Sarah’s Start

In her own words:

My belief is that when we meet ourselves with understanding and compassion then we free ourselves to show up more in our lives the way we want. And by addressing where we do have power as opposed to what is out of our control, we can step outside of the blame/shame spiral that can get us feeling quite stuck.

I was a stay at home mom with my 2 young boys, now 10 and 8. I felt like something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what “it” was. I struggled with very low energy and had a very critical inner voice. I also felt extremely powerless, as the work I was doing was not given monetary value, which is one of the big ways we get a sense of worth in our culture. As an attempt to figure out the problem, I pointed the finger at myself, claiming that if only I were more motivated, clever and resourceful I wouldn’t be struggling so much. My husband and boys were not safe from my judgmental and blaming thoughts. Some of my worst moments found me locked inside a closet to get away from the demands of my boys or collapsed and crying on the kitchen floor due to severe depletion and hopelessness. To say I was uncomfortable is an understatement.

I started seeing Julia, who would quickly become my mentor. What I experienced in her office was a profound sense of relief and understanding. It was so significant that right away I realized that whatever she was “doing”, I wanted to do. I wanted to offer that same feeling of understanding and compassion to every one I met. I persistently asked Julia to mentor me. And she did.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.”
~Rumi

Complete Change

Since the time I started working with Julia, my life looks completely different than it once did. But most importantly, I feel completely different in my life. I feel much more engaged, energized and resourceful. This is not to say that I’ve got it all figured out. From time to time, I still struggle with feelings of powerlessness or that nagging critical voice. But I now have tools that help me to understand what is happening for me and how I can get outside support. Sharing these tools and helping others move at a place of greater self-compassion, connection and resourcefulness is my work.

I incorporate my background as a bodyworker and birth doula with my training in Radical Therapy and Skills For Change to provide a safe space to inspire self-compassion.