Nothing is wrong with you, things happened to you! Together we can use embodied creativity for healing, liberation, and living the life you want.
Philosophy
You are not the problem...
According to the narrative worldview that my work is firmly rooted in: Problems are protests –for or against something– Directional arrows toward the life you want to create for yourself. The problems are showing up to help you get something truly wanted or needed, let’s head in that direction! You have been conditioned to tell certain stories about the things that have happened and are happening in your life. It’s essential to name the damaging influences of systems, cultural and familial power, deconstruct the shit-stories, keep the gems; and then articulate, gather, re-author and live out life-sustaining preferred stories, embodied. Get in touch if you're ready to get work.
YOU are the healer.
I am a solidarity worker. I am also a healer...of myself. I do transformational change work that values your inherent wisdom and lived experience. We will collaborate on burning down all that no longer serves you in order to create fertile soil for new growth. As an art professor for almost two decades, I used to say, “I am not the master, I am the midwife. I have tools and tricks and can tell you when to breathe and when to push, but it’s your baby!” The same could be said of therapy. I am here to help support you to become the healer of yourself.
Love-Driven, Creativity-Powered
This work is not problem-driven, it is love-driven. My work is truly affirming, rooted in the idea that unconditional love for ourselves, when combined with our innate creativity and knowing, is the strongest healing power we have. If you are thinking, "Unconditional Love?!?! For MYSELF?!?! How do I do THAT?!?!" You are not alone. Not by a long-shot. I can help. If you are thinking that you are not creative, I call bullshit. We are all creative. We just get disconnected from it. I am here to support you reconnecting with your inner healing power. Do you have to make art or be an artist to work with me? Nope. My work takes many forms. Bring your curiosity and humanity and the rest will unfold. Ready?
Trauma and Attachment
I like to say that no matter people come to see me about, it's all trauma and/or all attachment, usually attachment-trauma. This is what I'm pointing to you when I say, "Nothing is wrong with you... Things happened to you." That's not to say there aren't things that you want to change or that shit's not hard, because...this world. Whether it's what you would consider "Big T" traumas like shock traumas, accidents and other overwhelming events, or "Little t" traumas, like adverse experiences, chronic stressors, overwhelming life transitions, what happens to us has a profound effect on our well-being and capacities. Attachment refers to the quality of relationships in our lives going all the way back, but also includes adult relationships. The love, care and esteem we receive as babies and young children forms the embodied foundation of how we see and feel abut ourselves as adults. Together we can support you to heal from relational ruptures and harms of the past to create the secure relationships you want in the present, including a secure attachment with yourself. Say yes learning to love yourself.
Relationships
My work with relationships is grounded in the idea that life is multi-storied. I help people in relationship learn to name problems problem-names (rather than each other's names) so we can team up against the problems. I help folx in romantic, sexual, friendship, familial and other relationships stay embodied with difficulty in order to learn how to stay present and loving, even while navigating challenging circumstances. People will often say to me, "I never want to hurt or disappoint them." And I tell them I have bad news and good news for them: The bad news is that we will hurt and disappoint each other if we are living our lives as human beings. The good news is that we can learn how to care for and repair hurts and disappointments in ways that honor the humanity and dignity of everyone involved. No subject is off-limits or taboo in my work. I am gender, sex, kink, queer and poly affirming. I want to stand up to shame and fear and support healing and liberation. I love teaching people in relationship how to make real apologies and learn how to heal from past hurts and create the lives they are dreaming of together. Reach out for help with your relationships now.
Real help for whole humans
I work with individuals, couples and poly relationships, families, and older adolescents. My work soars with queers and genderføçkÄ™rs of all stripes, artists and other creatives (or aspiring creatives), BIPOC and "mixed" folx, justice-doers, seekers, tender-hearted smartasses and self-proclaimed weirdos. I work with your whole being mind-body-spirit and see this work as holistic spiritual, intellectual, creative work not medical treatment. You may find I use some unusual language, for example: I don't ever refer to the people I work with as patients. More often I will say consultants or people I work with, or even humans to reaffirm that I am not the expert in anyone's life but my own and to try to stand against the Medical-Industrial Complex which would have us believing that we are (or have) the problem inside of us rather than acknowledging the systemic problems that create what gets called mental illness, because that would mean systems of power would need to take responsibility and create change. Don't get me wrong, Things feel just awful sometimes and we definitely live with problems we want and need to work to change. Our job is to help you see yourself within a context and a history and to story it, embodied, creatively in ways that support your well-being, wholehearted living, and ultimately all our liberation. I'm good at my job. I love my job. I will support you to become good at and love your job too.
We are on Native land.
I live and work on Dakota and Anishinaabe land in Mni Sota Makoce known now as Minnesota. The place we call the US has always been and will always be Indigenous land with Indigenous folx living and working in community always and still. I stand in solidarity with the Dakota and Anishinaabe and the other Native nations in my adoptive home state. I hope you will join me in acting in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbors by donating time and money to Indigenous-led groups. Supporting Indigenous arts and artists. Raising up the voices and concerns of Indigenous people in grassroots organizations working on systemic and local change. Supporting and fighting for the return of Native lands. Here's one place to start. You can also check out Indian Country Today, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, All My Relations Gallery or donate to help Stop Line 3.