For body-oriented therapists, coaches, healing professionals, and any woman who wants to meet herself — and others — from a more grounded, embodied place.
The remedy is found within the wound.
B’Etzem is where we learn to stay there long enough to find it.
“I was looking for a space that could help me connect more deeply with my body, understand nervous system regulation, and learn how to be with others without merging with their pain. Most of all, I wanted a place that felt safe, steady, and grounded enough for me to explore these things — and I had a sense B’Etzem could offer that. I left with deeper trust in my body’s timing, more compassion for myself, and a felt sense that healing doesn’t have to be loud to be real.” — Ruchy
There is a Sfas Emes at the heart of this work:
The one who runs from pain is like a pregnant woman — wherever she runs, the fetus comes with her.
We cannot outthink what lives in the body. We cannot protocol our way through it. But the same Sfas Emes continues: the remedy is found within the wound. And when a person gathers all her strength inward — truth sprouts from the earth.
Torah knows this. The nervous system confirms it. B’Etzem is where we embody it.
Most practitioners were never taught how to stay embodied, especially in the moments that stretch, activate, or unsettle them. We live in a culture that prioritizes thinking over sensing, performance over presence, and knowing over noticing.
Embodiment is a skill, a capacity, a way of relating to your body that can be cultivated gently, consistently, and over time. When a client spirals, dissociates, or freezes — the urge to reach for a protocol is strong. But your body often knows something first. Before the words. Before the tool. Before the fix. There’s a pause. A breath. A sensation. When you can stay with that, the next step rises from somewhere deeper.
This work isn’t about fixing. It’s about meeting your client’s nervous system with an embodied presence that emerges when you’re anchored in your own. Your presence speaks before you do — not because of what you say or do, but because your system quietly signals:
It’s safe to feel here.
Watch a free introductory webinar with Rena Reiser
In this talk from July 2025, Rena explores what it means to move from “doing somatic work” to living it, weaving together Focusing, nervous system awareness, and Torah wisdom.
In this November 2025 talk, Rena explores how to be a co-regulating presence for others when they’re dysregulated, drawing on mirror neurons, the experiencing scale, and her own recent emergency room experience to illustrate nervous system fluency in action.
“What surprised me most was the opening of a new awareness to the depth of embodiment that is possible within every cell. I notice subtle sensations and cues much more readily than before, and I can tune inside much quicker. I’m walking away with a deeper ability to allow whatever is, to be — in myself, in my body, and in others.” — Miriam
“This is where the emes lies. Each sensation holds such wisdom. Every woman should be held by Focusing because it is the way to connect to bina yeseirah. The felt sense is so nuanced, yet it holds so much wisdom.” — Yitty
Rena ran the sessions and practices experientially so we had the opportunity to experience our own personal Shifts, while learning methods to support our clients and communities. Everything from the resource materials, group energy, and practice opportunities provided an excellent environment to grow and develop in these skills. I will treasure the relationships I have made with the other amazing participants. I highly recommend this for anyone who cares about personal development and wholesome growth. This is not to mention, the incredible progress I have seen in my clients since I started integrating Focusing into my work. Thank you Rena!
"Joining Rena’s program has been such a wonderful opportunity for me. Having previous experience with Focusing, I thought it would be a good review, and opportunity to get more practice. However, I learned so many new things throughout the program. Rena laid the foundation with important information and even within those first classes, I came to a better understanding of some of the concepts of Focusing. I loved learning the Torah sources, some of which blew me away! When it came to practicing Listening/Focusing, too, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were nuances I hadn’t picked up on before. By joining I feel like I gained a much deeper understanding of the Focusing process, and a renewed patience to let the process unfold without rushing to find solutions in a cognitive manner. Profound insights, and internal wisdom and guidance emerge when you can allow yourself to slow down and tune in."
"I joined Rena's Focusing class and I'm so glad I did! It has been so special to be part of a group of frum women doing this deep work. I've learned to pause, listen to my thoughts and emotions, and find the truth of my felt sense. What I find most amazing is how when we are completely honest with how we're feeling, without judgment, then there is a shift, and we don't stay in the painful emotion forever. I also love how Rena brings in Torah sources to support the value of properly Focusing. I'm definitely not a master of it yet... But Rena keeps reminding me to be gentle and patient with this process. I highly recommend this workshop."
"Since joining the program, I have become more aware of my senses and emotions than ever before. Whether I'm faced with a challenging situation or simply going about my daily activities, I'm more attuned to how I feel about what's happening around me. Surprisingly, I've also experienced another benefit from the program. I've struggled with yo-yo dieting in the past, but since joining, I feel empowered and in control of my instincts. I have a newfound sense of confidence that I can face any challenge. In fact, when I feel the urge to eat, I have a tool that I can tap into. With this tool, I can fill myself up from the inside out. Rena, thank you for helping me connect with my inner strength!"
I'm seeing life in a total new way. It was the key that integrated so much of my previous inner work. I exercised muscles of listening to others just for the sake of listening (I realized that so many times that's all someone needs). Interactive practices highlighted once again how human we all are. I'm touched by the beauty and purity of each group member. Each of us in our own place and pace, all yearning to grow and reach higher. It was a beautiful experience! Rena, your presence, what a gift! Your respect for each of us wherever we are at, your compassion, your desire to spread truth came across so strongly. You touched my life in a beautiful way. I wish and daven that you will be able to reach many more hearts. This is not the typical happily lived-ever-after type story. I'm just another human being in a process. On a journey. A work in progress.
I’m a therapist (mental health) who studied somatics before but had kind of drifted from it- this course was a great reminder of how to bring the body into the therapy session, and how to use it to deepen the work and provide a more thorough healing for my clients. I’m so glad I did it! The big and pleasant surprise for me in taking this course was learning about nervous system regulation in a very practical way, that is easy and interesting to engage clients in. Other times I tried to learn it I would get intimidated by all the science jargon and find it overwhelming, but Rena has a way of teaching it in easy, manageable ways that have been very helpful to both me and my clients! I also really liked Rena’s tying it into Torah and incorporating spiritual principles into the work- something I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else. I appreciated Rena’s hard work and availability in making sure we got what we needed from the course, as well.
I’ve tried many different modalities over the years on my journey of self-discovery in search of more inner peace. Taking this course has opened up a whole new world of understanding of a deeper sense of healing. Understanding how much the feelings in my body impact my thoughts and actions has brought me to a new level of awareness. The path towards the seemingly ever elusive inner peace now feels that much more attainable.
"I’d like to personally thank you for your amazing training that I took part in. It felt so aligned with my truth and with what we all seek internally: authentic inner tranquility. It was a full week of processing for me, and also the week after. My body wanted to control the process, but I can see and sense the inner wisdom in being with what is and what comes up. Thank you for being a live example of true menuchas hanefesh.”
What drew me to join B’Etzem was my desire to connect more deeply to my body, and eventually bring this modality to my clients. I was surprised by the beautiful group of people I learned and trained with. My favorite moments were helping others through their difficult Focusing moments and being a holder for them. Since the training, I feel deeply embodied, and it feels great! I’m walking away with a beautiful model of less talk and more bodily feelings and connection.
After Level 1, you’ll be asked to engage in regular practice by partnering with someone from the group. Then you’ll be invited to continue into Levels 2 and 3.
Zoom — May 26 – June 23, 2025
5 Tuesdays, 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM New York / 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM Israel
$2100 (Early Bird: $1750 through May 15)
Private Training Option — 1:1 via Zoom
Level 1 can also be completed one-on-one with me over Zoom. The theory portion is provided as pre-recorded videos for you to watch at your own pace, and we will meet six times for one hour each for personalized guidance and practice. You’ll have up to three months from your registration date to complete the training. Cost: $1800.
(Additional locations will be listed here as they are scheduled.)
I believe that Menuchas Hanefesh is available to every Jewish woman. Not as an idea to arrive at intellectually — but as a felt, lived, embodied experience.
For years I did the work. Cognitive work. Trying to feel my feelings. Working with my parts. And yet something remained out of reach — because I couldn’t touch it. I could name my parts but I was fused with them. I could identify what I was feeling but it never really landed anywhere.
The missing piece was Focusing. When I encountered the Sfas Emes — the remedy is found within the wound — something clicked that no other framework had given me. Here was Torah saying exactly what Focusing had been pointing to all along. Turn toward. Stay. Gather your strength inward. Truth will sprout from the earth.
This work changes my life every time I practice it. It is a regular part of my life because of what it gives me. I created B’Etzem because I believe Focusing, rooted in Torah wisdom and informed by nervous system science, is the feminine path to Menuchas Hanefesh.
Official bio:
Rena Reiser is a certified Focusing practitioner and somatic educator with over a decade of experience guiding women through somatic and parts-based healing. She is also trained in Transforming Touch®, polyvagal-informed Focusing, and nervous system regulation. Her depth of understanding of Focusing led her to be commissioned to translate a foundational Hebrew text on the modality into English. She created B’Etzem to integrate experiential bodyfulness with Torah wisdom, inviting women into deeper presence, safety, and self-trust.
No. Level 1 starts with foundations and offers depth for experienced participants.
You will receive a certificate of attendance for each level, showing that you have been trained by me, followed by a certificate of completion for the program. This is a Torah-rooted, nervous-system-informed tool you will be able to integrate into your work.
Yes. Each level stands alone and builds on the last.
Yes, limited 1:1 Zoom tracks are available.
You can still join if you’re a thoughtful, growth-oriented woman.
Yes, I’d actually prefer that! Please contact me (my info is on the bottom of this webpage or you can use the contact page linked above) and we’ll find a time that works for both of us to speak.
Yes, please contact me (my info is on the bottom of this webpage or you can use the contact page linked above) and we’ll work out a plan together.
If you cancel more than 2 weeks before the training, your payment is refunded minus a $100 administrative fee. Within 2 weeks, payments are non-refundable unless your spot is filled.
The Therapist Self-Awareness Assessment is a short reflection to help you notice how attuned you are to your inner experience while holding space for clients. A gentle way to sense where you are — and what might be possible.