m e n t o r s h i p

I have faith in your creative process

Prioritizing a creative practice can help you to:

• rebuild trust and confidence in yourself

• Be more open to new ideas & find new pathways

• see things from different perspectives

• integrate new  information on a somatic level

• stay centered and grounded in stressful or disorienting situations

• feel more resourced to navigate uncertainty
  

• have patience for the process - good days, frustrating days, slow days, in between days - and learning how to move with all of them

• feel like there is something to look forward to
  

Mentorship is always a Collaboration

Whether you are 'just' looking for an accountability buddy to help you make space for more creative time in your life - or you're ready to take your practice deeper, I am absolutely thrilled to co-create a space for you to share what you're working on and to support you in the process of orienting to what feels most alive for you.  Creativity is the opposite of survival mode - let's try out how it feels to thrive.

Let's talk about your big ideas!  We can spend time sitting/walking next to the river and bring our sketchbooks - or that sweater you've been knitting.  Let's work in your garden while you tell me about the book you're reading or the podcast you just listened to.  We can go through your karaoke playlist and sing along (yes, I will scream with you!)  We can review the letter you want to send to your best friend you've been having hard conversations with.  I especially love the processes of block printing and hand-building pottery.  Show me the play you're writing or motorcycle you're repairing - the possibilities are truly endless!

m E D I A T I O N

Every process is different!   Navigating conflict is not a formula.  It's more of a "choose-your-own-adventure"

Traditional mediation is usually focused on 'conflict resolution.'  I'm more interested in supporting your relationship.  We begin with an initial check in so I can get a little more information about the situation - to assess if I am a good fit, answer questions you might have and identify any of the potential 'conflicts of interest' that living, working and loving in a small community may bring up.

I have not yet experienced a scenario in which the conflict was fully resolved in one session.

I strongly prefer *at least* one follow up session.  In some situations this has been 2 weeks later, or a month, or even a year.  Sometimes with 1:1 support from me in between, and often with support from individual therapists, etc.   Sessions are 1.5 hours to begin with

Making Hard things feel a little bit easier

Much of my job involves holding space and being present in a way that makes hard things feel a little bit easier.  Because I am holding this space, you don't have to.  It can take a lot of pressure off a situation when you feel seen, heard and that your feelings/experiences are valid.  Because so many of us live in a world that constantly denies the truth of our lived experience, it can be difficult to listen until after we feel heard.  That's where I come in.   I can begin to listen to your stories individually and help identify pathways and points of connection for when you are ready to bring them together.

It will likely not be a linear process, and might involve spirals and coming a bit unstuck in time or moving backwards to change direction.  And perhaps, like a planet in retrograde, it is only the appearance of moving backwards. 

It is also not necessary to revisit every little thing from the past in an effort to untangle painful scenarios - that can be like yanking on a knot, only making it tighter and causing more pain in the process.

It is possible, however, to identify underlying needs and behaviors that make up the overall pattern, and to work with them  so that they become less in conflict and more in collaboration.  Part of that is understanding what those needs/behaviors are in response to; and how we are shaped, mirrored and echoed by the world, our communities and each other.  

Weather/Activity permitting, I prefer to meet outside when possible

I have noticed, both for myself when I am feeling some kind of way, and also for the folks I've worked with, that meeting outside often brings a feeling of greater ease and connection by taking away some of the anxiety of being in a small room with the person they are in conflict with.  Meeting outside can feel more spacious - allowing us more room to move and breathe.  There is a spot by the river that I absolutely adore - I feel like just being there immediately turns the volume down on any difficult feelings I'm experiencing.   I also love a kitchen table, stoop or porch setting.  You are welcome to share with me any places you find especially grounding!

Meeting virtually is not usually where I do my best work, but if there are reasons why that feels like your best option, let's talk about it.

You can't have conflict without relationship 

    I feel like this is so often why, when we are looking for an end to a particularly painful conflict, we instead end the relationship.  This also has something to do with not recognizing the conflict/pain inside of ourselves and how this comes out, often in our most important relationships - which are more than just romantic partners!  Sometimes this involves desires, needs, behaviors and patterns that we have been previously unaware of - or are in the process of changing.  Integrating this new awareness into an existing relationship can feel painful and challenging - it also has the possibility to feel restorative and rewarding.