Hi! I’m Colleen~ Mama, Trauma Therapist; “Lover of Words, Trees & Travel.”
I’m also a former Yoga teacher, cancer nurse, ‘practicing poet,’ dreamer, introvert who goes crazy for full-fat vanilla custard or a bakery croissant. Yum! I believe in magic, & talk to trees, but I’ll geek out over some Neuroscience & Poly-vagal Theory like it’s my hobby.😎
I love to Teach & Share with others from my own real, very messy human life, things that inspire me, heal me, & “light me up.”
(Over the last 5 years, following a series of life events of my own,
I’ve begun to ask myself:
“Are we really just supposed to sacrifice, complain & then die?”
“Is there truly some nobility in “suffering” for the sake of it?
I decided, No!)
*Suffering not to be confused with Pain, by the way, which for all of us humans, is inevitable, (if we are present & paying any attention at all.)
But just as much as life’s inevitable challenges, disappointments, losses, & accompanied pain, I believe we All deserve to feel:
Ease, Peace, Joy, the Energy of Life Force!
(Which includes: Love, Wholeness & Abundance~our Soul’s True Nature.)
Thanks to so many “Teachers” (who showed up in my life right on time), I now believe these tenants, & it’s shifted my whole frame. I’m now embracing that I’m a Creative who values Connection in Community;
I’m noticing that engaging with life this way renews my sense of curiosity & opens new space for what feels possible, what feels like “alive.”
I’m now reveling in the benefits of feeling connected~ & in ‘coherence’ (that feeling you get when someone “gets you”, when you feel seen).
To me, there is no better high than tuning in to the part of yourself that feels like “magic” & hanging out in spaces where this ‘favorite self’ is celebrated, like right here, among fellow creatives.🤗
A big part of what makes this possible for me; a big part of my own healing & transformation (along with writing) has been educating myself on the nervous system, practicing specific body-based tools, & creating nourishing routines.
*Did you know, that Trauma has an “energy” component to it?
That we can’t “panic” in a relaxed body?
That every thought we have has a chemical attached to it?!
So I ask myself, “Am I downloading cortisol right now with this thought?”
(& So much more!)
In addition to learning some cool insights about the brain & the nervous system, which have helped me to establish nourishing daily routines that support my wholeness, & enrich my vitality;
I’m so excited that I’ve found my way back to Writing!
Writing is as a way to connect with my Center, to create, to surprise myself, to find out what I really think & feel, to heal, and to step into my soul’s desires.
I’m so excited to be here, to Learn, to Grow & to Share Writing with you!
Writing ‘Lights me up!’ Writing is my Soul Medicine.
What Lights you up? (I’d love to hear :-)
Here in “Writing & Nervous System as Medicine: My Body, My Pen,” I will:
✨Share body-based Nervous System Tools, Resources, Routines, Rituals, & Practices that, (in addition to helping clients I’ve worked with in therapy,) have helped me personally in my own life (self-regulate & access choice)
✨Share semi-regular psycho-education about the brain, & cognitive tools for shifting “Automatic Negative Thoughts,” shame spirals, etc. These will both inherently weave their way in & be intentional.
✨Share my Poems, Stories, Musings, strengths & struggles (as a messy human & practicing writer) committed to personally engaging in this creative, nurturing practice (& I invite you join me).
✨I may write about Attachment styles, & perhaps even inner child wounding (based on the groundbreaking work of Richard Schwartz, MD who coined “Internal Family Systems.”) And Please do let me know if there is a topic you’d like me to write about.
✨I invite you to “come as you are;” embracing a philosophy for soul-led humans who crave “belonging,” over “fitting in.” *See Brene Brown’s work:
✨As I grow here, I hope to create a “community” of tenderness & truth;
✨where gathering feels like safety; a “coming home” to our “favorite” selves;
✨where readers feel invited to share, pick up anything useful, & leave the rest.
If this sounds like a space for you, I hope you’ll decide to Follow along.
I Believe…
✨that we All possess a Sacred Center, a Life Force that makes us, “Us.”
✨that learning to listen to & trust our own sacred voice is powerful medicine;
✨that tapping in to the wisdom of our body renders it a “magic wand” for possibility;
✨the belief that we all have a story, many stories that shape our lives, & that in fact,
✨ “the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves become the life we are living.”
✨that stories live in our very cells, & I believe harnessing this truth through any kind of writing has the power to shape our narrative, (what we believe to be true about ourselves).
✨that Writing offers us ‘Agency’ over our own lives.
✨that Writing gives Choice & restores Hope.
✨that Writing is Creating & Creating is life-affirming.
I invite you to walk with me as I grow this creative space. I feel called to share with you my own gentle, but fierce return home to the wisdom of my body, the center of my soul & the evolution of my story.
As I write about what it means to heal in a world that rushes, perform in a culture that forgets, and belong in a body that remembers, I believe my words may resonate with anyone navigating grief, pain, or presence; with those struggling to feel “at choice” in their lives, & perhaps those seeking either a holy return or a wild new beginning.
You can look forward to forthcoming Sacred Spaces~ Both Free & Paid Offerings, including gathering circles & courses designed especially for women interested in finding their way back home to ease & joy in their bodies and peace & possibility in their minds through nervous system healing, poetic inquiry, and embodied spirituality.
Your readership gifts you advance invitations & special sacred offerings.
Subscribe below to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives. I’ve got lots of ideas & things to share! Can’t wait to meet you!
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