11th - 13th September
FROM WOMB TO WORLD
The Journey That Shapes Our Lives
The Long-Term Consequences of Conception, Pregnancy and Birth
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INTRO
The journey from womb to world is our first experience of life. Before we have words, our bodies are already learning about safety, connection, separation and belonging. Understanding these earliest experiences offers a profound opportunity for healing, both personally and professionally.
FRIDAY EVENING PUBLIC TALK
11TH SEPTEMBER | 6 - 8:30PM
St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall
This inspiring evening forms the foundation for the entire weekend and is a prerequisite for participation in the two-day weekend workshop.
Through breathtaking birth photography, moving clinical stories and the latest understanding from pre- and perinatal psychology, Anna Verwaal invites us to explore the profound question:
How do our earliest experiences shape the way we live, love and relate to the world?
Long before language develops, the experiences of conception, life in the womb and birth are recorded within our nervous system and body memory. These earliest imprints can influence our sense of safety, our relationships, our health, our resilience and many of the unconscious patterns we carry throughout life.
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Drawing on more than thirty-five years of clinical experience and international teaching, Anna weaves together science, psychology and deeply human stories to illuminate this hidden landscape with warmth, clarity and compassion.
Friday evening will explore:
- The emerging science of pre- and perinatal psychology
- How conception, implantation and life in the womb influence lifelong development
- The impact of birth experiences and medical interventions on emotional and physical wellbeing
- The concept of cellular memory and early imprinting
- Why understanding our beginnings can bring greater self-compassion and healing
The lecture creates a common language and understanding that allows participants to engage much more deeply with the experiential learning offered during the weekend workshop.
Attendance at the Friday evening lecture is therefore required for all participants attending the Saturday and Sunday immersion.
The lecture is also open to anyone with an interest in human development, birth, parenting, trauma-informed care or personal growth, whether or not they intend to attend the weekend programme.
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WEEKEND WORKSHOP
The Balfour Hospital, Kirkwall
12TH & 13TH SEPTEMBER |
9.30 am – 5.00 pm
This immersive two-day workshop explores the profound influence of our earliest experiences and how they continue to shape our bodies, emotions, relationships and ways of being.
Drawing on research in pre- and perinatal psychology together with decades of clinical observation, Anna will guide participants through the subtle yet powerful imprints formed during conception, pregnancy and birth.
BOOK NOWWEEKEND TOPICS INCLUDE
- Cellular memory and the biology of our earliest beginnings
- Conception and implantation experiences
- Prenatal stress, anxiety, grief and loss
- Assisted conception and reproductive technology
- Miscarriage and abortion
- Twin dynamics and the single surviving twin
- Adoption and separation
- Birth interventions including induction, caesarean birth, epidural and neonatal intensive care
- Recognising prenatal and birth patterns in ourselves, our families and our clients
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how these preverbal experiences can influence lifelong health, attachment, relationships and patterns of behaviour, and how greater awareness can support healing and integration.
WHO THIS IS FOR:
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Midwives and maternity staff
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Doctors and healthcare professionals
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Psychologists and psychotherapists
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Counsellors and coaches
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Holistic therapists
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Educators and early years practitioners
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Doulas and birth workers
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Parents, grandparents and prospective parents
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Anyone interested in the profound influence of our earliest beginnings
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ABOUT ANNA VERWAAL
Anna Verwaal is an internationally respected educator, maternal-child health nurse, UCLA Certified Lactation Educator, Conscious Conception and Birth Consultant, Primal Period and Childbirth Instructor, and birth photographer.
Following a long clinical career in Los Angeles, Anna became a member of the Association for Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH), working alongside pioneers including Dr David Chamberlain, Dr Thomas Verny and Dr William Emerson.
Since 2006 she has travelled internationally, offering lectures and workshops that bridge science, psychology and embodied experience to illuminate how our earliest beginnings continue to shape our lives.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Places for the workshop are limited to allow for an intimate learning environment.
The Friday evening lecture is a prerequisite for attendance at the weekend workshop.
Hosted by Nurture Your Energies, bringing internationally recognised education in pre- and perinatal psychology to Orkney.
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TWO DAY WORKSHOP
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September 2026
This includes the public lecture on Friday 11th which is a prerequisite.
The Balfour Hospital
£250 BOOK NOW
