Relating Lab: The art of receiving

An evening for over-givers

I asked the people who follow my work: "What's harder for you: giving or receiving?" The answers came back almost identical. Giving is easy. Receiving doesn't always come naturally. People described it as a burden, a debt, an awkwardness, a thing they'd been taught they had to earn first. One person said, "It's safer not to want."

Most of us were trained to be over-developed givers and under-developed receivers, and we live the rest of our lives slightly off-balance because of it. The Relating Lab is a 105-minute group session to explore this topic, guided by a psychologist.

Who this is for

• You can give for hours. Receiving for five minutes feels strange.
• When someone gives you something, you feel like you owe them something back.
• You don't always know what you actually want.
• You notice yourself trying to be worthy of the good things in your life.
• You wish for more affection in your friendships without awkwardness.
• You suspect that the way you were taught about love and worth in childhood is still running quietly in the background.

What we'll do

• A guided meditation on a recent moment when receiving felt hard
• Paired work with a simple exercise that can change how you understand every interaction in your life.
• A closing sound bath where you receive together.
• A closing circle.

What this is not
This is not therapy. Not a workshop you'll have to perform at. Not a "share your trauma" circle. Just come as you are and give this topic the time it deserves.

Your only task is to receive. Not to deserve it. Not to repay it. Not to make anything happen. Just let it land.

The practical bits
Sunday 31 May, 4–5:45 pm. Calm Rooms, Monkstown. €27. Up to 15 seats. RSVP through this Meetup. Wear something comfortable that you can sit on the floor in. Bring a water bottle.

About me
I'm Olena. I'm a psychologist (PSI graduate member), doing a PhD in organisational psychology, with somatic and consent-based training on top. I run cacao ceremonies and cuddle therapy sessions in Dublin. The Relating Lab is a series of four events that I'll be running monthly through the summer. Each event is focused on a different quadrant of the Wheel of Consent. This is the entry point. Come and share this space with like-minded people.

Everything is opt-in. You can pass on any exercise without explaining why.
This event is an introduction to future workshops about giving, receiving, taking, and allowing. It's a safe space; the exercises might include some platonic touch (if you opt in). Every participant is invited to come with reverence for others in the group.