Interoception: Feeling the Feels

January 2026 - March 2026
All sessions will be held from 8-9:30am EST
Dates: (All Wednesdays) January 14, 21, 28; February 4, 18, 25; March 4, 11
Registration: 7:45am

Registration Opens October 22, 2025

Register Here!

OCALI is pleased to host Interoception: Feeling the Feels Online Training Series with Kelly Mahler. This introductory training series, with eight 1.5 hour sessions is designed for Ohio school-based teams that want to learn about Interoception, the Eighth Sensory System, and how it has a substantial effect on a student’s ability to understand body signals and internal feelings, independently self-regulate, and connect socially.

Who Should Attend?

School-based teams, including, but not limited to occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, intervention specialists, administrators, general educators, behavior specialists, guidance counselors, social workers, and mental health therapists.

Key Concepts & Takeaways

Participants will be able to:

  • Generate a description of interoception that can be used with colleagues, students and/or their families
  • Identify at least one method for assessing interoception
  • Identify at least three strategies for nurturing interoception growth
  • Identify how to adapt at least one strategy to meet the needs of students/setting they serve

Presenter:

Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L
Kelly Mahler OTD, OTR/L, earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. She has been an occupational therapist for 20 years, serving school-aged children and adults. Kelly is winner of multiple awards, including the 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging and Innovative Practice Award & a Mom's Choice Gold Medal. She is an adjunct faculty member at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA as well as at Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. Kelly is a co-principal investigator in several research projects pertaining to topics such as interoception, self-regulation, trauma & autism.

Fee is $100 per person for the 8-session series. There will be no separate registration for individual sessions.

Registration will Open October 22, 2025.

Deadline for registration is December 19, 2025.

Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be given for cancelled registration.

Please contact Patt Krug with any questions: 614.401.4049 or patt_krug@ocali.org

Please note: Topics are subject to change or may change by date.

Session 1: What is interoception and how does it influence school participation?

Session 2: Interoception, Co-Regulation & Self-Regulation

Session 3: Assessment of IA (informal and formal methods) 

Session 4: Priming for IA work. Trauma-informed; Regulation-Focused; Curiosity/Autonomy/Validation

Session 5: Strategies for Noticing Body Signals

Session 6: Adapting Strategies for Noticing Body Signals for a variety of students and classrooms

Session 7: Strategies for Connecting Body Signals to Emotion

Session 8: Strategies for Regulating Body Signals with Feel-Good Actions

Earn Credit

One hour of credit is available through Ashland University. Information for online registration for credit and requirements will be shared during the sessions.