Synergy: Integrating Touch & Talk
Foundations of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®
There is a language beneath words.
A knowing held in muscle, breath, and bone.
What if listening includes the hands…
and presence becomes a pathway home for yourself?
An Invitation
We are inviting a small cohort of clinicians – already walking paths of healing – to experience and carry forward the Synergy of touch and talk.
This is a paradigm of care. One where:
touch is for listening, is ethical & intentional
the body is central, not an adjunct
sensation & cognition resonate & integrate
healing unfolds through relationship, attunement & presence
In our fierce and tender world, this work asks: Can we remember how to listen with our whole being?
Place & Time
September 8th, 2026 6pm to 9pm, through to September 12th, 2026 12pm
Boughton Place, 150 Kisor Road, Highland, New York
Nestled in the beauty of the Hudson Valley
What You Will Experience
You will learn about Synergy, by feeling it, practicing it and embodying it.
We will explore:
the art of Listening Touch - distinct, respectful & deeply attuned
the subtle dialogue between body & language
how metaphors arise organically from the body’s wisdom
dual awareness: holding your client with compassion & empathy while staying rooted in your own center
the ethics of touch, boundaries & consent in a trauma-informed frame
your own somatic & emotional awareness as the foundation of your work
Who This Is For?
This offering is for experienced practitioners – therapists, bodyworkers & healers – who are curious about the synergy of concurrent touch and talk. Because of the intimate nature of this work, participation is by application. We are curating a group that values presence, curiosity, humility & depth.
Guides on This Journey
You will be led by a seasoned faculty of Certified Rubenfeld Synergists:
Jayne Gumpel, CRS, LCSW
Bonnie Muller, CRS, LCSW
Theresa Pettersen-Chu, CRS – Founder, The Embodied Path
Judy Swallow, CRS, MA, ICA, TEP
Each faculty member brings decades of clinical experience and a shared devotion to this work.
The Path Forward
This training offers:
certificate of Completion (Basic)
optional Advanced 5-day module (with additional assignments)
potential credit toward the 3-year certification as a Rubenfeld Synergist
CE credits may be available
Investment
Training: $1250.00 (includes breakfast) - Some scholarships are available.
For those new to Rubenfeld Synergy, one individual session is required onsite, more may be available. $100–$175 (self-determined sliding scale).
Accessibility matters deeply to us.
Limited on-site accommodations available ($50–$80), shared & private options, booked directly with Boughton Place.
Local motel accommodations nearby.
To Learn More & Apply
Visit Ilana’s legacy videos at: rubenfeldfoundation.org
(We encourage you to watch Ilana’s teaching—her hand raised, listening through touch—a simple gesture that changed a field.)
To apply contact Bonnie Muller at intouch@rubenfeldfoundation.com or call 203-676-8470.
For a .pdf download of this event, please click:
A Final Word
This work is seriously playful
relevant
powerful.
It asks something of you:
your presence, your openness, your responsiveness.
In return, it offers a way of being with others
that can be refreshingly human, connected, whole.
