Andela Blazevic

About

For the past six years, I have been facilitating workshops and individual session for men and women focused on different aspects of inner growth and healing.

I work mainly with people whose main objective is deeper self-knowledge and inner connection - who recognize that the clarity and strength to meet their challenges is within them, and are looking to uncover that connection.

I also often assist those searching for a complementary approach that would support them with integration of what they were experiencing in traditional therapy.

Here is a bit of my personal story, and what got me to where I am today.

Very early on in my life, I became interested in the approaches that dealt with how to live more fully, how to be in your body, how to find your voice and truly know your heart and soul.

I was 16 when I walked into the little bookshop in my hometown in Croatia, and I still remember how nervous I felt when I picked up the (only copy) of a book about Tai-Chi.

Its cover was a shiny deep blue - and inside were illustrations of an Asian man doing magical moves with instructions that included information about whether you should be facing northeast or southwest.

The book spoke about the kind of connection to self, body and soul, that I have not witnessed in anyone around me.

It was mythical. It was magical.

And it was the beginning of my journey to embody more and more of what I sensed was my essence and walk more and more inside what I sensed was my purpose.

Fast forward 5 years - I threw myself into in the world of modernized ancient spiritual teachings, and the often messy mass workshops and retreats. At that point, the spiritual path of choice was tantra – a philosophy that includes sexuality into the realm of sacred – but that’s not even the best part. Its deeper message is even more alluring – “all of you is welcome”. There was no judgement here.

I met so many people there who wanted the same thing as me – being freed from the invisible prison of ancestral patterns, beliefs, emotional wounds and protective mechanisms, who sensed that there was more to themselves, that there was depth and richness in there which they wanted to uncover.

I was enthralled – until I wasn’t.

I witnessed and experienced first-hand so many incidents of crossed boundaries, abuse of power, poor aftercare and integration systems, incompetent handling of deep emotional material that can sometimes surface in modalities that use triggering to “catalyze one’s growth”.

In the aftermath of those years, I was mad. I was sad. I was wounded.

I was also ok. Because now I knew the dark side of this field that I wanted to work in, that I wanted to contribute to.

I did my healing and training.

I’ve learned about trauma from every possible angle.

I’ve learned about the biology and psychology of healing.

I’ve learned about the needs and language of our nervous system.

I’ve learned about the delicate web of relationships between our inner parts and how many an approach that promises to coach you out of resistance or insecurity is too harsh and unattuned to ever have a chance to reach the protectors of our wounds and open the way to true healing.

And I vowed to help as many as I can to be freed from the invisible prison of ancestral patterns, beliefs, emotional wounds and protective mechanisms. Those who sense that there is more to themselves, that there is depth and richness inside that longs to be known and liberated.

I believe that if we are lucky enough, any injury we experience will be followed by a recovery.

The emotional and psychological injuries I was left with led me to a journey of deep self-exploration and healing, that provided invaluable insights into what it takes to truly transform the injured parts within.

It has also carved out a deep space of stillness and empathy within me, that allows me to access deep states of intuitive clarity, and be present and attuned to the inner process another person is going through - allowing me to offer the kind of support that is responsive to individual needs of each person.

I fully recognize that facilitating inner-work requires utmost integrity and respect and care for the person seeking support, and I do my best to consistently provide that.

I have been consistently learning, training and filling in my blindspots over the years so I can provide the best service to those who trust me to accompany them on their inner journey.

My approach

My approach is a trauma-informed synthesis of modern embodiment, healing and therapeutic modalities and multiple wisdom traditions.

I specialize in a process of self-discovery for SELF discovery.

This entails getting to know different parts of you (especially the parts you wish disappeared!) and their roles and repair those inner relationships so that they can relax and with full confidence allow you to embody and act from your innermost self.

I approach each challenge a client brings into sessions not through pushing to overcome but through presencing and honoring different aspects of yourself, which can then soften and allow clear access to your inner knowing.

Restorative, calming and supportive somatic practices are woven into the process, so that each part of you is supported as it finds its way into its new place.

In my work I put the emphasis on individual attention and support, that's why you will find private sessions an indispensable part of the courses I offer. Inner journey can feel lonely and tends to challenge us in ways that require an outer support - so that we can be made aware of our blindspots and not hindered by them.

Equally important, I emphasize the need for self-responsibility and dedication in my courses. That is so that you can come out empowered and with a direct experience of a deep self-care, knowing that you have the ability to hold yourself through anything.

Each of my courses is suitable both for people who are new to inner work and those with extensive experience in it. A direct testament to that are the numerous women who have repeated the journey through SensualSelf Program. Some of them I've known for years and I have directly witnessed the immense depth and emotional intelligence they have developed in that time. And yet, they choose to repeat the journey - to uncover the next level of integration and clarity.

Can this work support you when you're in the process of treating a complex psychological or emotional condition?

My work is that of self-discovery and emotional healing , and it does not fall under therapy - as in diagnosing and treating specific conditions/disorders - but I nevertheless find it extremely important to consistently deepen and broaden my knowledge about the more complex psychological conditions.

This includes trauma and complex post traumatic stress disorder. It is not uncommon for people who are in therapy for those reasons to also take part in the program, and, in my experience and observation, the subtler version of those conditions (the unconscious developmental trauma) is almost a norm, a silent killer of the soul, and almost without fail a hidden reason why people turn to inner work, so the process we go through in the program is designed with that in mind, to support the emotional and mental recovery.

I also find it important to built the understanding of narcissism and narcissistic abuse into my work, as well as emotional abuse and dysfunctional dynamics in family of origin and/or intimate relationships and workplace, because doing inner work without context, without taking in account the relationships that influence you can be downright harmful.

As a norm, people's therapeutic process has been beautifully supported by the work done in my courses. This is still, however, a highly situation-specific question, so I would encourage you to contact me with your questions and that we can take a look at your needs before you start a program.