Hi!

I am Lissy, a white, invisibly disabled, neurodivergent, queer, femme, solo poly, demi-sexual human.

I grew up middle class and have spent much of my adult life below the poverty line, or just barely starting to fight my way out of it.

I have a history of complex trauma. As a result, harm reduction (and the BIPOC sex workers who defined and educated on that term) very much guide my life and my practice.

You can find me sitting or walking alone, soaking in the beauty on the land of the Ute, Diné, Hopi and Pueblo peoples - land that was stolen from people who are very much still here. I work to be in right relationship to both the people and their land that holds me, feeds me, and gets me through in a variety of ways, including giving 10% of my earnings to Indigenous led mutual aid for the Diné still resisting displacement by the US government.

I am adept at walking through the debris of versions of myself dying off. I spend a lot of time between versions of myself, as my life changes drastically on the regular. I am acutely aware of transitions and not knowing yet what comes next, and am comfortable in the discomfort that comes with the depths of things, even if sometimes I do wish that worked differently than it does.

I know in my bones that the world does not have to be like this, and work to imagine and build alternative possibilities in my work, life, and personal relationships.

My mission is to guide individuals in reclaiming their inherent wholeness and cultivating resilience amidst life's challenges and inevitable disappointments.

I have expertise and extensive training in reducing stress and anxiety, depression, burnout (in both neurotypical and neurodivergent meanings), relationships, communication, mindfulness, meditation, navigating fluctuating ability levels, multiple energetic or spiritual modalities, as well as systems thinking and organizational development.

I love helping people find clarity, unshakeable competence, curiosity, playfulness, and what brings them joy.

I work with a mix of evidence backed therapeutic practices, intuition & knowing, spiritual modalities, self hypnosis, and a litany of other resources I have collected in my 20+ year quest to figure out how to be ok in this messed up world, as an Audhd human who struggles with lots of “normal” stuff.

More on my work:

My work is rooted in deep care. In the transformative power of introspection, practice, and embodied wisdom.

I know you are coming to this work with your own wisdom and experience and I want to work with you in a collaborative way. You know what works best for you. I trust that fully, and help you learn to do that too.

I am able to meet people where ever they are and we work together to identify patterns in their lives and underlying habits that come to the surface when things get hard.

I specialize in working with

• humans who may have forgotten how to have human expectations of themselves inside of the dehumanizing culture w live in
• people wanting more, wondering what else there is, and feeling like the way you were “supposed” to do things is not working or feeling good in your life
• folks who may be late discovered/suspected/diagnosed nueordivergent - I love working with you!
• queer folks
• kinky folks
• poly folks
• as well as folks who don't identify with any of that but have no problem with letting others live their lives and make their own decisions, would love to have you here, too.

I support you in being human, recognizing your wholeness, finding new coping strategies (though all coping is helpful), developing & deepening self-compassion - so you're not a constant dick to yourself in your head anymore.

I work using informed consent, harm reduction, and a strengths based approach - meaning I treat you like an equal and give you an equal say in your care, while encouraging you to see what you are good at rather than constantly focusing on areas you struggle.

I help people name & dismantle oppressive systems that have been internalized and keep you feeling stuck, imperfect, and worried you are not enough.

I support clients surviving crisis after crisis & deep grief.

I help you create a home in yourself: reconnecting to the inherent worthiness, genius, and creativity that are uniquely yours.

So.....how the hell do I do all that?

Skills, Training, & Experience:

An incomplete list of trainings I have done over the years. When I started studying all that comes into my work, I didn't know I was going to make it part of my job one day and did not keep track of things. Honestly, my adhd hates tracking all the things it drives me to learn about and this is still a challenge.

 

Coaching specific:

Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation
Integral Coaching - 1 year coaching program in SF at New Ventures West
Focusing - multiple trainings with Ann Weiser Cornell, the longest of which was a 1 year program. Ongoing regular personal focusing practice for 5 years.
Shamanic counseling with Dr. Leslie Gray 2 days at CIIS
Systems Centered Consulting training - 2 days at the 2019 conference

 

Science Backed:

Applied Neuroscience for treating Anxiety, Panic, and Worry with Catherine Pittman, PhD 18 hours
Intro to Somatic Experiencing with Peter Levine 2 days
Trauma and Telehealth with J. Eric Gentry, PhD & Melissa Westendorf, PhD, 12 hours
Clinical Applications of Polyvagal Theory in Trauma Treatment: Integrating the Science of Safety, Trust, Self-Regulation and Attachment with Stephen Porges, PhD, Deb Dana, LCSW, & Linda Curran 7 days
Integrative Hypnotherapy with Melissa Tiers (evidence backed in treating pain, trauma, and IBS) 8 days
Years of participation & ongoing practice in many different trainings through Systems Centered Training & Research Institute in living human systems (think: relationships) & organizational development

The following evidence based modality trainings were completed under a range of therapists via Modern Health, at least 8 hours of training in each:
Motivational Interviewing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectic Behavioral Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Spiritual trainings:

1 year psychic development in the lineage of Berkeley Psychic Institute
Four Fold Way - year long program with Angeles Arrien (half completed, she passed during the session)
Tarot trainings with Angeles Arrien
200 hour Yoga Teacher Training
Quest - multi-day quest alone, fasting, on land. Held by Trice Bonney. 1 year as participant, Co-anchored 1 year.
Shamanic tools for liberation with Langston Kahn 2 day workshop at CIIS
2 week silent vipassana retreat
Tons of meditation time & dharma talks with lots of different teachers internationally, most recently Rev Angel Kyoto Williams.
Many breath work and pranayama trainings over the years

 

Personal Practices:

The Artists Way - multiple rounds in the last 8 years
Dance - this was my major in college. I practice regularly and study new styles every couple years as I am able (big gaps in practice due to disability).
Somatic release & explorative movement - 10 years on and off. Regular committed practice since 2020.
Silent meditation, vipassana - regular practice for 19 years
Breath work - regular practice for 19 years
Energy Running Visualizations - regular practice for 6 years
Self hypnosis - 15 years
Journaling - my whole life on and off, very intensely for long periods and then I usually stop for 6 months. :)
Reading & writing poetry - 20+ years
Trance work is woven through lots of this - 20 years experience bringing both myself and others in and out of trance.
Regular Ceremony and Ritual - I lose this practice sometimes when health or disability are really in flux. I create these for myself and learn from both more than human, and human teachers. Trice Bonney, Angeles Arrien, Sandra Ingerman, and Langston Kahn are my main teachers in this realm.
Movement - strength, dance, and outdoor walks have been staples in my life forever. I started working out on purpose at 10 and never looked back.