Holistic & Somatic Practice: Engaging the Whole Person at Work

At Shemewé Collective, we offer holistic and somatic workplace wellbeing programs because we believe in honouring the whole person — mind, body, culture, and community. This approach shapes every wellbeing program we deliver, from our We Belong EAP online parenting groups to our leadership wellbeing sessions.

For HR leaders, this approach helps employees reduce stress, build emotional resilience, and strengthen workplace relationships. These benefits flow directly into engagement, team cohesion, and staff retention — outcomes every organisation depends on.

What Makes Our Approach Different

Every Shemewé Collective practitioner brings a unique combination of disciplines, including movement-based learning, bodywork, breath practices, trauma-informed facilitation, and healing frameworks. This creates a rich, adaptable toolkit for meeting employees where they are.

We are heart-centred and relationship-led. That means connection before correction, presence before prescription, and a commitment to seeing the emotional, cultural, and relational dimensions of each person.

For example, an employee experiencing anxiety about public speaking might — through gentle movement and body awareness — uncover underlying causes, regain confidence, and walk away with a stronger sense of choice and agency.

What’s Missing in Traditional EAP Models

Traditional Employee Assistance Program (EAP) models can offer valuable support, but many rely heavily on talking and cognitive problem-solving. For employees who are less familiar or comfortable with verbal processing, including many men and people from culturally diverse backgrounds, these models can feel limiting.

In our programs, the body is not an afterthought. Somatic approaches help employees reconnect with physical cues, explore new perspectives, and shift patterns that words alone cannot reach. This is particularly meaningful for culturally diverse staff whose ways of knowing may be relational, embodied, and community-centred.

Workplace Impact Through Stories

These stories, drawn from practice, highlight how culturally safe and holistic approaches create powerful change for individuals — and the workplaces and communities they belong to.

Cultural safety in practice: A man with refugee status, referred after a violent home intrusion, had completed multiple psychology sessions with little effect. Using interpreting support and trauma-informed, hands-on therapies, he experienced immediate physical relief. Days later, he reported his first full night’s sleep in months.

When words aren’t available: A woman who used Google Translate to communicate presented with withdrawal and fear. Through gentle, hands-on work and consistent relational safety, she began speaking English in sessions, removed the wig she once used to hide, and joined a local English class.

Supporting courage and change: A mother experiencing domestic violence found a safe relational space in our sessions. Within three months she had created safety for herself and her children, demonstrating how culturally attuned support can reduce risk and help employees remain engaged at work.

Practice as Participation, Not Prescription

In our model, employees are active participants in their own learning. We offer structure without control, allowing them to set the pace and focus on what matters most. This collaborative approach strengthens autonomy, trust, and belonging — qualities that directly shape workplace culture.

Where Work Meets Wellbeing

We believe relational, culturally aware, and whole-person support should be at the heart of workplace wellbeing. Through our We Belong EAP, We Belong Private services, and our Conscious Parenting and Relationship Rescue groups, we bring holistic and somatic care into workplaces across Australia.

If your organisation values cultural safety, deeper connection, and meaningful wellbeing outcomes, connect with us via our contact page to explore how our workplace wellbeing programs can support your people.