One of the primary orientations I hold while working with clients is that of soul. What I mean by that is, I support people as they heed the call to navigate the mysterious and initiatory darkness. I have found through personal and professional experiences, that allowing oneself to embark on this terrifying and fruitful journey into the shadows is the essential path to truly becoming whole and inhabiting our place of belonging. Like a tree, we can only grow as tall as we grow deep into the dark rich Earth.
This work can be embodied in many different ways. Some examples include, but are not limited to; inner-child work/parts work, ceremony, nature connection, journey work, movement, symbolism, dreamwork, rites of passage, and fasts. Such work (which I will detail more below) helps people to find their way toward inhabiting their unique gifts and place within their community. Though this is a path one must go alone, I can serve as a guide and tether as one undertakes this soulful step into transforming their core wounds into sacred wounds.
Parts work
“It is important to look into the shadows of our lives and to see who lives there, tattered, withered, hungry, and alone. Bringing these parts of soul back to the table is a central element of our work. Ending their exile means releasing the contempt we hold for these parts of who we are. It means welcoming the full range of our being and restoring our wholeness. Until then, we will continue to carry a feeling of worthlessness and brokenness.” ― Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief
This is the internal work of creating community amongst the many facets and fragments of the self, which ultimately allows one to re-member their wholeness. You've probably heard someone say something like "part of me really wanted to..." It is common that we speak about ourselves in terms of parts, but so often those parts are in conflict and can cause us a great deal of pain and distress. Through parts work, we will find our way to the seed of goodness that exists in each and every part, because though at first it can be difficult to believe, every part has developed in some way to enable our survival. As we work together in this way, you can begin to understand them and reintegrate them into your life in a way that better serves you. By doing this, you can develop a greater sense of sovereignty and choice in your life.
Rites of Passage
I offer rites of passage to those who are in the midst of a major life transition or looking to mark a recent transition. Rites of passage allow us to move through loss, grief, and change with intention and support. Processing the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a marriage or divorce, becoming an adult, or even simply moving through a period of stuckness can be difficult to do on our own while trying to keep up with the regular pace of life. I will work with you to create meaningful ceremony and ritual to support the integration and stepping into a new phase in your life.
Having personally completed and facilitated rites of passage, I believe that being held in community (of nature and people) is by far one of the most transformative and healing processes available.
Community Therapy/Support/Ritual
If you are part of a community and wanting support in how to navigate conflict, crisis, grief, joy, and wounding I am here to support. Together we can co-create practices and guidelines that bolster the wellness of the community ecosystem and the individuals within that ecosystem. Community can include; groups of friends, land-mates, roommates, families, neighbors, colleagues, and so on. I provide trainings on healthy communication, boundary setting, self-regulation and co-regulation, and how to cultivate true belonging together. I also teach interested members of a community how to provide compassionate, consensual psychological first aid to those in extreme distress, including; panic attacks, severe anxiety, trauma responses, and suicidal ideation. My greatest dream is to provide communities with the tools needed support themselves and decrease the need for police response or hospitalization. I believe that communities are an incredible source of wisdom and potential for healing.
If you're interested in any of these alternative therapy practices please reach out to me and we can co-create something that works for you.