Libertas: Social clinic in collaborations with local Spanish NGOs

Taking advantage of their travelling through Europe last spring, our international faculty members and directors of Libertas (Associação de Análise Bioenergética do Nordeste Brasileiro), Grace Wanderley De Barros Correia and Jayme Panerei, facilitated 2 workshops under the umbrella of the “Sociedade do Afeto” (“Society of Affection”) in Barcelona.

The workshop “Reinforcing our roots” took place on May 5, 2023 and it was a collaboration with the local Asociación Sembrar (http://www.asociacionsembrar.org/) in Barcelona.

The Asocación Sembrar works for the overcoming of sexist, racist, heteropatriarchal and institutional violence that negatively impacts the lives of women, especially immigrant women and minority groups in situations of inequality, vulnerability and/or exclusion.

The objective of that workshop was to provide a place of connection and body awareness, of individual and collective care for 13 female participants.

The participants expressed that the bioenergetic movements allowed them to express and release certain discomforts. The energy and care that emerged in the group was enriching for all participants. They expressed that they felt much better, more relieved and with more vitality after finishing the class.

On May 6, Grace and Jayme facilitated another workshop with the collaboration of the Asociación Radio Nikosia (https://radionikosia.org/es/).

Nikosia is an association formed by people with and without medicalized suffering paths.

9 women participated. Everybody had notions about Bioenergetic Analysis. As the first workshop, the objective was to offer a place for connection, listening and awareness of individual and collective care. The session was structured in three moments:

Beginning: participants were invited to get in touch with their bodies and breathing.

Process: participants began with bioenergetic movements of the legs and arms.

Closing: There were tears, care, silence, comfort as a result. The session was valued positively by the participants, who expressed their gratitude for the facilitation, for what was shared and expressed their desire to have other sessions in the future.

Jayme Panerai | Libertas