Being an AEDP therapist requires not just learning the theory or the techniques, but also building the internal capacity within our SELFs to “be with” and “stay with,” deep emotional pain, shame, anger, grief, unbearable aloneness… Being an AEDP therapist requires a strong therapeutic presence; leading boldly, co-regulating, psychobiologically attuning to our patients, our Self, the relationship and the “space between us.” Being an AEDP therapist requires advocating and championing our patients’ capacity to heal and be whole when they see and feel nothing but darkness and emptiness. It requires accompanying our patients on emotional journeys that we ourselves may never have been on (and perhaps avoiding because we, too, are afraid to touch that guarded space within us). Being an AEDP requires that we tend to not just our patients’ affective and relational wounds, but also our own. In short, being an AEDP therapist requires the courage to practice “Fierce Love.” Not an easy task. In this workshop, we will explore in-depth how to bring our SELFs more fully into the therapeutic relationship—and what stands in the way— in order to enhance, deepen and accelerate the healing process. Through lecture, videotape, and live demos you will see, hear, and witness how the most powerful tool in our clinical toolkit is our own strong, embodied presence.