Geese have been loving spiritual companions on my healing journey. It is an honor to be part of the Wild Geese family. In order to be part of this sacred “clan,” we must be willing and able to fly on our own and to work with, as opposed to working separately from, each other. We learn how to support one another and tend to those who are more injured. We help each other heal. Many of us are recovering from many harrowing life experiences; and yet, within ourselves and each other we find the strength, courage, and humility to fly on. Ultimately, we are flying each other Home - back to the light of our own beings.
All broken-winged, bruised, and mangled birds are welcomed to the sanctuary. It may take some of us many years to recover, but once we do, we are then able to support and guide others on their individual healing journeys. I have come to such place, and welcome you, however injured or lost or tired, under the care of my goose wing. You are welcomed by me and by my many feathered friends.
About Wild Geese Sanctuary
I was born just outside New Orleans and raised in small town Colorado. Every cell in my body lights up when I hear Cajun music and when I see majestic peaks. I miss the snowy winters of Colorado, but I love living in the PNW where I have access to the water and mountains.
I enjoy nature, dancing, camping, biking, hiking, xc skiing, hot springs, poetry, big breakfasts, and baked goods. I love exploring new areas and I am quite fond of solo adventures. I spend a lot of time down in Portland for various bodywork and somatic healing trainings. I consider myself a lifelong student (and have the student loans to show for it!).
I engage in regular inner healing work and my spirituality is important to me. I value the ethical principles of yoga philosophy and try to live in alignment with these principles in my personal and professional life. I care deeply for the world and all forms of life. I love meaningful and authentic connections with people, which is part of why I love being a therapist.
About Me
My Healing Journey
I entered the mental health field as many providers do - injured and in desperate need for the same healing that I passionately tried to help others acquire. Having spent most of my life disassociated and disconnected from my body, I did not understand just how wounded I was when I entered the field. I worked primarily with children and adolescents for the first part of my career. As soon as I opened my practice to adults, I realized I carried many of the same unhealed wounds as women with complex trauma. As is often the case for women, I began experiencing unexplained health problems, flashbacks, and declined mental/emotional health in my early thirties that ultimately led to a major health crash.
I suffered greatly from a highly activated nervous system and symptoms labeled by western psychology as Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder. I sought out support from many therapists over the years and never fully felt seen or met. It seemed as though the providers I stumbled upon were just as injured as I was and their modalities for healing were ineffective for my complex childhood injuries. I learned that we cannot guide someone where we have not had the courage or strength to go ourselves.
At some point along the way, I decided to take initiative to heal myself. I engage in regular meditation, yoga, mindfulness, and qigong practices. I was able to heal many of my wounds on my own by bringing loving presence to the most painful places. I believe all emotional injuries, no matter how complex and deep, can be healed by loving presence.
Even though I was able to access a lot of healing on my own, I found that it was difficult to heal more complex wounds without the support of fellow humans. Being cared for, deeply tended to, and held by others provided me with nourishment and the feeling of being “met” on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. I learned one of my greatest lessons in this life - and what has come to be the intention and message behind Wild Geese Sanctuary: We are here to help each other heal and we do this by being deeply present with ourselves and each other.
The best support I found came not from other mental health therapists, but from biodynamic massage therapists because they were present with the resources and pain I stored deep inside my body. Receiving bodywork from biodynamic practitioners helped me heal from early attachment wounds, sexual violations/abuse, complex childhood trauma, ancestral trauma, and long held grief - all of which were at the root of my mental, emotional, and physical health struggles. I learned that many of the symptoms that troubled me over the years were my body’s way of communicating with me that I had underlying wounds and imbalances that needed my attention and care.
I share my story with you because it informs my practice as a Biodynamic Therapist. By learning to be present with the depths of my own light and darkness, I acquired the skill to be present with others in theirs. I learned not only how to give loving support to myself and others, but to receive it as well - something many people, especially women, tend to struggle with. I believe all my life experiences aided in me becoming an authentic, loving, kind, strong, and compassionate sister goose in the flock. Honk Honk!