A therapeutic
ecosystem
for Inner Embassy
weekly classes · teacher training · open podium · sangha
What follows is a proposal for a collaboration that goes beyond a weekly class. It is a living ecosystem — accessible at the front, with deep roots. Built to grow, to train others, and to enrich the Inner Embassy community with a form of integrative care that does not yet exist here.
About Anneke Sips
Trauma therapist, author
& yoga therapist
As a trauma therapist, author and one of the first IAYT-certified yoga therapists in Europe, I bring a rare combination: clinical depth and embodied awareness. Grounded in 25 years as a social psychiatric nurse.
In March 2025 my book The Wisdom of Psychosis — Navigating the Intelligence of Altered States (Terrapy Press) was published. It lays out the philosophical and clinical foundation of my work: that what we call pathology is often an intelligent attempt by the system to move toward wholeness.
My method is called Terrapy — a holistic approach that brings together Polyvagal Theory, Internal Family Systems (IFS / Story Medicine), Ayurvedic dinacaryā, yoga psychology and somatic practice into one coherent framework. The programme I offer Inner Embassy, Stabilizing First Aid, is the practical translation of this into an accessible, repeatable group format.
The concept
Not just a class.
An ecosystem.
What Inner Embassy can become is more than a location for a weekly class. It can be the centre of a therapeutic ecosystem — accessible from the outside, with depth within. Five layers, each with its own function. Each feeding the others.
Weekly group · Inner Embassy
Wednesday 10:00–11:15 · 30–40 min trauma-informed yoga + 35 min teaching & practice. The foundation. Everything begins here.
weekly · Inner EmbassyWhatsApp group
Connection between sessions. Ask a question, share what came up, a brief check-in. No platform, no app — just human contact where it’s needed.
always openSangha
A moment of inspiration, reflection and depth — in person at Inner Embassy. Frequency to be agreed upon. Open to all programme participants. Offered by Anneke, free of charge.
free · in person · IEOriginal Medicines Open Podium
Free recurring gathering — stories, wisdom, witnessed experience. Open to everyone. No registration. Frequency to be agreed upon. Facilitated by Anneke and trained facilitators as part of their teacher training.
free · open to all · regularPrivate 1:1 sessions
Individual trauma therapy, IFS/Story Medicine, yoga therapy — for when the group cannot hold what is needed. By referral from the group or the programme.
by referralThe participant needs only one thing: a notebook, a yoga mat, and the willingness to try. The companion workbook is available online — free, always accessible. The WhatsApp group is all that is needed for community between sessions. No expensive platform. No complicated app. Accessible, affordable, and deeply effective.
The collaboration
Three phases.
Organic, focused, purposeful.
Weekly Stabilizing First Aid group
75 minutes · Wednesday 10:00–11:15 · Inner Embassy The Hague
A weekly group for anyone navigating mental health challenges, high sensitivity, spiritual crisis, or the aftermath of a difficult period — who wants to do so with a body, a community, and a map. Led by Anneke Sips, and later possibly by trained Inner Embassy team members who have completed the Teacher Training.
The group runs in an open, circular model: participants are welcome to join at any point in the 8-session cycle. Each session stands on its own while also building on what came before. Those who want the full arc are encouraged to follow all 8 sessions — and can re-enter the next cycle to go deeper.
The format: 30–40 minutes trauma-informed yoga (somatic, polyvagal-based) followed by 35 minutes group teaching and practice from the Stabilizing First Aid curriculum. The 8-session cycle is repeatable — participants can re-enter at any point in the cycle.
- Polyvagal Theory as lived experience — Green, Orange, Red zones
- Story Medicine (IFS) — parts mapping, inner critic, younger self, exile work
- Ayurvedic dinacaryā — daily rhythm as medicine
- Somatic exercises, discharge, sound and voice as medicine
- Mantra, personal cue of safety, nurturance list
Participants receive access to the online companion workbook — a light structure per session with minimal writing prompts, zone check-in, and a home practice. No barrier to entry. A notebook is enough.
Marketing · joint effort
- Social media: both IE and Anneke channels — warm, consistent, authentic
- Newsletter: Anneke’s subscriber list + IE community mailing
- Letter & flyer campaign: GPs and mental health practices across The Hague — by post, personal, professional
- Invitation to yoga teachers & yoga therapists across the Netherlands
- Positioning: “This is what the new earth needs” — integrative care that is accessible, embodied, and community-held. For people who feel that conventional care is not enough, and who are looking for something real.
Start: as soon as Inner Embassy confirms · 8-session cycle, continuous restart possible
Teacher Training
Stabilizing First Aid Facilitator Programme · 2.5 days + group supervision
The Teacher Training (TT) trains people to facilitate this weekly programme themselves — in their own context: studio, practice, community centre, mental health setting. Each trained facilitator creates their own therapeutic ecosystem, rooted in the same framework, adapted to their world.
For whom: Inner Embassy teachers who are interested, plus participants from outside — coaches, therapists, yoga teachers, psychiatric nurses, group facilitators, and anyone called to guide others through this work. Maximum 8–10 trainees per group, plus one assistant.
Theoretical framework
Polyvagal Theory · IFS / Story Medicine · Ayurvedic dinacaryā · Yoga psychology · Tapering off (when to refer) · Somatic group facilitation
Practice & skills
Trauma-informed yoga · Terrapy method · Yoga psychology in practice · Holding groups safely · Titration and co-regulation · Building a referral network · Setting up your own ecosystem
Format · 2.5 days
Friday evening: opening ceremony — trainees join the student group for the Open Podium. We build an altar, set intentions, witness together. This is the first training moment.
Saturday + Sunday: full training days — theory, practice, facilitation skills, live supervision.
Integration & certificate
After the intensive: 4 group supervision sessions online (monthly).
For certification: run one complete 8-session cycle independently AND facilitate at least one Open Podium session. Practice is the proof.
Start date: to be determined in consultation · Minimum 7 trainees to begin · Intensive weekend at Inner Embassy
Original Medicines Open Podium
Built into the Teacher Training — spreads organically
This is where the ecosystem begins to feed itself.
The Original Medicines Open Podium is a free, recurring gathering — open to everyone. No registration. No cost. Stories, wisdom, experiences shared in a witnessing circle. Frequency to be agreed upon. A low-threshold entry point into what the ecosystem offers.
The key move: facilitating at least one Open Podium is a required assignment for certification. Every trainee must do it. This means:
- Trainees practise real facilitation in a safe, real-world context
- The Open Podium naturally grows as more trainees qualify
- Every trainee brings their own community — the reach expands organically
- Visitors encounter the ecosystem and flow naturally into the weekly group or 1:1
- The spread costs nothing extra — it is built into the training itself
Start: once the first TT trainees are ready for their facilitation assignment · Location: Inner Embassy and/or online · frequency: to be agreed upon
Financial proposal
Clear, fair, transparent.
The model below is B-corp spirited: transparent, equitable, and structured so that both parties genuinely benefit when the programme succeeds. We both invest. We both feel the pull to make it excellent. All amounts exclude VAT unless stated otherwise.
Phase 1
Weekly Stabilizing First Aid group
How it works
The weekly class operates within IE’s existing structure. Participants sign up and pay through IE as they would for any class. IE retains all participant income above Anneke’s fixed fee of €65 per session. Simple, clean, no complicated splits.
Just start — no pilot needed. Let people join in, let the group find its rhythm. The circular model means new participants can enter at any time, so there is no reason to wait for a “full” group before beginning.
Phase 2
Teacher Training · Stabilizing First Aid Facilitator Programme
IE organises everything — registrations, logistics, room, promotion. No room rental charged to Anneke. Revenue split: 75% Anneke · 25% IE. This is transparent, fair, and creates a genuine shared stake in making the TT excellent. We both feel the pinch. We both benefit from the success.
The assistant · one per training
Every Teacher Training includes one assistant — ideally an Inner Embassy teacher who joins at a deeply reduced rate. The assistant supports the training weekend, learns from the inside, and becomes a natural ambassador for the programme within IE.
Assistant rate: €1,400 (full programme: intensive + supervision + workbook + certificate).
If no IE teacher is available, the assistant may come from outside.
One assistant per TT — no exceptions.
Sangha · included, free of charge
Approximately 6 weeks after the intensive, Anneke offers a Sangha — a moment of inspiration, reflection and community — free of charge for all TT participants. Online or in person, to be determined. This is part of the aftercare, not an extra.
Phase 3
Original Medicines Open Podium
The exchange: space for visibility
IE provides the space free of charge for the monthly Open Podium. In return: Inner Embassy is always credited as host, mentioned in all communications, and every Open Podium draws new people to the venue who encounter the ecosystem for the first time. This is not a cost. It is an investment in community, visibility, and reach.
Summary · indicative year 1 for Inner Embassy
Excluding referral income from 1:1 sessions, additional TT cohorts, and the significant non-financial return in visibility, reputation, and community depth.
What Inner Embassy gains
More than income.
A place in something new.
This is what the collaboration gives Inner Embassy — financially, and beyond.
01
Direct revenue
25% of Teacher Training fees — without hiring additional staff or creating new content. IE organises the Teacher Training, Anneke delivers. The weekly class runs through IE’s existing pricing structure: participants pay as normal, Anneke receives a fixed €65 per session.
02
Unique positioning in the Netherlands
No yoga school in The Hague — or in the Netherlands — offers this combination of trauma therapy, Polyvagal Theory and yoga in one weekly programme. This places IE on a different map entirely.
03
Trained in-house teachers
IE teachers who complete the Teacher Training can run this programme independently — within IE, and beyond. The programme lives on even when Anneke is not available.
04
A new audience
People who would never walk into a yoga studio — but are looking for embodied, safe, integrative care. GPs, mental health professionals, and community workers send them here.
05
Weekly community life
A consistent, recurring group that builds community over time. The kind of regulars every studio dreams of — people who come back, bring others, and invest in the place.
06
Free community events
The monthly Open Podium and the Sangha bring people to IE at no cost. These events build warmth, trust, and word-of-mouth — the most powerful marketing there is.
07
National visibility
The Teacher Training draws participants from across the Netherlands. Anneke’s podcast, book, and professional network reach psychiatrists, yoga therapists, and integrative practitioners nationwide. IE is the home of this work.
08
Social impact
IE becomes a centre for integrative mental health — rare, needed, and deeply aligned with what this moment asks for. This is what the new earth needs. IE can be part of building it.
Next steps
How to proceed.
Conversation about this proposal
Discuss questions, align on details, choose the financial model. Can be done in 30–45 minutes.
Confirm Phase 1 start date
Schedule the first cycle, set up registration, put the companion workbook online. Ready within one week.
Gauge interest in the Teacher Training
Ask informally within the IE community — which teachers are interested? Who from outside? This costs nothing and immediately shows the level of interest.
Set TT date once 6+ registrations confirmed
Schedule the 2.5-day intensive. Within 3–4 months the first facilitators are certified and the Open Podium becomes self-sustaining.
This proposal is an invitation — not a contract. Everything is open for conversation, adaptable, and can be rolled out in phases. What I know is that this work is needed, that it works, and that Inner Embassy is exactly the right place to let it take root. I look forward to building this with you.
Anneke Sips
Trauma therapist · Author · IAYT Yoga Therapist
Social psychiatric nurse
The Original Medicines (podcast)
The Wisdom of Psychosis — Navigating the Intelligence of Altered States (Terrapy Press, 2025)