Radical Authenticity 2024:
a 9-week course about Living Authentically.
One evening per week from 9 Feb till 2 April 2024 near Hasenheide/Hermannplatz in Berlin.

In the first week, we start building a supportive container in which we can be more expressive and explorative than we can in many of our social environments and relationships. I'll also introduce the practice of creating real moments.

Week 1 (Fri 9 Feb 2024): Creating a container for Real Moments

During the first block, we focus on Outer Expression. We explore expressing ourselves from four different perspectives. We practice expressing our thoughts in a way that leads to growth for the speaker and listener. We get to know the four steps of conscious feeling. We work on honoring our boundaries and desires in a way that fosters connection. And we explore our body as the ultimate instrument of self-expression.

Week 2 (Fri 16 Feb 2024): Honor your Thoughts
Week 3 (Fri 23 Feb 2024): Honor your Emotions (at IKSK. Not at Wamos)
Week 4 (Wed 28 Feb 2024): Honor your Desires
Week 5 (Tue 5 Mar 2024): Honor your Body

During the second block, we focus on Inner Truth. We revisit the four different perspectives in reverse order. Rather than focussing on our outer expression, we dig into the layers of our inner truth. We listen to our body with more detail. We connect with the source of our desires and question our strategies for fulfilling them. We question what lies underneath our emotions and explore the perspectives of emotionally charged situations. And we question our judgements, beliefs, cultures, and world views.

Week 6 (Tue 12 Mar 2024): Question your Body
Week 7 (Tue 19 Mar 2024): Question your Desires
Week 8 (Mon 25 Mar 2024): Question your Emotions
Week 9 (Tue 2 Apr 2024): Question your Thoughts

Each week, we work with meditation, a short theoretical discourse, practical exercises, and informal sharing rounds. The theory parts are recorded and shared in the group, so you can listen to them at home (if you ever can't make it or if you want to hear it again).

Add all dates to your calendar (downloads a .ics file)

Dates: Nine weeks from 9 Feb until 2 Apr 2024 (exact dates above)

Calendar: Add all dates to your calendar (downloads a .ics file)

Time: Arrive between 18:00 and 18:45. We start at 19:00 and finish around 22:30.

Doors close: We close the doors around 18:50. We open them once more after the opening meditation — usually around 19:15.

Where: Wamos. Hasenheide 9, 10965, Berlin (Google Maps)

Location week 3: Week 3 (23 Feb) will be held at a IKSK. Holzmarktstraße 25, 10243, Berlin (Google Maps)

Costs: Scroll down to 'Price & payment details'

Bring: comfortable, layered clothing that makes you feel good, a water bottle, pen and paper, snacks to share.

Group size: 20-40 people.

Language: English

Nudity/sexuality: Not the focus of this course. There are some exercises, where nudity could serve some people’s experience. Mainly in week 5 and 6, which are about the body. Nudity is never required or expected and we won't be steering towards sexually charged interactions.

Accessibility: There may be (loud) music during some parts of some workshops. It's also welcome to make loud noises. This possibility will usually be announced beforehand. It's possible to skip these parts or to witness from a distance. The venue has multiple sets of stairs, yet we’re happy to help out. Please get in touch if you require assistance or if you’d like to bring a service animal or personal care assistant.

Mental health: Some of the practices may touch you deeply. It may feel like that during the workshop and/or during the days that follow. If you’re not sure if you’re currently capable of holding yourself during/after such an experience, if you experience mental health problems, or if you have severe trauma that might show up during the workshops, please let me know when you sign up. I will reach out to you, so we can discuss your needs and decide together whether this is the right point in time for you to join.

Pets: You can't bring your pet to the workshop, no matter how cute they are. I'm sorry.

Telegram channel: @mettekoppelaar

Facebook event: Voila

The course is full. You can still join the waiting list

Price info

At the time of registration, I ask for €99 to cover costs like the venue, the assistants, and the materials.

On top of this initial payment, there are two moments to donate for the facilitation:

• After the first block (week 1-5)
• After the second block (week 6-9)

The minimum donation at each of these moments is €1. It's one euro and not zero so I know that you didn’t forget it. An average donation of €80 per block per person would make this project financially attractive to me.

Flexible pricing

I'm aware that we all have differently sized wallets and I'm not just looking to only attract the bigger ones. That's why this number is a suggestion/average. I imagine that some people will pay this exact amount, that some people will pay more, and that others will pay less, so that it hopefully works out on average. The invitation is to donate what feels right and is available to you. When you feel hesitant or ashamed of not being able to donate much, you're very welcome to talk to me or send me a message and I will gladly offer you some encouraging words :)

If you can't pay the initial €99 at this point, it's possible to pay it in two parts. If you can't pay it in general, there are always some helper spots and spots for those who can't afford the default price. You can ask for this in the registration form (The course is full but you can still join the waiting list). If you feel a strong urge to join, but are held back by your finances, I encourage you to apply for one of these spots.

Preference is given to people from marginalized groups or in challenging situations that make it hard for them to afford this course.

Bank details

Name: S.R. Koppelaar
IBAN: DE16370190001010516718
BIC: BUNQDE82XXX

Paypal

You have to manually switch the transfer type from Goods and services to Friends and family or I end up paying a service fee!
Account: [email protected]
Or click here.

This course is full. There are still spots for Rebirthing the Sensual Self 2024:
A transformation-oriented weekend to let go of the old and rediscover your playful, sensual self. From 11-14 April 2024 at Die Farm in Berlin.

You can also join the Telegram channel to learn about future events.

The best way to stay informed of Radical Authenticity and my other workshops and retreats is to join the Telegram channel. You can also follow me on Instagram.

Mette’s desire to dress outside the gender norm sparked a deep interest in what it means to live authentically. He organized multiple editions of (the currently inactive) Nibana Festival as well as various workshops and retreats which serve as playgrounds to explore authentic expression. In 2020 he started writing a book about this very topic, which he’s still doing five days per week.

Mette was born in Amsterdam in 1984. He’s racialized as white, is able-bodied, and comes from a middle-class background. He’s gender nonconforming and uses he or they pronouns.

While this bio might sound pretty serious—especially when he writes about himself in the third person—he likes to think that he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

This course is incredibly close to my heart. The reason I'm offering it is not that I want to get rich. It's because I love seeing what happens when people explore this framework.

In a way, the course has been in the making for over five years. When I realized I wanted to dress outside the gender norms and struggled to honor that desire in a world that's so set on norms and appearances, I did what any sensible human would do; I dedicated a year and a half to organizing a series of festivals in which the full range of verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual expression would be welcome. These festivals changed my life and the lives of many others, but I nearly burned out and felt disappointed that each festival 'only' reached a few hundred people. On top of that, it only reached people who had enough time and money to afford such a thing. When COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, I decided to broaden my audience and continue my mission in book form.

I started writing full-time in the beginning of 2020 and I haven't stopped since. I've come to accept that finishing this book will likely take the better part of a decade and I somehow feel increasingly excited about the writing process. I keep finding beautiful stories as I interview people. And every year I manage to simplify the meaning of living authentically even further. Every year I have insights that change both my life and the book. My ideas are now at a point where I can offer highly accessible, non-dogmatic ideas that have proven to support people from all sorts of backgrounds to live life in a way that feels right to *them*.

I clearly feel that I don't want to rush finishing the book. At the same time, I have a deep desire to share the knowledge I’ve obtained. Ideally in an experiential way. This is why last year I decided to book a venue for eight weeks in a row. Each week corresponded to a chapter in the second and third part of the book. The introduction of the book was crammed into week 1, which worked out well enough but wasn't ideal. So I now added a week for the introduction.

Each week, we meditate, contemplate some theory, do practices around that week’s topic, and reflect on our experiences. Together, these components allow each participant to (re)define their own truth about how they want to live their life from moment to moment.

Inspired by Vipassana meditation, I use a pricing model that's largely donation based. I do ask for an initial contribution because I want to cover my basic costs and because I think it's important to make some sort of commitment to the course. But aside from that, the course is donation based. It's important to me that people from different socio-economic backgrounds can participate in the course. I know we all have differently sized wallets and I'm as interested in the small ones as the big ones.

Twenty years ago, I couldn't have imagined doing any of the things I do these days. I was set on running my own startups and making as much money as I could. And while I made some money along the way, I never got anywhere near the fulfillment that I get from the work I'm doing now.

Truth be told, I love preparing the workshops, I love facilitating them, but I don't really enjoy the promotion. I sometimes feel anxious whether enough people will join. I often feel like I'm pushing people's boundaries by posting about it again. And a part of me thinks that I shouldn't have to promote this work because it has so much intrinsic value that people should come to me.

I know that these thoughts originate from the performative culture that's so deeply ingrained in me, so I hug myself and tell myself that everything's alright the way it is. Whoever will join will join. However I feel about that is okay. All I can do is feel it, express it, and let my life unfold. One moment at a time.

We generally don't take any photos during the workshops (and we invite you to switch off your phone), yet we took a few shots during the last week of the 2023 edition.

We've found a more spacious venue for this second edition, so the room will be different.

Below is the answer to the question whether people would recommend this course as well as the testimonials that people left after the 2023 edition. While the testimonials are overwhemlingly positive, I'd like to say that I'm far from perfect. I always ask partipiants (and team members) for feedback. I don't publish the feedback but I do use it to improve my facilitation.

★★★★★ "Mette has a calm presence that feels very intuitive, flowy and fun. They are very present when holding space. They created an incredibly well designed workshop that is inspiring, challenging and thought provoking. I loved being with the group that was created during the workshop, it felt like a little family."
- Marlene

★★★★★ "Doing this workshop series with Mette was really supportive for me during a difficult life transition. The weekly workshops gave me a space to connect to myself and others. They gave me the space to get more in touch with different parts of me. In the workshops I could explore new ways to communicate and bring those parts that I usually keep in hiding in contact with the people of the group. Mette and his team created a container in which I felt safe to explore and also safe not to. I appreciate the way in which he draws tools from different approaches, and offers them unobtrusively for everyone to pick what is helpful for them."
- Mia S.

★★★★★ "Dear Mette, thank you lots for the series of workshops. I started to feel some changes during the first session already. Now, a month later - I am happy to observe cool shifts and somewhat something like kinda … true me? no self judgment and overthinking, intuition leading to unexpected events, living life and not postponing it… I like it) . I don’t know what exactly did this, I do know that for the whole five weeks - every Thursday I committed to the participation in „Authentic self“. I thank you for the safe space, guidance, and organization. I wish you much success (also as the author of a book!)"
- Olga

★★★★★ "I really enjoyed the workshop. The team created a safe and cozy environment, where it felt natural to be more open and authentic. The 2nd month in particular happened to be a wonderful experience for me, it connected a lot of thoughts and tools that I knew and brought them into active use. I started catching myself using some techniques on random situations much more, which is absolutely great! So thank you so much for the workshop!"

★★★★★ "I looked forward to attending Mette’s RA workshops almost as if it were a weekly meeting that will always bring me closer to my center, a form of modern communal meditation on the things that matters to humans to come into alignment. It helped me review my values & wishes, incorporate new practices, adjust some behaviors and perceptions, and even rekindle some beautiful friendships of yore in a new light and approach that supports the maintenance and growth of these new tools and knowledge. Mette’s and the participants, it all became consistently inspiring! I was deeply reminded to invite more intentional play time in my life!"
- BeLL

★★★★★ "The workshop was super intensive, I was able to reflect on myself again and again. I would describe myself as a people pleaser who finds it difficult to set boundaries and communicate my own needs. Through the various exercises, however, I was able to learn how valuable saying no can be. The positive environment and positive group structure made practicing so much easier and I have continued to develop. So if you are interested in authenticity and genuineness and want to learn what consent means and how to communicate this in a friendly way, I can only recommend the workshop. Thank you, Mette, for your being, you are an absolute enrichment and we all need a bit of Mette in us."
- Franzi Redeker

★★★★★ "These days I wake up feeling grounded, happy and excited about the day ahead of me. I attribute this emotional well-being to the brilliant workshop series I experienced. Mette, the facilitator guided us through a sequence of exercises to connect the inner and outer world. The sophisticated emotional release tools and empowerment exercises deserve a special call out. I felt great at all times throughout this workshop journey as the facilitator created a safe and entertaining space for me to thrive in my authentic self. It was beautiful to witness how everyone looked and felt more alive after the sessions."

★★★★★ "I love how Mette combines theory and practice in the workshops. How to explore your own authenticity without feeling your feelings or experiencing your body? And how to understand authenticity without taking the mind along the path of exploration? I could really sense that Mette has studied the human being on all three levels (& beyond) and integrates that in the workshop. That is/was truly special for me and helped me explore my authenticity in a holistic way. Mette's work goes deep. Definitely recommended."
- Teresa

★★★★★ "Mette has a special power to create a safe container where everyone can feel welcome and most of all safe to explore who they are. The workshop consisted of a mixture of meditation, theory input and practical parts to feel, connect and explore. Mette managed to combine theories in an impressive way so they would complement and enrich each other. The practical tasks were amazing and wonderful and also really different in each session. It was a space where you could fully feel and explore who you really are and that allowed yourself to be seen and feel accepted with what for me was one of the most wonderful aspects. The workshops felt like a secret hidden place in nature, warm, sunny, safe, to feel relaxed and free and thereby creating excitement and curiosity to explore. It was great to be with people who share the same values and to feel the connection based on a level of acceptance and freedom that arises if you participate in a space like this.
The workshops encouraged me to speak up for myself more, to be more aware of my values and to live them more honestly in daily life. I also had really important insights about myself and relationships in my life and I am still curious how these insights will develop further. Also just having a reserved time during the week to be aware of who I am, how I feel, dress or behave if I am really honest with myself was an energy that spread through the whole week. I also really liked to reflect more about what I am more curious about and I am excited for what is there yet to come. For the start I finally got a short haircut and a nose piercing ;)
I truly believe that if more people would participate in spaces like this and work like this is spread throughout societies we can change the world we want to live in."
- Nora

★★★★★ "Mette's workshop was a beautiful space, wonderfully balancing the self and the society / group. The line between self-care and selfishness was properly nuanced and not crossed, making it all the more comfortable to dive into our authentic selves and relate to others in a healthy(er) way. The exercises were not just helpful, but fun, yet 'difficult/ enough to challenge ingrained behaviors and patterns.
I'm sometimes a bit skeptical of any more esoteric ideas, but the workshop did not trigger this in me at all - it felt well-grounded and sensible, which is something I noticed early on in Mette and very much appreciate about his approach.
I have already been telling my friends about 'this cool workshop I took part in,' and have been recommending them to do it as well."
- Lucia

★★★★★ "I joined the workshop in a very challenging and transitioning/changing period of my life.
The workshop helped me to get in touch with my emotions and learn how to stay there with them even when it doesn't feel pleasant. It helped me to understand better what I want, to make steps forward into learning how to say no without overstepping others' boundaries. It helped me to listen to the reasons behind my yes and my no, to feel myself and what I want.
The whole experience changed me, I feel more able to see other people needs, while respecting my own needs and boundaries. I'm more able to feel my own emotions and stay with them without finding a way to suppress them. The workshop took a big part in my personal growth process. I'm really thankful for the opportunity to be part of it."
- Francesca

★★★★★ "Mette created a space where I felt very safe and comfortable. I learned something valuable in every workshop, which was only possible because of the skillful connection of theory and practice. All of it was very well done and Mette has a gift to make ideas easy to understand.
Rejecting people, expressing emotions or mentioning tension in a relationship; those are all really challenging social skills. Many of us are socialized to just swallow our thoughts and feelings even though it can damage our integrity and relationships.
The workshops Mette created gave me the tools to practice expressing myself more authentically, especially in challenging situations. I think they have the potential to greatly improve the communication in any relationship.
What really made it all stick was the weekly schedule. The regularity of the sessions kept authenticity and the skills I was learning on my mind so I could use and practice them in my daily life and I really felt the impact. I feel a lot more able and confident to express difficult thoughts and emotions.
I'm really grateful and glad I could join the radical authenticity workshops and I hope more people will get the chance, too."
- Manu Korb

★★★★★ "Mette's workshops came in a very weird and transformative period of my life. They were recommended by a blogger Natasha Kuzmina in her blog, and Natasha was telling very nice things about Mette as a facilitator. So I decided I needed to try, my soul was asking for it. I was feeling rather unsure, lost, hollow before the start of the workshops. But during the workshop time, every Thursday, I would comfortably and gently open new sides of me to myself. I would tell my therapist every Sunday during our session about what we did on RadAuthenticity and she would beam with joy for me, because it weaved so nicely into our therapy process, too.
During one of the exercises/practices in a course I felt a strong connection to my masculine self, the side that before was there, but I kept aggressively ignoring it and telling myself: "Nah, you're just imagining things, you should be like everyone else, it's not the time to think about it". But now I am very actively figuring out (with my therapist and psychiatrist) what my gender and my gender expression are. Finally, I feel a power inside of me to accept that I am different, I am colorful and bright, and it is okay. Because so many people in our workshop group would just accept me as I am, my pronouns and my truths. It felt liberating.
There were parts where I felt uncomfortable, because that's how I felt through the exercise - all the emotions, memories, conflicting feelings inside of me. This uncomfortableness, though, would also teach me things about myself and my truths. I cried a couple of times, too. It was a big deal for me, because before I felt a strong fear and shame of crying in public, of showing big negative emotions in front of other people. I felt free to give in to my emotions here, though. The space we would make every Thursday felt safe, warm, inviting, and so creative. I am an artist, so creativity and authenticity is very much important to me in a professional way, not just in a self-love-journey way.
Now I feel much free in expressing myself through my art, through performance. It is easier to be on the stage, being seen in my most sensitive and soul-opening moments, being perceived. Where I was feeling constrained and nervous before, now, after Mette's Radical Authenticity workshops, I feel a free-flow. I even use some meditation and breathing practices in my teaching work as a singing teacher and a choir conductor. It helps me to connect to my students on a deeper level, and also to be more accepting of their truths. They also love it - it helps them to be more present and mindful during their lessons.
Most importantly, I now feel on a very deep level how different we are, and how beautiful it is. We all have our challenges, our desires, our inner images of how we want to present ourselves, how we want to be.
It is a little sad that this beautiful series of workshops has ended. I quite enjoyed it, because every Thursday we would have something new to think about. The program was carefully curated and felt natural and interesting to go through. Especially, I am very grateful that Mette didn't push us to do the homework. It is a challenge for me, and it felt really nice that not doing homework was also a respected option.
Mette was very democratic with how much money he would ask for our contribution. In the beginning of the first month, I was in an extremely tight financial situation, but I really really wanted to go to at least one of the meetings. It was so important for me as an act of self-love. Mette was very kind to invite me despite everything and not ask for a financial contribution, just a symbolic little contribution. It really supported me in so many ways. I felt I could have a place too, despite my financial situation, I was a part of it like everyone else. I am very grateful, it was a big thing for me! <3

★★★★★ "I'm very happy to have taken part in this workshop organized by Mette. On a personal level, it allowed me a lot of liberation. I was able to put out of me things that had been kept inside. I'd never tried this kind of exercise before and had no idea of its liberating power. I didn't even realize how many layers there were to some of these things, to the point where I'd forgotten that there was something here, and there... This workshop allowed me to reveal to myself a new layer of my persona/ego that I was considering until then to be myself.
In my quest for meaning, I found myself drawn to the point of view Mette wanted to share about "human being and how he lives his truth". Having said that, I initially had a bit of trouble with the title of the workshop and the word "radical" it contained. Radical to me resonates with "extreme". And in my opinion, when you go to extremes, you run the risk of forgetting other people's truths. That's why when I visit extremes, it's always with the aim of extracting an essence of truth and bringing it back with me to the center, to be confused with those of other horizons I've visited.
But I was very pleased to see that during the worksop, this idea of getting back to the center was actually very important. And it's one of the foundations of the workshop that I think gave it its greatest efficiency and strength.
This was made possible by:
- introducing each workshop with a guided meditation to focus our attention on our emotional center
- the systematic invitation to return to our inner self for a few breaths after each externalization exercise
- this regular reminder to keep our attention permanently 70% inside and 30% outside.
I'd like to thank Mette for this sharing, as his point of view was very interesting and has indeed enriched mine, I can only say so once I've returned to my center.
Many thanks 🙏"
- Christelle André

Rebirthing The Sensual Self was a retreat I organized in 2023. I will organize it again in 2024.

★★★★★ "This retreat went over my expectations. I found everything and more of what my soul needed. Mette, Aya and Ella where able to create a true center of worldwide love where, personally, I could find my center, open my heart, connect with my true self and re-open myself to the outside world."

★★★★★ "From observing and receiving the way Mette guided the space with vulnerable enthusiasm, it is clear that he truly cares for this work, and deeply desires for humanity to live more authentically. I really appreciated the unselfish and transparent way he shared his tools and learnings, and the level of detail he put into the organisational planning."

★★★★★ "It’s a few days past the retreat and I’m still buzzing. My heart cracked open and I’m still feeling through the things that came up. I’m full of love, compassion, respect and softness. At the same time the strong urge to be real came to the surface. Starting with being true with myself and my intentions. After months of not feeling like myself I experienced the retreat as the perfect soil to root, grow and blossom. It was a space for me to be seen in my full authentic expression. Not to be judged but to be honored in my uniqueness. I’m full of gratitude for the space, the people and the team. Mette is an amazing person and facilitator. He’s leading the space with softness, playfulness, strength and stability. I fully recommend attending his work."

★★★★★ "For me the journey through this weekend felt perfecty thought out and absolutely smooth. The whole experience was mindblowing for me. I would have never expected that the very well written story in the description would come true in the way it feels right now. I left a lot of things behind me on Friday/Saturday morning and it was a huge pleasure to rebirth again on Saturday. A lot of things were not in my 'usual' comfort zone, but you (Mette, Aya, Ella) created a space where I felt so safe and self confident, that I couldn't do anything else than following my inner truth, curiosity and just let it flow. There was a lot processing inside of me last week, a lot of feelings came up, but at the same time I feel totally calm, with me and can always feel the sparkle in my eyes which is the precious outcome of this Retreat for me."

★★★★★ "I feel deeply grateful about this experience. The retreat empowered me to ask for what I want and to more openly say what I don´t want. It also gifted me with beautiful connections to some really lovely people. Mette is a thoughtful, creative and caring teacher who seems to truly embody what he is inviting us to bring into the world. He also managed to bring together a diverse team that seemed like a great mix of wonderful talents to hold and enrich this container."

★★★★★ "This was a very transformative weekend for me. I've been to many retreats before, but I've never felt so safe to fully let go, thanks to Mette, Ella and Aya who created and held space. Everything was so well organised, the exercises were well planned and explained. It made me feel 100% safe and willing to give it my all. The group dynamic was amazing and it's the result of the safe space we were in created by the facilitators. I wish everyone could have such a good experience at a retreat. Usually I feel very emotionally drained after a weekend like this, but this time I felt immense joy and peace within myself. I felt reborn and loving life and myself. Not to forget the amazing chefs who nourished us with delicious vegan food made with love and so much yumminess!!! I hope there will be many more retreats. This was truly something."

★★★★★ "I’ve had an amazing experience at Rebirthing the Sensual Self. Usually with these kinds of things I don’t really pay attention to the progression throughout because it’s often just blablabla. During this weekend though, I did truly let go of a lot of stuff that’s no longer serving me before reawakening new parts of me that may now come out and shine. Wonderful! Also the group was just amazing with such a diversity of interesting beautiful humans to teach each other and explore together. Growth, learning, connection, development and relaxation. All made possible by the amazing facilitation and wonderful food. Thank you!"

The Intimate Revolution is a festival where I facilitated daily ceremonies to guide the entire group during both 2023 editions. I will do so again in 2024.

★★★★★ "The way Mette held space for all of us again and again was so powerful and beautiful. He has a way with words that touched me in all the right places. Mette is such a magical, beautiful creature and I'm taking so much inspiration from him - I really hope I get to see him again at one of the next Intimate Revolutions."

★★★★★ "Mette radiated so much love, openness and vulnerability during the Intimate Revolution in Vienna. With Mette I felt safe. I felt seen and inspired to create that safe space for others as well. I’m excited to see how Mette inspires others around them in such a positive way. I’m truly grateful to have crossed Mette's path even without ever talking to them. Mette said things that often stay hidden and created a safe space without pressure (!!) during such an overwhelming experience. I learned a lot. Thank you. "

★★★★★ "Mette has been a very pleasant facilitator, humorous, insightful, eloquent, engaging with the audience. I really enjoyed his facilitation in Intimate Revolution 2023 and I would love to have him as a facilitator again."

★★★★★ "I enjoyed Mette's playfulness with words and situations and his warm-hearted smoothness. It feels like he talks to every individual and the whole community at the same time. I’m deeply impressed and touched. Thank you!"

★★★★★ "Magnetic."

★★★★★ "What Mette said about being able to do what we want in this space without our actions defining who we are was very inspiring to me. As was so much else he said. It gave me the courage to wear a dress for the first time and I already got so many compliments for it! Thank you!"

★★★★★ "I love how Mette hosts the morning sessions. Their presence makes me feel warm, safe, and peaceful ❤️"

★★★★★ "Thanks for the great morning circles! You always did it with the balanced mixture of calm, lightness, humor, seriousness, and organization."

★★★★★ "I *really* enjoyed all the circles you facilitated! Each time they offered just what I needed."

★★★★★ "Mette's wisdom, sensitivity, care and unconditional love made the festival more safe and meaningful for me. Their way of holding space is phenomenal in terms meeting the group where it's at, and they shared the right words, pair exercises and songs at the right time for me. Mette's facilitation helped me to stay with strong emotions and physical sensations. Their facilitation skills were so much appreciated when I felt disoriented or unsure about what I needed in each moment. Their stage presence made me smile and helped me to show up to myself and embrace diversity in terms of gender and sexual expression. I could go on and on about Mette's abilities and how positively they impacted on me. I hope to have the privilege of being held by them in future festivals."

★★★★★ "Thank you for hosting the opening circle. Your fun, energetic, open and chill personality elevated the circle to another level. As far as I could observe in the workshops, you seem like a very genuine, reflected, and chill person. Very lovely. Keep on pursuing your way."

★★★★★ "Your tenderness is inspiring!"

★★★★★ "As a first timer here, the way you facilitated/moderated the opening circle today felt so GREAT. I feel like you have a special kind of presence: welcoming laughter and seriousness, and responding to the energy in the room with kindness. Wow."

★★★★★ "Thank you for this wonderful moderation. I was looking forward to it every morning. It was so helpful!"

★★★★★ "I love how you gently guide the crowd in the morning. I feel that you've been studying your inner landscapes well and know how to listen to what pain people have in their hearts."

★★★★★ "Thank you so much for the way you've been guiding through the festival. Your words of wisdom made this an even safer space!"

★★★★★ "I just love your presence. Your colorful, calm, juicy presence. Just knowing you are here feels good."

★★★★★ "Thank you for so much wisdom, for thoughtful and mindful facilitation."

★★★★★ "I find you fabulous in so many ways. You are a master of ceremony and I love the gentle energy you bring with your guidance."

If you join the workshops, I expect that you aspire to live up to the following values. The team and me very much aspire to live by them ourselves. We welcome anyone to tell us when it doesn't feel that way.

Authenticity: We strive to create a container in which people can feel safe enough to express themselves in a wide range of ways. Feelings, desires and boundaries are at the core of this practice. We are free to experience and express them without justifying ourselves, yet we strive to do so in a way that’s considerate of other people.

Inclusivity: We strive to create an environment that’s inclusive to a wide range of identities. We don’t tolerate racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, ageist, or otherwise discriminatory behavior. We encourage everyone in the space to not make assumptions about people's identities and experiences (e.g. regarding gender, race, sexual orientation, etc).

Consent: We respect each other's space, stuff, boundaries and privacy. We share a responsibility to create a safe environment for everyone. We communicate our own boundaries when needed and check the boundaries of people we interact with. We strive to create an environment in which we value giving and receiving our ‘yes’ as well as our ‘no’.

Confidentiality: We only talk about our own experience and don’t share about other people’s experiences. We don’t comment on other people’s experiences without their consent.

Self and group responsibility: We try to be aware of the ways in which we take up space and strive to contribute to the safety of the group. We’re all responsible for our own physical and emotional needs.

These values are still a work in progress. If you can’t agree with some of them, if something about these values doesn’t feel right to you, or if you have some ideas on how to improve them, I would love for you to message me on Telegram or through the contact form.

If you have an unpleasant experience with a fellow participant or with a team member, I encourage you to start by addressing it with them directly. If that's not what you want to do, you're very welcome to reach out to me on Telegram or through the contact form. I might be able to practically support you and/or hold space while you talk about your experience. I won’t take any action without your consent.

If you have an unpleasant experience with me, you may reach out to me directly, to another team member, or to my accountability partner Anouk Bongers. Anouk won't communicate with me unless you consent to it. You can find her contact details here.

It may take time to process certain experiences. Sometimes months or years. The offer above remains valid. There’s no such thing as reaching out too late.