Hello and Welcome!

A little bit about myself…..I began teaching yoga and meditation in 2008 after 18 years in corporate life. These practices, however, began at a very early age and have been a source of ongoing support for my body, heart and mind. I included Internal Family Systems (IFS) with personal work first and then training in 2015. I have been working one-on-one with clients since 2016.

My intention is to offer methods to clearly see and work with our conditioned patterns - at the root of how and why we suffer - using one, two or all three of these modalities.

Through psychological therapeutic practices such as IFS (more on what this is below), yoga and meditation we can, over time, develop more responsiveness in our system in place of reactivity.

When difficult events inevitably arise in our lives these practices allow us the opportunity to have more capacity to be with what is, which can result in a feeling of grounding and openness.

In my case, I realized at a pivotal moment in my life that my reactivity to fear was having impact on how I was living (or not living) my life. I began to move towards the fear slowly with interest and curiosity to understand the conditioned behavior to allow for the healing process.

I believe my teaching is an expression of sharing my personal practices and experiences out loud. I believe that everyone deserves to have access to the teachings that have been so instrumental in my growth and development.

I have worked extensively in corporate environments, yoga studios and with incarcerated young girls in the juvenile justice system and in mental health facilities as well as under-resourced women recovering from addiction.

I have completed Level 1, Level 2 (with emphasis on Shame, Anxiety and Depression) Level 3 training and workshops on trauma, group healing and inner critic work in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) psychotherapeutic model. I am an IFS Practitioner. I am not a psychotherapist. I am also an Insight Yoga Institute Endorsed Teacher and a Mindfulness Training Institute (Martin Aylward and Mark Coleman) certified teacher.

I offer one-on-one and group psychological mentoring with clients integrating one or all of the following: IFS, meditation, yoga and Buddhist teachings.

While integrating IFS with my long-standing yoga and meditation practices has been transformational for my healing, it is important that you find what feels most resonant for you. I am honored to work with you in the discovery of your healing journey.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that was developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. This approach is based on the idea that every person has parts within them (how we naturally say “a part of me feels…”). These parts often have different beliefs, emotions, and desires, and they can conflict with each other, causing inner turmoil and distress.

The IFS approach suggests that these parts are not just random aspects of a person's personality, but rather they serve as a protective mechanism that develops over time as a way of coping with life's challenges. According to IFS, every part of a person has a positive intention and a unique role in protecting the individual from harm.

In the IFS model, the work involves identifying these different parts and understanding their roles and intentions. The purpose is to help develop a relationship with each part, and to learn how to communicate with them effectively. By doing this, healing the conflicts that exist between the different parts can begin, creating a sense of inner harmony and balance.

One of the key principles of IFS is the idea of the Self. The Self is the understanding that we are capable of self-awareness, empathy, and compassion. The Self can hold all of the parts with love and acceptance, and can bring about healing and transformation.

IFS can be used to work with a number of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship conflicts. It can be used with individuals, couples, families, and groups, and it can be integrated with other therapeutic modalities, as well.

My relationship to IFS and working together…

In my own journey of healing, personal growth and development, I began as a client to explore the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapeutic model, which resonated with me deeply. This model gifted (and continues to gift) me the vocabulary that I had been missing to meet my inner experience with compassion and clarity. I trained as an IFS Practitioner, and have completed Level 1 and Level 2 (with an emphasis on Shame, Anxiety and Depression) and Level 3 training, as well as a number of additional trainings related to trauma, inner critic work and group healing. I have assisted a Level 1 IFS training and inner critic workshops in teaching these skills to others.

If you are interested in working together one-on-one using IFS (and including yoga and/or meditation at your option), I offer a 30-minute complimentary introductory session so that we can meet, you can ask any questions that you have of me and to see that we are resonant with each other. Please complete the form below to schedule your session.

I am deeply grateful for my yoga and meditation practices. They have been foundational and integral to my healing. Creating connection to my body and mind opened my heart, inviting a softening to hold myself and others more gently. We are not often in spaces (whether with family or in work dynamics) that this is true and it is important to cultivate that for ourselves.

While yogic practices do have benefits for our physical body, it also supports the clearing of our energetic channels and allows us greater physical access to our bodies to be able to sit in meditation. Whether you practice yoga, meditation or both, it is impossible to separate the impact that these practices have on your well being.

We all need teachers to help us learn and develop new skills. Once we begin to establish and feel the support of these practices, we can cultivate our inner ability to listen to ourselves. Often when I come to my practice, I begin with the inquiry: “What is it that I need right now?” - allowing the question some time to filter into my cellular structure, I wait to hear the response.

Trusting and then moving from what arises to guide how my yoga and meditation practice will unfold. In the beginning, this was difficult. Many times I would receive no response or questioning that I even knew what I needed. Integrating a Loving Kindness (Metta) meditation practice to nourish and soften the heart can be so helpful. Asking again with kindness and compassion and allowing what is needed to be seen and heard.

As we begin to attend to body, heart and mind to ask what it is that we need, we can also extend this question to our parts. Once we begin to gain understanding of the parts in our system, this inquiry can be invaluable to acknowledge and validate when parts have been activated and need attention.

Silent Retreat: Yoga, Meditation and IFS Exploration | Dates coming soon!

Join me in Mallorca, Spain at the intimate Tramuntana Flow Retreat Center.