Interoception: Feeling the Feels
January 2024 – March 2024
All sessions will be held from 8-9:30am EST
Registration: 7:45am EST
(Space limited to 150 participants)
Registration Opens October 9, 2023
OCALI is pleased to host the 1st 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?
Ohio 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
- 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 9, 2023.
Space is limited to 150 participants.
For Ohio school-based teams
Deadline for registration is December 22, 2023.
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.
January 11
Session 1: What is interoception and how does it influence school participation?
January 18
Session 2: Interoception, Co-Regulation & Self-Regulation
January 25
Session 3: Interoceptive Awareness (IA) and Assessment of IA (informal and formal methods)
February 8
Session 4: Priming for IA work. Trauma-informed; Regulation-Focused; Curiosity/Autonomy/Validation
February 15
Session 5: Strategies for Noticing Body Signals
February 22
Session 6: Adapting Strategies for Noticing Body Signals for a variety of students and classrooms
February 29
Session 7: Strategies for Connecting Body Signals to Emotion
March 7
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.