Fearless photo courtesy of Abbey Moore Photography

It takes a tremendous amount of vulnerability and courage to make it through the Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling program here at Columbia College Chicago. As emerging therapists, we are constantly shedding layers of ourselves as we attempt to dive deeper into the core of who we truly are as human beings as well as future healers. This month, we decided to be “fearless” and shed a few extra layers together both literally and metaphorically.

I have learned so much about myself during my first year here at Columbia College Chicago. The dance/movement therapy & counseling program demands a level of commitment which involves dissecting the very first and hardest client we will ever have to deal with—ourselves. As we study and explore this practice of dance/movement therapy that we are all so curious about, we begin to learn what incredible things it is able to reveal within us. As we uncover these strengths and weaknesses that we each possess, we begin to deepen the process of truly learning what it means to be a future healer. Exploring further into who we truly are, shedding layer upon layer—unveiling our core being. The journey is extremely vulnerable and scary at times. However one of the most beautiful things is to witness your colleagues traveling the very same journey. We each take our own paths of course, but we are all headed in the same direction.

As a way to celebrate the vulnerable journey we have taken together so far, I wanted to team up with Abbey Moore Photography. Abbey has been on a mission lately to encourage women to celebrate who they are in their own skin–unique quirks and all. She developed the concept of the “Fearless Session” a fun play on boudoir mixed with women simply being themselves, without the pressure of how society believes a woman should look.

“And in that moment I decided my new job was to make people see themselves as others see them – as the beautiful unique human beings that we are. And from there sparked the Fearless Sessions.”  -Abbey Moore

Fearless photo courtesy of Abbey Moore Photography

What better way to celebrate the journey of discovering ourselves, and also discovering the women that we are becoming as emerging dance/movement therapists? A few of my fellow colleagues and I decided to be fearless together yet again, and set up a time to meet with Abbey. The photo shoot was an amazing experience, filled with so much love and support for one another. There was absolutely no fear in that room and it was a beautiful sight to see! I feel honored to have encountered yet another moment of vulnerability with these ladies, as well as getting the opportunity to CELEBRATE the amazing women that they are. It was definitely an experience I’ll never forget!