Me and We Relationship Practice
Introducing
Me and We
Relationship Practice
The Me and We Method
Intimate Relationships
Do you find yourself wishing your partner would grow emotionally—but feel like you're the one doing the work?
Has your partner gone as far as they can go with participating in couples therapy?
Do you find yourself stuck between wanting more from your relationship and not wanting to hurt the ones you love?
Are you not in an intimate relationship now but would like to grow in a relationship setting so you can be ready for future relationships?
All Other Relationships
Are you tired of asking, “Is this as good as it gets?” and ready to explore what it might look like to claim your own wisdom and direction?
Do you wonder what it would be like to trust your own voice—and to experiment with using it in a way that changes not just you, but the dynamic itself?
Do you want to shift from feeling the deadening energy of “have to”, “should”, “if only”, “not again”, “never happen”, and “how could I”, to the alive energy of “ready-to-go” as you move towards your values/goals with curiosity and satisfaction?
Do you want to be seen for your contributions as well as feel how you make a difference at the workplace, in your family, and community?
Do you want to be able to take charge of your happiness and influence the relationships that matter to you?
What is the Me and We Method?
The Me and We Method is a practical, emotionally grounded framework that helps individuals reclaim their voice and influence their relationships. It teaches people how to navigate their inner world while simultaneously shaping their outer relational world, all through tools like emotional self-accompaniment, pattern disruption, and conscious experimentation. It's especially powerful for women who often find themselves holding the WE in relationships—doing the emotional labor, initiating growth, and feeling unseen or stuck in dissatisfaction. It helps reclaim agency without giving up on connection. We balance our Me and our WE.
If you’re someone who can feel like you're doing more of the emotional heavy lifting in your relationships, if you want more satisfaction and less suffering, the Me & We Method helps you tap into the wisdom you already have. With guidance from a licensed online therapist, you’ll learn practical and compassionate ways to honor your needs, break stuck patterns, and grow yourself in the middle of messy relationships—without waiting for someone else to change first.
What is the Me and We Relationship Practice Group?
The Me and We Relationship Practice Group is an experiential learning setting where we practice relationship skills. Members apply the Building Blocks (Frames, Images, and Skills) to situations in their lives.
In sessions through my online therapy practice in Berkeley, CA, we focus on two positions: the inner person and the interperson. The inner person refers to the intrapsychic organization of our ME; the interperson refers to the interpersonal expression of our ME with others. Both positions require awareness of the WE that determines more in each moment about our intrapsychic organization and interpersonal expression than anything about our individual selves.
Regroup
When developing skill in our inner person, our goal is to REGROUP or “get back on the horse”, as we think about a challenging situation in our lives. We wish to restore our common sense, curiosity, and self-compassion after experiencing the “fall off the horse face-plant” where we feel upset, shaken, rageful, or in some way disorganized. We accept that we will always lose ourselves depending on the situation. Our goal is to actively find ways to reorganize more quickly. With practice, we fall off less often, less deeply, and for less periods of time. We call this experiential learning REGROUP.
Rehearse
When developing skills in our outer person, our goal is to REHEARSE strategies in role-plays. We set the scene, offering sufficient description of those involved so that group members can play their part. We choose which part we want to play --- observing what others might do in the situation, or experimenting with our own strategies. Our goal is to get ready for the next time we encounter the same or similar situation in our lives. We are then more likely to “stay on the horse” longer and not “off the horse” as deeply. We call this experiential learning REHEARSE. We learn by experience when we need REGROUP to help us “get back on” vs. REHEARSE to prepare to reengage or redo a challenging situation.
At the beginning of each group, some members volunteer to participate in REGROUP and REHEARSE for inner and outer exploration, respectively. Other members volunteer to offer guidance for the situation. We then have a recipient and a guide for each practice. Both the recipient and guide build a WE together to meet the learning goals of the recipient; both have responsibility for the outcome. The leader of the group is a consultant to the guide.
Exploring Essential Building Blocks
The Me and We Relationship Practice Group expands understanding of the Building Blocks to include Frames, Images, and Skills. The application of the Building Blocks to our lives happens during the practice. We get a taste of the power of growth and development in a short amount of time. Those new to Me and We can witness others as Recipients and Guides. Or they can jump in as soon as they feel ready to try out either practice. Those more experienced have a stepping stone as recipients to build leadership skills as guides.
There is no prior experience required to join. However, it is highly recommended to begin learning about the Building Blocks; an Audio course is available.
What are Relationship Skills or Abilities in Groups?
The Me and We group offers multiple relationship skills to include the Nine Building Blocks, Frames or perspectives, Images or metaphors, and Skills to practice in group and in our lives.
ME and WE: Building Blocks
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Frames: Problem solving and exploring emotion (situation dependent)
Images: Fried eggs; iceberg; riding the wild horse
Skills: Fork in the road (SCT)
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Frames: Being In, For, & With (Moustakas); Respond vs react
Images: Gnarly oaks
Skills: Resonating; Context Goal Role (SCT)
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Frames: Primary emotions and their defenses
Images: Goldilocks; Pleasant and unpleasant
Skills: Key moments (here-and-now)
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Frames: Strengths and resources; Dependent self (needs and impulses)
Images: Castle doors; Revenge
Skills: Good or not good; Enough context?
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Frames: Willing, wanting, committing; Power of less interest
Images: Water the garden we live in
Skills: Boxing others and ourselves into our dilemmas
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Frames: Socialization (family and culture); Common conflation errors
Images: Queen archetypes; Shame wall
Skills: Declarations (good and bad); Stepping through the shame wall
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Frames: Directing energy away from self; Noise (SCT); Call to respond
Images: Bullhorn; Traffic cop
Skills: The pause; Owning and asking
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Frames: Independent self (Compassion, Claiming, Curiosity); Giving = receiving
Images: Holding onto self
Skills: Redirecting giving to self; React, Remove, Regroup, Rehearse, Redo = Repair, Redirect, or Resolve?
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Frames: Accurate and distorted perceptions; comparing and competing together
Images: Mirror distortion; Rainbow and pot of gold
Skills: Resources energy needs; Effort, Progress, Merit, Impact
Current Offerings
Me and We Relationship Practice
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We apply the 9 building blocks to practice with others. We choose roles of recipient and guide using any context from our lives. We receive support and guidance 1) to regroup from defensive roles, and 2) to rehearse roles to reengage or redo challenging situations. Our overall goal is to expand our ability to reduce suffering and influence the development of our relational situations.
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When: 2 Mondays per month from 4:30–6:20 pm PT
Where: By Zoom
Who: Women and men
Recommended: Me and We Audio Course. No prerequisites.
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Members practice as observers, participants and consultants in:
Regroup = a focused exploration of intrapsychic self accompanied by guide
Rehearse = experimentation with interpersonal interactions
Heart and Warrior Integration = safety and connection balanced with protection and redirection
Context Goal Role Applications
Q&A; Surprises and Learnings
Me and We: Building Blocks understanding and application
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Fee: $180 per month (2 sessions per month)
Communicate Authentically and With Self-Authority Through Relationship Practice in Berkeley, CA
Relationships are challenging. For those of us who seek connection and growth, we inevitably feel frustrated, stuck, and alone in repetitive and painful patterns. The Me and We Relationship Practice group supports individuals to reduce suffering, repair emotional ruptures, and progress towards desired changes with shared goals.
In the Me and We groups through my online practice in Berkeley, CA, you discover in yourself and others the deeper communication signals protected by defenses, including complaints. Together we learn experientially, frames or perspectives, as well as practical skills in all areas of our lives.
Here’s how to begin your journey toward the transformation of your inner and outer world:
Explore whether the Me and We Relationship Practice group is right for you. Start by scheduling a free 15-minute consultation.
Work with an experienced relationship therapist in Berkeley who supports you to claim the wisdom you have from your emotional intelligence and needs.
Discover and embrace the creative guards that we all have, yet not let them take over. Learn to replace reactive communication with awareness and compassion, build essential skills that transform, and reclaim parts to feel whole and alive.
Other Therapy Services With Bonnie Macbride in California
Building stronger connections to self and other doesn’t happen in isolation. We need environments where we work experientially in our challenging moments. The Me and We Relationship Practice group offers a safe, structured, and collaborative environment where you can explore your stuck patterns, find and express your voice, and develop the emotional resilience needed for more satisfying relationships. Together, we go to the heart of where we need to work.
Through my online California therapy practice, I offer several groups designed to help people grow themselves in different areas of their lives. The Me and We Relationship Practice group can be an introduction to experience the Me and We Method (any gender). For those who seek a committed group to grow and transform, the Growth and Leadership groups provide ongoing exploration (women only). As a licensed online therapist in Berkeley, I help individuals learn how to take charge of their happiness and influence their environments.
If you’d like to experience growth work in groups, I invite you to schedule a free consultation. You can also access resources such as my Me and We audio course and blog, where I share practical perspectives and tools for deepening connection through self-awareness. Visit my FAQ page for additional guidance and inspiration to continue your relational growth. No matter where you are on your journey, remember—you don’t have to do it alone. Join like-minded people with energy and commitment to growth.
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