Find me in nature…
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve being outdoors and using my body to do something that felt a bit risky. Adrenaline was my go-to drug for calmness, whether I was climbing trees, telling my dad to speed up when I was water skiing, or jumping off a church roof because a neighborhood boy dared me. In these moments of high intensity, my emotional pain was quieted.
One of my favorite things about me today is my ability to take risks. Whether it's climbing a mountain that takes my breath away or having the hard conversation that needs to be had, I don't shy away from the risk of experiencing the possibility of goodness, beauty, and connection. I enjoy taking good risks!
If I have learned one thing from doing my own story work, and being in small groups of women also doing the work of healing, it is this...
Healing can feel risky! Letting others see us in stories where we were once violated and shamed involves the risk of someone's response.
What if...
What if I am really too much, too bad, or too difficult?
What if I really am not enough and don't matter?
What if my vulnerability is used against me or taken advantage of?
I can't tell you to not worry about the what ifs, but I can invite you to something you haven't tried before--with people who were once in your shoes.
Working with me will involve uprooting shame and fear in order to see yourself in the glory of who you are at the core of your God-image. Not just verbalizing what you know, but experiencing deep within the power of receiving the love and attunement you have always been worthy of. And if by chance a part of you is whispering, "She has no idea how bad it is,” let me assure you, that part only needs more love. I know, because I have that part too.
*Story work is not about blaming others and getting stuck in victimhood; it is recognizing what was once NOT our fault, is now our responsibility to heal.*
We can do this!
When I am not writing, working with clients, and participating in the life-changing power of story groups, you will find me in nature, with my family, visiting music venues with my husband, camping, or maybe just sitting outside reading, and taking in the beauty of the wide-open space of the land we live on.