Services

Field Guide for Life

“There is nothing to do. Only something to know.”

Life can be hard. You need a field guide not a guru. I am here to help.

I’ve been there in the dark.

There was a time when I had developed close relationships with depression, addiction, negative self-talk, poor body image, loss, rage, disconnection, hopelessness and despair. I was at war with myself and the more I fought the more there was war, conflict and destruction. For years I struggled to get up in the morning, the darkness crowding around me like a shroud. I was so disconnected from my body that I couldn’t tell if I was hungry or full and I packed on extra pounds and added the self loathing that often goes with it. I felt utterly stuck in my relationships and had no idea how to be a loving parent to my kids or how to be a partner, a sister or a friend.

I was constantly distracting myself with addictive behaviors, eating, shopping, gaming, TV. I didn’t know how to deal with the past, the emotional scars and the perpetual wounding from the painful relationships in my life. I suffered bouts of PTSD from childhood abuse and trauma, both physical and psychological. I didn’t have any idea how to confront the truth or be authentic. I reacted instead of responding because I was in a perpetual state of panic and survival. In short, I didn’t know the landscape, the environment and ecosystem that was ME. I felt like a stranger in a strange land.

I was completely unaware of the many parts of myself, the wise woman, the conniver, the liberator, the victim, the wounded child, the critic, the wanderer, the homeless, the deceiver, the defender, the manipulator, the innocent and many more. Some of those parts I embraced and others I completely rejected. Through years of study, experimentation and just plain living I learned to accept all my parts, to identify and understand their unique contribution to the overall balance of my inner ecosystem.

It was like I had created a detailed field guide for my life.  An internal map of my life and its unique needs. I carved the special tools I needed to navigate my relationships and situations. What I gained was a home for my soul. I have found peace even during turmoil or upset. I learned to practice forgiveness and accountability. I manage the environment in an effort to be congruent with my nature. Sometimes people will ask me, “how did you do it?” My only answer is this: I didn’t do anything. I only came to truly know myself and the “doing” happened on its own.

 
If you would like to work together I offer a program to help you create your own field guide for life. My philosophy is made up of four main ideas:
 
  • You already have the answers within you.
  • There are many paths that lead to home.
  • Your way is the way.
  • You are the hero of your own life. 

The GuideWork Program

Here is a template for the type of process we could do together:
 
    • Start where you are
    • Discover your dark side
    • Stand in your emptiness
    • Invent your symbols
    • Write for discovery
    • The power of narration
    • Becoming present with your body/mind
    • Create balance with your nature
    • Make your own map
    • Create the field guide
    • Coming home to yourself
If you are interested in doing GuideWork with me and would like to schedule a free consultation by phone to see if we would be a good fit you can fill out the form on the connect page. I work by phone in 1, 2 or 3 hour sessions at a time depending on your preference at $100 dollars an hour.
 
As of 2022 I am no longer accepting new clients.