Hi, I’m Catherine. 👋

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Self-Trust Coach, podcast host, empath, mystic, mom of two, and writer.

My Story

I have always been passionate about healing, transformation, and deep growth.

From my earliest awareness, my soul has felt connected to the eternal NOW, the wholeness of all that is.

As I grew up, I felt so many pressures to be good, do good, and conform to what was expected of me, that I lost touch with my connection to that ever-present unity for many years. I lost my connection to myself, and to the divine within me. I had to hide so many lovely parts of myself away to feel acceptable to others, and to be “acceptable to God.”  I lived an over-controlled life, with lots of people-pleasing without and internal critics within, keeping everything in place.

When I found mindful self-compassion, and learned about emotional intelligence, things finally started to change. I learned about codependency, and how to be a separate person. I learned how to be angry instead of stuffing unwanted feelings. And I kept growing and learning.

Internal Family Systems transformed my life.

When I personally started doing Internal Family Systems therapy, everything started falling into place. I was able to befriend the parts of me that overcontrolled me, the parts that tried to be perfect, and the ones that tried to please everyone else. I was able to bring home and heal the parts that were exiled. And I started making my internal world a wonderful place to be again.

Now, it has the tree of life at it’s center, and it is lush and abundant, and everyone gets along.

I captured this transformation of my inner world in my book I AM: Poems for Expansion and Renewal.

Here’s a taste:

I am home

I am home

I can’t say I wandered far away

 

More like…

Parts of me were missing

 

They got

Stuffed down

Shoved in a closet

Stuck in the basement

Swallowed

Ignored

Locked outside

 

But now

They’ve been welcomed home

And I am all of me

And I am here

I want this for you too. I want this level of deep healing, of deep knowing, of deep trust in yourself to have your back, to love yourself, and to always, always be your ally, support, and guide. It is possible.

Come join me. Come home to yourself.


I help people who feel and care deeply to reconnect to their inner wisdom, reclaim their playfulness, and liberate through collective care.

I am hungry to keep learning and living decolonization in all it’s facets; to imagine and embody integrated, mycellium-style lives together.

I am a recovering people-pleaser; an empathic, neuroqueer, intuitive, white female; a decolonizing exvangelical mystic; a cis-gendered, ace, thin, spoonie, in a heteronormative relationship. I name what I know of myself at this time in my journey, to let you know that whatever your personal identifications and passions at this moment, you are welcome here.

Outside of work, I am an avid podcast-listener, book-lover, and parent to two amazing kids who invite me into the adventure of every-day life, and partner to a very tall husband who makes me laugh and helps me rest.

To hear more of my story, check out this podcast playlist.

A bit more about me

I have a quirky, neurodiverse sense of humor. For example, I love the Ring Lardner Jr. quote, “he gave her a look you could have poured on a waffle.” It just cracks me up. This is just one of many quotes I have collected over time. Chalk it up to an enduring special interest: quote collection. A more inspiring quote I’ve saved is: “you’ll never know who you are until you shed who you pretend to be” (Vironika Tuglev).

I am mystical, magical, spiritual, and soulful. I love deep conversation, writing, reflecting, and being in nature. I connect with wisdom and contemplative traditions, and consider myself an animist. I often feel like I am channeling and connecting with the wider world when I’m writing.

I enjoy weaving spiritual practices, astrology, ancestor healing, somatic and energy work, hynotherapy, the Enneagram, EMDR, and of course my favorite modality, Internal Family Systems, into counseling/coaching. Connecting with the Core Self of IFS is connecting with your soul, and that naturally connects you with the divine in and around all things.

One of the things I like about ADHD is the amount of creativity it generates. I am constantly coming up with new creative frameworks, ways of looking at things, and artistic creations. I have to have a creative outlet at all times. Before I was a busy parent, one of my creative outlets was cooking. I loved trying new recipes and flavor combinations. These days, my creativity mostly comes out in my counseling, coaching, and writing.

I love reading. Listening to a good audiobook while doing a puzzle is one of my favorite ways to rest. My favorite author is TJ Klune. The way he creates relationships of deep belonging and bonding is magical.

My favorite singer is Erin McKeown. I love her quirky, playful vibe and the range of genres she uses.

Playful, creative, and mystical

Follow me on Substack for musings, reflections, and insights on self-trust, as well as access to my podcast Who We Are & What We Need.

To read more, check out my books of poetry, journals, and neurodiversity resources.

To come home to yourself and befriend yourself, check out my signature programBefriend Yourself: An IFS Sanctuary to transform your inner critic and find your inner ally.