I spent most of my life ignoring my body’s cues, intuitive knowing, and “gut” feelings because of systematic training from my former high-control religious group. Until I left at age 25, my former church taught me to override my body (she is base, sinful, of the flesh) in favor of the church’s priorities of purity culture, self-denial, and obedience to God and the church leaders. Stepping away from that structure was terrifying.

Up to this point my faith had chosen what I wore, how I spoke, who I married, what media I consumed, where I went to school, how I spent my days, how I spent my money, what my long-term goals would be, and where to put all my existential fear. I was so disconnected from my body I couldn’t locate my own needs or desires. I had forgotten how to want and wish and dream. I was paralyzed by the thought of making the “wrong” choice or pursuing the “wrong” goal. 

You might be familiar with this type of high-control self denial from your own religious upbringing, but you also might recognize it if you’ve participated in other authoritarian structures like culture-heavy work environments (“we’re a family”) or military service. Many structures thrive on convincing you to hand over your intuitive knowing for the safety of their concrete answers to life’s problems. 

For me, it started as a whisper and grew to an undeniable whole-body revolt. The closest word we have for this feeling is burnout. I’m not sure that word properly captures the feeling of carrying around the panic of a five alarm fire in a body weighed down like two tons of lead. I wanted to crawl out of my skin and scream and cry and also sleep forever. I was anxious and depressed, not because of a chemical imbalance (also real and valid for many people), but because my nervous system could not take one more day of me overriding every cue for hunger, rest, and desire in favor of goals I did not value.

My life is much less certain than when I belonged to a structure that made all my decisions for me. It can be scary and overwhelming. But in this life I eat when I am hungry, rest when I need to rest, and say no when my body says no. When someone asks what I want, who I am, or what I value I have an answer and I know it is mine. 

I started practicing Yoga at age 18, and completed my first 200-hour training at 31 through Corepower Yoga in Denver. I have been teaching 2-4 vinyasa yoga classes per week ever since! After my 200-hour foundational training, I completed a 30-hour Trauma-informed Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga certification with Dr. Arielle Schwartz out of Boulder, Colorado. This training in polyvagal theory inspired me to pursue further education in the emotional processing side of somatic work. In August 2025, I flew to Austin, TX and completed my Soma+IQ Breathwork certification through in-person training and practicum hours. 

I am also in my third year at CU Denver’s Counseling Clinical Mental Health Master’s Program. I want to support individuals who are looking for a throughline that connects their spiritual development to their mental and emotional development. As I develop my talk therapy skills alongside my somatic training, I am focused on modalities including internal family systems work, Somatic Experiencing, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. I plan to pursue EMDR as an additional modality after I complete my master’s. 

I love working in the liminal space between ancient wisdom and modern psychology. I am grateful to hold both perspectives comfortably and to support clients across the spectrum from witchy & “woo-woo” all the way to behaviorist and study-backed science minds. What’s the difference between a tarot card and a psychotherapy inkblot test? I’d love to discuss it with you!

• You’re learning to trust your body again after years of overriding it

• You’re disentangling from high-control systems religious, corporate, or cultural

• You’re burned out from doing everything “right” and want to feel right instead

• You crave spiritual meaning without dogma or performative wellness

• You’re reclaiming joy, pleasure, and intuition as acts of resistance

• You want a practice that honors both your nervous system and your spirit

• You’re looking for somatic and parts-based work to compliment or counter talk-heavy, fix-it approaches

• You’re done chasing perfection and ready to live with integrity

• You want a grounded, sustainable relationship with your body and dreams