Healing Work

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I came across SomaSoul®: Somatic Therapy during a time when I was struggling with chronic health issues. This approach went to the roots of pain and illness in a way that other treatment modalities I had tried did not. During this time, I learned to relate to my body and my symptoms in a different way. I practiced meeting myself with compassion and noticing when I was fighting myself in subtle or overt ways, such as wanting my pain (emotional or physical) to go away. The result has been a greater sense of ease, aliveness and wholeness.

I am doing the work I love - perhaps the work I am meant to do in this lifetime. It is an honor to hold space and guide others on a journey of healing and growth. Whether our paths cross momentarily or we work together for years, I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you what has meaning for me.


Holistic Counseling

As a therapist, I offer a compassionate, intuitive and holistic approach. I draw on my training in somatic therapy, body-centered psychotherapy, and pastoral counseling. I incorporate mindfulness and the expressive arts, such as drawing and journaling. Your therapy session is a safe space to explore and feel.

Bringing understanding and awareness to who you are and what has shaped you can be healing and empowering. In my experience, it has led to feeling more alive, a greater sense of meaning and being able to trust my heart, my guts and that “quiet voice within.”

I feel deep compassion toward anyone who feels they do not fit in, be it due to illness, minority status, family structure or social dynamics. If you are part of the LGTBQ+ family, know that I am, as well. You are welcome here.

I see clients in person and virtually. Contact me for information on fees and availability or to set up a free, 15-minute phone consultation. Please note, I do not accept insurance.

An example of a blog related to healing is here. For an archive of all my blogs by category, see below. Visit me on YouTube for guided mindfulness videos.

Training and Education

  • Certified SomaSoul®: Somatic Therapy Practitioner and Shake Your Soul®: The Yoga of Dance Instructor through LIFE Movement. These trainings were pivotal in bringing me back into a deeper connection with my body and spirit.

  • Registered Somatic Movement Therapist with the International Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Association (ISMETA).

  • Daily meditation practice. I have also studied Spring Forest Qigong with Master Chunyi Lin, learning that we are energy, not in some ethereal, intangible way, but in a way that each of us can experience and feel with practice.

  • Master of Pastoral Counseling degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

  • Graduate of Hartford Family Institute's Body-Centered Psychotherapy Training Program. This enriching and life-changing program has brought me closer to my own humanity and deepened my understanding of the darkness and light that reside within us all. 

  • Bachelor's of Arts in Biology and Environmental Studies from Knox College. One highlight was living off-campus at the college's 700 acre biological field station with 12 other students and one faculty member. During that time, I experienced the importance of community and a deep sense of connection to the more-than-human world.

Life Experience and Living with Illness

During my twenties and early thirties, I served in AmeriCorps, traveled the country, worked seasonal jobs and explored the world. I lit prescribed fires in Minnesota, did taxes for low-income families in Chicago, took adolescents backpacking in Oregon and advocated for LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws in Kentucky. It was a time of discovering who I am and what is meaningful to me.

In the middle of that time, I learned I have celiac disease. I faced additional health challenges and had to learn how to slow down and take care of myself in a different way. It has been a challenging journey with many ups and downs. For a long time, I was stuck in a lot of pain. I felt lost and did not know what to do. I was searching for a way to feel better. That’s when I found this work. As a client, I kept returning to it again and again, even when I was scared and unsure. As a practitioner, I continue to be moved and inspired by the power of this work and by my clients who trust me to guide them through the hard parts.

Throughout the years, I have learned how to sit with pain and bring in love and light. I trust this transformational process and I hold the possibility of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. In my personal life, I take less for granted. I have more space for stillness and more appreciation for unexpected moments of grace. And I still feel called to be outside surrounded by Mother Earth as much as possible.