Feeling Out Loud — What We Need to Feel Connected
A Sunday afternoon of reflection, movement, and playful expression — followed by a community dinner. Donation-based.
Loneliness isn’t just about being alone—it’s about feeling unseen, unheard, or disconnected from what matters most. Often, this disconnection comes from not knowing how to express what we need in our relationships. We feel stuck, disoriented, and sometimes, left to ourselves.
This workshop is about exploring the language of our needs—how they live in our bodies, how they shape our emotions, and how expressing them can bring us closer to others.
Together with psychotherapist Douglas Holwerda, we’ll reflect on the seven core needs that drive connection, explore how to recognize them in ourselves, and experiment with ways to express them—through movement, words, and play!
By “feeling out loud,” we practice the art of being present with our inner world, making space for what feels hard to hold and learning how to share it. When we name what we need, we open the door to a deeper, more meaningful connection—with ourselves as well as others.
Suggested donation (incl. meal): 300K VND
All contributions support the facilitators and the space. Dinner is organic, vegan, and deliciously home-cooked—because nourishment is part of connection too. 💛
Flow
15:00 Open Doors
15:30 Arriving & Tuning In
15:45 | The Language of Feelings & Needs in conversation with Douglas Holwerda on feelings, emotions, and why expressing our needs matters.
16:30 | Reflections and Embodiment: Where Do Feelings and Needs Live in Your Body? Journaling, gentle body scanning and movement; no touch—just presence.
17:00 | Listening & Sharing
In pairs, practicing the expression of feelings and needs
17:30 | Closing Reflection
What did you discover? What are you taking with you?
18:00 | Community Dinner
Stay, eat, and continue the conversation around the table.
20:00 | Doors Close
About the Hosts
Douglas Holwerda is a psychotherapist, author, and co-founder of Creative Residency Play Hoi An, a space dedicated to creativity, community, and personal growth.
Monika Jiang is a writer, community builder, and founder of The Oneliness Project, exploring themes of loneliness, connection, and belonging.
Douglas and Monika met at Creative Residency Play Hoi An, where they connected over their shared curiosity about what it means to be human—and how expressing our inner world can bring us closer to ourselves and each other.