My Story
At 7 years old, I had a near-death experience when I was struck on the head by a metal bat while swimming. I nearly drowned but I did not remember the impact, the pain, or the sensation of my lungs filling with water. What was deeply imprinted in the cells of my being was a profound sense of peace and oneness—an intuitive knowing that everything was okay. From that moment on a deep well of acceptance, and trust in what is, lived in my heart. Without needing to understand it intellectually, I sensed the presence of something greater that I could rest into.
As I grew, I pursued knowledge in the healing arts, earning a degree in psychology and working as an equine and art therapist with children with disabilities. Initially, I believed the answers lay in traditional methods—therapy, research, and clinical practices. However, during my doctorate, as I worked with traumatized youth, I became disheartened. Traditional therapy felt like a bandaid over a bullet wound—it offered practical tools to cope but didn’t address the root causes of suffering. Despite years of therapy, I found little transformation in my own life.
My path shifted when I discovered Hakomi, a somatic therapy method, through a spontaneous session my cousin offered me at the breakfast table. In just one session, it cracked me open to parts of myself I had longed to access for years and showed me the potential for deep healing. I trained in Hakomi and other trauma-informed approaches, which deepened my faith in the possibility of transformation. Through my personal breakthroughs and witnessing others heal before my eyes, I saw that we can free ourselves from conditioned beliefs and reclaim our lives.
I also began to understand the subtle ways my own trauma had shaped my behavior, often overriding my inner wisdom. I learned that true healing comes from within—by honoring ourselves, bringing curiosity and loving presence to our wounds, and shedding light on the dark cobwebby crevices of our psyche, learning how to be with them through support. This inner work ripples out, healing not just ourselves, but our relationships, communities, and the world.
In these potent times that require us to remember our innate belonging, to rise for our truth, to show up fully for our lives, I stand with my heart and palms open, bewildered by life’s mysteries, the cycles of death and rebirth and by the healing intelligence in us all.
Education, Training and Certifications
• BA in Psychology, minor in Studio Art, University of Richmond
• Doctorate of Psychology, The Wright Institute (incomplete)
• Certified Hakomi Therapist, The Hakomi Institute https://hakomiinstitute.com/
• HEAL (Humane Equine Alliance for Healing) Equine Assisted Therapy Certification
• 7 + year Reiki apprenticeship in the Mikai Usui Lineage https://www.synergyhealing.net/
• 300 hour yoga teacher Vikasa https://vikasa.com/
• Dharma Yoga Teacher Training, Spirit Rock https://www.spiritrock.org/dharma-institute
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Advanced Practitioner Training https://sonyasophia.us/
• From Trauma to Dharma Level 1 and 2 Training with Manuela Mischke Reeds https://embodywise.com/
• Relational Somatic Healing Level 1 and Character Maps https://relationalsomatichealing.com/
• Re-Creation of the Self, Jon Eisman
• The Tamura Method, Wynn Tamura
