Embodying Possibilities

I can't remember a time when I wasn't insatiably curious about movement, art and the experience of being human. I danced, swam and practiced gymnastics as a child, but rolling around on the floor, flailing, falling and wiggling was my favourite way to move and explore "what could my body do?"

 

I first started coaching and teaching athletics in my teens, and have been an educator of contemplative practices for over 20 years. I've worked within various pedagogical systems, from yoga (RYT500), meditation and pilates to flow arts, dance, creative writing and somatics, whether in the studio system, one-on-one, or volunteering with underserved populations. 

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Trauma-responsible methodologies have been part of my teaching practice since 2005. I have been studying Somatics since 2009 and began professional training and graduate research in the field in 2015 (York University Dance MA, Laban-Bartenieff, Body-Mind Centering). I am an active member of ISMETA, registered RSMT/E (Registered Somatic Movement Therapist & Educator) living and creating in Onguiaahra, the traditional shared lands of the Chonnonton, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples, also known as the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. I am a first-generation Canadian of Irish heritage. ​

 

Being alive on this planet exposes us to a vast range of possible encounters. I live and work from the belief that while our experiences may be defining, they don't define us. We are not a list of labels, diagnoses or demographics, and we don't belong in little boxes. Some of the direct experiences I've known that don't define me include neurodivergence, developmental trauma, TBI, fertility differences, domestic violence, NDE and complex musculoskeletal injuries.

 

My healing journey began over three decades ago. Over the years, I've worked with an extensive range of practices and modalities — allopathic, alternative and experimental — and movement-based Somatics has made the greatest impact, not just for my physical health and well-being but for my personal growth and evolution. It helped me remember why I came to this beautiful blue marble, and it galvanizes my sense of purpose every day.

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I began working as an Embodiment Coach in 2010, focusing on female fertility and trauma recovery. Even back then, it was clear to me that nervous system health was the foundation for all health and well-being. I was fortunate to be ahead of the curve, but that also gave me an early look into one of the shadow sides of trauma treatment, both for practitioners and clients, which is that it can keep us stuck, reinforcing attachments to old stories and old wounds, and creating illusions around identity and selfhood. 

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We never stop growing, but there comes a time when our vitality asks us to step away from "healing" so we can live the lives we came here for. So we can create from joy and aliveness instead of rupture. During COVID, I turned my focus towards offerings that support somatically-oriented living and embodied creativity. Offerings that build more integrity into who we are as souls and human beings, not just people who've lived through hard things. 

 

While I do offer one-on-one sessions, my real passion is group work. There are so few places we can gather to move freely with one another, so it inspires me a great deal to facilitate experiences that allow us to explore the possibilities of inhabiting human form, together. 

 

If what I've shared resonates, I'd love to connect with you.