ABOUT
ME
My Story
I had the good fortune of growing up near woods, fields, and streams. Abundant access to these natural spaces as a child helped me feel safe, settled, and alive when I needed it most. The same is true today.
I have spent my life fascinated by wildlife, wildlife behavior, and ecosystems. I am equally fascinated by human behavior, brain science, local communities, and the intersection of each.
Photo by Janet Cathey
Guided by the idea that nature connection is every child’s birthright and nature offers an ideal classroom and play space for young children, I was honored to work in collaboration and co-create the licensed Forest Preschool at North Branch Nature Center.
As an educator, I began to notice students' trauma coming into the classroom. Having experienced trauma in my own life, I became especially curious and began to seek out information related to the impact of high levels of stress and trauma on the human nervous systems and consequently, behavior and learning. What I discovered changed the course of my professional and personal life and inspired me to go back to school to learn more.
To better serve our community, I earned a master’s degree in Special Education with a focus on and a certificate in Resiliency-Based and Trauma-Informed Practices at the University of Vermont. I also completed the three year certification training in the Somatic Experiencing at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.
Today I work with individuals and groups, including educators and administrators, providing a safe and settled presence while offering guidance using gentle somatic practices and techniques. This approach helps clients connect with their body's innate intelligence to renegotiate and resolve stress and trauma stored in the body, all the while growing resilience and nervous system capacity to meet life's challenges. Oftentimes, gentle nature connection is used to settle the nervous system and enhance resilience.
This work is collaborative, empowering, and uses consent-based practices. It capitalizes on aspects of the body and life that are working well and moves at a pace that does not overwhelm the nervous system.
In many ways, Somatic Experiencing is akin to wildlife tracking of bodily sensations and movements, images, emotions, and meaning, using gentle curiosity while offering a pathway to resolution and healing.
Positionality
I am a white, assigned female at birth (AFAB), able-bodied descendant of Central and Western European immigrants humbly living on the Western Abenaki homeland of Ndakinna. My pronouns are she/they.
Commitments
I am committed to healing, community collaboration, equity, social and environmental justice, as well as lifelong growth and learning.
The study of somatics and brain science, especially around racialized and historical trauma, deepened for me after the murder of George Floyd. This tragic event led me to understand that somatic work is an integral part of social and environmental justice work and culture change. Therefore, part of my practice is to work at the intersection of these movements.