Ecotherapy
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Professional Background
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Once Upon a Time...
This is the informal story of how I got to where I am today.
I spent the first 30+ years of my life in a fundamentalist, cult-like religious life that I no longer adhere to.
Slowly my eyes were open to the lack of love - in what claimed to be a path of love... and that's when I started to question everything. I then spent the next decade picking through the rubble heap of my life to discover what was really me and what was not... years of rebuilding....
During this tumultuous transition, I became interested in mindfulness and worked on some published research, which led to an interest in psychology and a desire for grad school.
I was accepted into a psychology doctorate program, loved it, and had landed a presigious first year practicum. But ultimately....
I decided I wanted to create my own path, one that would allow me to hold space for wellness on *all* levels - mind/body/spirit/earth for my clients. Why?
Most of the psych world was not ready to acknowledge research on relationships between food and mental health or the proven health benefits of time in nature; insurance companies that dictated policies were even more antiquated.
And heck... !!!
I'd crossed every "t" and dotted ever "i" doing what people told me was best for 30 years. It was time to do my own thing now! So what did I choose?
I dropped out of my doctorate in favor of an MA in Liberal Studies focused on Ecopsychology and then an MS in Herbalism (yes, I'm a nerd!). I love, love what I do and haven't for a second regretted following my heart! I won't say it's all been easy. It's been crazy difficult at times. But it's also been gloriously wonderful and worth it!
In the middle of all of this transition and rebuilding I...
Needless to say, I learned a LOT about healing that I never wanted to experience first hand!
But my story gets stranger still...
As a child I danced ballet and hung out with a lot of Boy Scouts (See? Strange!) and from those expriences arose a deep love of the arts, a deep appreciation for the outdoors, and an interest in health and fitness. Coming full circle on the arts, I'm working on my final graduate degree - an MFA in Fine Art Photography.
We lived the fixer upper, homestead'y, mountain life in NY for a few years before relocating to our current home near Asheville, NC (no more long winters - yay!!!)
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So there you have it, a bit of the inside story... I have a background in
All this to say, I know what it's like to transition; I get the pain and joy of change and growth. I know what it's like to be incredibly sick - and then to find wellness again... I'd love to connect with you and hold space for your own process. Your path won't look just like mine, and I'm not here to tell you what to do.
I'll provide you with the latest research on herbs, food, and lifestyle changes that can bring wellness where you've been told wellness can never be.
I'll coach you on how to make changes successfully in your life. We'll trouble shoot, take two steps forward, a step back, reevaluate, and move forward again. (If anyone tell you the path forward is a straight one, they're fooling you!)
If you're ready to do what it takes to move from surviving - to thriving - then give me a call.
I'm still passionate about seeing people live with wellness and joy! If that's not you, then let's figure out how to change that!
828-579-0479
[email protected]
I spent the first 30+ years of my life in a fundamentalist, cult-like religious life that I no longer adhere to.
Slowly my eyes were open to the lack of love - in what claimed to be a path of love... and that's when I started to question everything. I then spent the next decade picking through the rubble heap of my life to discover what was really me and what was not... years of rebuilding....
During this tumultuous transition, I became interested in mindfulness and worked on some published research, which led to an interest in psychology and a desire for grad school.
I was accepted into a psychology doctorate program, loved it, and had landed a presigious first year practicum. But ultimately....
I decided I wanted to create my own path, one that would allow me to hold space for wellness on *all* levels - mind/body/spirit/earth for my clients. Why?
Most of the psych world was not ready to acknowledge research on relationships between food and mental health or the proven health benefits of time in nature; insurance companies that dictated policies were even more antiquated.
And heck... !!!
I'd crossed every "t" and dotted ever "i" doing what people told me was best for 30 years. It was time to do my own thing now! So what did I choose?
I dropped out of my doctorate in favor of an MA in Liberal Studies focused on Ecopsychology and then an MS in Herbalism (yes, I'm a nerd!). I love, love what I do and haven't for a second regretted following my heart! I won't say it's all been easy. It's been crazy difficult at times. But it's also been gloriously wonderful and worth it!
In the middle of all of this transition and rebuilding I...
- got divorced
- came down with late-adult-onset Crohn's disease
- wasted down to 105 lbs of weakness that couldn't walk next door without being severely winded and dizzy
- contracted Lyme disease
Needless to say, I learned a LOT about healing that I never wanted to experience first hand!
But my story gets stranger still...
As a child I danced ballet and hung out with a lot of Boy Scouts (See? Strange!) and from those expriences arose a deep love of the arts, a deep appreciation for the outdoors, and an interest in health and fitness. Coming full circle on the arts, I'm working on my final graduate degree - an MFA in Fine Art Photography.
We lived the fixer upper, homestead'y, mountain life in NY for a few years before relocating to our current home near Asheville, NC (no more long winters - yay!!!)
_____________________________________________________________________________
So there you have it, a bit of the inside story... I have a background in
- psychology,
- ecopsychology,
- theology and spirituality,
- mindfulness,
- sustainability,
- the arts,
- nutrition,
- herbalism,
- sustainability and seasonally based living
But of all of these things that I do and I love, truly my deepest joy has been in being mama to the world's best 19 year old. She's an unschool graduate, rocking college with high grades, and plans to be an English lit professor!
All this to say, I know what it's like to transition; I get the pain and joy of change and growth. I know what it's like to be incredibly sick - and then to find wellness again... I'd love to connect with you and hold space for your own process. Your path won't look just like mine, and I'm not here to tell you what to do.
I'll provide you with the latest research on herbs, food, and lifestyle changes that can bring wellness where you've been told wellness can never be.
I'll coach you on how to make changes successfully in your life. We'll trouble shoot, take two steps forward, a step back, reevaluate, and move forward again. (If anyone tell you the path forward is a straight one, they're fooling you!)
If you're ready to do what it takes to move from surviving - to thriving - then give me a call.
I'm still passionate about seeing people live with wellness and joy! If that's not you, then let's figure out how to change that!
828-579-0479
[email protected]
