My Story
Growing up on a farm in the idyllic countryside of Willamette Valley Oregon, my siblings and I were surrounded by animals and nature. Some of my earliest memories include bottle feeding a baby lamb, raising pheasants to release into the wild, and riding (more accurately, falling off) my sister’s horse named Redwing.
Unfortunately, not everything in my childhood was as idyllic and pleasant. I had to learn early on how to navigate and live with an abusive alcoholic father. I developed many coping mechanisms to protect myself. But deep down, I lived in an intense state of fear and anxiety.
Unfortunately, not everything in my childhood was as idyllic and pleasant. I had to learn early on how to navigate and live with an abusive alcoholic father. I developed many coping mechanisms to protect myself. But deep down, I lived in an intense state of fear and anxiety.
Thank goodness for sports and my big family!
Even among the chaos, a game of pickup basketball would organically begin on our gravel court. With six of us kids, we had an instant team and it was being part of that team that brought me the most comfort and safety.
Sports began taking me places in life. I earned a full-ride scholarship to play Division I basketball at Santa Clara University. Then, I moved to Portland, Oregon where I became the graduate assistant basketball coach for the University of Portland women’s team earning the national honor of “Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year.”
After three years at the University of Portland, I earned an M.B.A, which led me to a 15 year career in Public Relations. Not bad for a small-town farm girl from rural Oregon.
Sports began taking me places in life. I earned a full-ride scholarship to play Division I basketball at Santa Clara University. Then, I moved to Portland, Oregon where I became the graduate assistant basketball coach for the University of Portland women’s team earning the national honor of “Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year.”
After three years at the University of Portland, I earned an M.B.A, which led me to a 15 year career in Public Relations. Not bad for a small-town farm girl from rural Oregon.
On paper my life up to this moment reads full, busy, and successful. But something was missing. Something big and too important to ignore another day. I felt disconnected and unfulfilled.
I first started seeing a therapist when I was a college athlete. The tremendous stress of being a student-athlete coupled with the trauma from my childhood took a toll. On and off therapy visits throughout my 20s and 30s helped a little, but it wasn’t until my late 30s when I was ready to embrace change. That’s when I met with an incredible therapist on a weekly basis who helped me through the painful process of divorce.
“Not till we are lost... do we begin to find ourselves.” --Henry David Thoreau, Walden
I’ll never forget my therapist’s wise counsel asking me to “get out of my head and into my heart” over and over. I would walk in, start rambling confusion and chaos from my head and eventually she would ask me to take a deep breath and get in touch with my heart. It was the first time in my life I even realized there was a connection between my head and my heart. She gave me the gift of beginning to reconnect with my true self.
“Where The Head & Heart Meet”
With this outside perspective and guidance, my life started shifting. I began trusting my instincts and noticing when my heart felt inspired to do something rather than my head (over)thinking I “should” do something. It was a completely new way of interacting with the world. I actually started feeling joy sneak back into my life.
Which led me to read an Oprah magazine article about horse whisperer and master life coach, Koelle Simpson. Following my instincts and saying “yes” to my heart’s desires, I found myself on a beautiful horse ranch near San Diego just two months later attending an Equus workshop focused on “Finding Your Presence.”
Which led me to read an Oprah magazine article about horse whisperer and master life coach, Koelle Simpson. Following my instincts and saying “yes” to my heart’s desires, I found myself on a beautiful horse ranch near San Diego just two months later attending an Equus workshop focused on “Finding Your Presence.”
Giddy up! Life was living me, and for the first time, I trusted in its wisdom.
That trust, and my desire to live an authentic and fulfilling life led me to apply for an intensive training course from Koelle Simpson to become an Equus Coach. Along my own personal journey the horses have spotlighted so many patterns and life lessons. A wise horse named Tinkerbell taught me about my relationship with money. And perhaps my favorite story is about Velvet, a horse I will never forget, who taught me more in one day about unconditional love than I could have hoped for in a lifetime.
To close, as I continue to take this work out into the world, I’d like to give thanks to everyone who has helped me along my journey. I’m honored to be surrounded by so much support, love, and wisdom.
To close, as I continue to take this work out into the world, I’d like to give thanks to everyone who has helped me along my journey. I’m honored to be surrounded by so much support, love, and wisdom.
There’s one person I’d like to call out in particular to say “thank you” and that’s my dad up in heaven. Through this work, I now understand. I feel your love and I love you back. Your strength and wisdom was beyond all of us.