Our history contributes to who we are in the present. I believe we have opportunities to change the unhealthy/negative/malevolent influences of our history, even those that are hunkered down deep in our subconscious and the tissues of the body. My belief is based on my own experience and what I have witnessed in others.

My past reaction to uncomfortable, painful and traumatic* life experiences was to close myself off, disassociate, shut down, overthink or a myriad of other coping methods including drug and alcohol use. This resulted in me being OUT of or unaware of the body a lot of the time which is what I wanted. I didn't consciously choose to leave the body yet because being in the body was not safe (the truth sometimes) or did not seem/feel safe even if objectively it was, finding ways of leaving was the best choose for my system at that time.

In my younger life, being in the body also meant experiencing physical pain, from sources outside of me and out of my control. The coping method of dissociating  did not create a feeling of safety nor was I able to fully escape the experience of physical pain being afflicted upon yet there was some separation from the event. Dissociating from the unsafe environment and experience.

I have been looking for a way to feel safe in my body for decades even though most of that time I didn't fully understand that was what I was looking for.  I did know that I didn't want to be angry all of the time or unexpectedly in a rage or to be so challenged in relationships. 

I began going to therapy.  I did not have a good experience with the first two therapists so I decided to become one (Bachelors in Psychology, Masters in Counseling) wanting to do a better job for others than I had experienced as a client.  

After a series of synchronicities, I was invited to a 10-day silent meditation retreat which was followed by a 3-day event for therapists/counselors on Vipassana Meditation and Therapy presented by Dr. Paul Fleischman. Dr Fleischman (and others) spoke of the value in Paying Attention to the Body AND staying in the present. This was a transformational experience for me.

Soon after, I began a ten session series of rolfing (Structural Integration).  At the first session, I realized that it was the BODY that had been missing from the specfic counseling approach that I had been taught. Also during that session the rolfer and I had an interesting conversation which resulted in her saying "I think you should become a rolfer." and  "You have to go to massage school first." I immediately felt that she was right. So I did.

I attended Florida School of Massage where I learned about the body AND how to safely experience touch, both giving and receiving.  I also discovered how good I am at listening to bodies as well as my intuition.  Thanks to the compassionate and knowledgeable staff as well as other students who were further along on their healing journey, I began to understand the dysfunction of the coping strategies I had been using. Receiving so much bodywork during that 6 month program helped me stay in my body in a way I hadn't for decades.  It wasn't easy though.

After massage school, I did not return to counseling work. Instead I transitioned into bodywork as someone who listens with her hands AS well as all of the senses. I continue to cultivate the ability to listen and I continue to add to the toolbox of modalities I offer (as you can see in the long list below.) AND I have continued to do my own work of returning 100% to the body, eliminating the coping strategies that had turned dysfunctional over time. It is an ongoing process.

In 2017, there was a slight shift (or expansion) in my work (and personal growth) after traveling to London for coaching training with Nicki and Tony Vee.  I learned to listen in a different way, listening for the thoughts and beliefs that might be operating in the background. 

If we can change our thoughts, so much can change in the body.

When we change our thoughts, so much can change in our lives.

In 2020 my work shifted again, from in-person to remote sessions.  With that transition I discovered a new level of safety for myself and the women I work with, having sessions from the comfort of our own homes. Prior to 2020, many clients (and I) hadn't realized how much being in the same room with someone was affecting our ability to settle (*the majority of women I have worked with over the last 20+ years have a history of trauma). When we transitioned to remote sessions, there was a noticeable shift in the level of safety that each of us experienced during a session.

I continue to work remotely with the exception of occasional house calls for longtime clients AND for EnergyClearing of homes, offices, businesses and land. (More on that here )

When I am not working, I am often out for a walk or hike, listening to live music, visiting with friends and family, gardening, reading, chanting, meditating, in silent retreat or traveling.  If you see me out and about, introduce yourself....or contact me here.

Education and Affiliations:

Penn State University , Masters in Counselor Education

Penn State University, Bachelors in Psychology

Florida School of Massage, Massage and Hydrotherapy 

200 hour Yoga Teacher Training

MasterCoach Training

Member, Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals 

Member, The International Association of Healthcare Practitioners

West Virginia Massage License 2010-2696 

Specific bodywork courses/workshops:

CCST, UK    Distant Cranio-Sacral Integration

Suzanne Scurlock and Lori Chinitz,  Distance Healing   

Eric Moya, CST & Working with Chronic Depletion 

Stan Gerome, Upledger SomatoEmotional Release 

Ellen Lenson, Visionary CranioSacral Work®

Jim Gallas, Barefoot Shiatsu at Esalen Institute

Tim Hutton, Upledger SomatoEmotional Release 

Karen Axelrod, Upledger CranioSacral Therapy

Giorgia Milne, Visionary CranioSacral Work®

Hugh Milne, Visionary CranioSacral Work®

Cate Miller, Intuitive Enhancement in Bodywork

Shunji Morimoto, Shiatsu

Claire Marie Miller, Integrative Reflexology® Certification

Susan Cotta, Upledger CranioSacral Therapy 

In addition to the Qualifications listed above, I have also been influenced by many healers and teachers including Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, S.N. Goenka, the Thirteen Grandmothers, Byron Katie, Jan Frazier, Norman Scrimshaw, Jo Schneiderman, Kellie Finn, Michael Loomis, Michael Broas, Karen Ball as well as those listed below with Specific courses/workshops:

Laura Day, Practical Intuition BootCamp

Heather Hobbs, 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training

Leslie Howard, Yoga for the Pelvic Floor®

Ann Kite, 5Rhythms®

Susan Wisniewski, Usui/Holy Fire Reiki 1, 2 & Master

Kimberley Lovell, ThetaHealing®, Advanced Training

Jonathan Horan, 5Rhythms® at Esalen Institute

Gestalt Therapy Intensive at Esalen Institute

Dr. Judith Orloff, 'Surrender to the Power of Intuition' Wksp 

Paul Sivert, Essentials of Shamanism

Dana and Shana Robinson, The Way of the Shaman; Extraction Healing; Shamanism and the Spirits of Nature

Sobonfu Somé, Grief Ritual

Diane Haworth, ThetaHealing®, Advanced Certification 

Peter Blum, Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Byron Katie, 'Loving What is' workskop

Emilie Conrad, Continuum Movement

Debja Steinberger, KineticWave Movement®

Peter Hendrick, Therapeutic Breathwork

Yoga Studies at Amritapuri Ashram, Kerala, India

Community Emergency Response Team Training, Greenfield, MA

Hospice Volunteer Training, Greenfield, MA