
Equipment needed:
Speakers, soft flooring (eg yoga mats), cushions
Workshop 1's Intention:
- Discover your unique recipe to deep somatic presence
- Navigate dissociation and discomfort and learn how to come back to yourself
- Learn how to stay present with yourself in the presence of a witness or intimate partner
- Recognise when you have become dissociated and how to resource yourself (critical precursors for pleasure in intimate experiences)
- Foster a deeper connection to your embodied enthusiastic YES.
- Sensual chocolate eating as a pathway to rich delicious somatic pleasure
Workshop 1 rough format:
- Experience of their own somatic pleasure state to music (including chocolate)
- Somatically noticing when they are embodied and when they dissociate
- Engaging with each other in pairs through sharing their experiences
- Witnessing practice. Dissociation is more likely here. Learning how to stay with themselves and what feels good despite another’s needs/ witnessing
- "I want more of this" as a mantra to stay with and deepen focus into what feels amazing.
- Sharing circle at the end.
Workshop 1 program description:
This workshop is an invitation to strip away the need for intense stimulation, extreme toys and dopamine hits. We will focus on your body’s natural capacity for rich pleasure. It’s about discovering your unique recipe for deep somatic presence — the truest path to orgasmicity. You’ll explore how to stay present with yourself, even when likely distractions, like a witness, might lead you to dissociate. You will learn to honour what you need to remain grounded and connected to yourself. By cultivating deep self-awareness and upgrading your intimate communication skills, you'll unlock to door to the most delicious pleasure.
Workshop 2 Name:
Beyond your Edge
# of participants:
20-30
Workshop 2 duration:
2 Hour Workshop
Equipment needed:
White-board, Speakers, soft flooring (eg yoga mats), cushions
Workshop 2's Intention:
- Tools to stay in the present (ie not future eg predicting ie ticklish spots/ body bracing/ tensing up patterns; and not past eg hoping it will feel the same as last time)
- Safely build capacity to explore something that feels edgy to you (maybe your partner wants to try)
- Embodiment tools to expand beyond your edge/ window of pleasure.
- Create new associations / neural pathways to what was perhaps previously ruled out as pain/ discomfort
- Traffic light system and safe words to create safety
- Foster a deeper connection to your enthusiastic YES
- Communication tools to assert boundaries when going into orange zone and create safety
- Empathy and communication tools to ensure aftercare for both and notbody
Workshop 2 rough format:
Experiential and interactive (swapping partners)
Embodied exploration of feeling your body’s reactions to communicating
Interactive experience of traffic light system map in the room
Sharing their experiences
Partnered practice - communicating when they are entertain orange zone
Sharing circle at the end.
Workshop 2 program description:
Where is the edge of your pleasure zone? At what point does pleasure tip into discomfort, anxiety, or pain? If you’re ready to safely dip a toe off the edge of your comfort zone and expand its boundaries, join us in this gentle, playful, and consenting workshop. You’ll engage in an interactive experience that include consenting touch and playful practices. Through somatic meditations and embodied movement, you’ll learn to identify your hard “NOs” and communicate boundaries effectively. Connect with other curious and courageous souls as you explore your edges and unlock new pathways to connection and pleasure.
Workshop 3 Name:
# of participants:
Workshop 3 duration:
Equipment needed:
Workshop 3's Intention:
Workshop 3 rough format:
Workshop 3 program description:
Are you interested in/able to facilitate any other group experiences?
Very happy to hold check-in circles for anyone who wants to debrief. Also happy to be an emotional support person throughout the festival.
EO: Support space / info booth:
Yes absolutely. Probably just one shift as my partner is planning to come along and it will be his first time at this type of event so I want to be present for him too as things come up.
Is there anything else that you would like us to know as organisers?
I live on Norfolk Island and my partner lives in Sydney so we would need transport.
I also have an intensive at Canberra University starting on the 26th May so I might need to leave a couple of hours earlier to catch a flight or two :-/