Hi, I'm Lizzie.
Before venturing into a session, you might like to know a little more about me.
My work is as an educator and therapist. I come from a somatic ( body-based) background of yoga and bodywork (Rolfing, Rolf Movement, Craniosacral Therapy), and I have evolved my work as a trauma therapist with Compassionate Inquiry.
My own lived experience has been the entry point into this field of work, for I came to know my own body first through auto-immune disease as a young child. These early years set me on a lifetime quest for understanding illness and healing from chronic pain, which ultimately came from movement, knowledge and self-exploration. On this path, in my twenties I discovered yoga and craniosacral therapy; in my thirties, Rolfing; in my forties, Compassionate Inquiry; and in my fifties, Somatic Experiencing, NARM and Polyvagal synthesis.
My work is in creating a safe space for you to meet yourself with honesty and authenticity, and to support you with tools and resources to navigate the liminal spaces that we are all in and out of; spaces with potential for transformation.
My History
At three years old I was diagnosed with an auto-immune digestive disease. Uncertainty and lack of control were cornerstones of my youth, and have been guiding forces behind my lifelong interest finding out what it means to be well. As a teen, running was a way of quelling anxiety and tension, and in my twenties after a move from the United States to the Netherlands, I found yoga. What started out as my new way of managing my busy mind and tight hamstrings, before long, became a way of life. This was the beginning point of asking the question 'Who am I?', and having a kind of inner knowing that was my answer. Eventually I quit my day job as a creative director, and my deep yearning to foster honest connection became my life's work in the form of teacher and therapist.
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In 2013 I had a liver transplant as a result of long-term illness. By then, I had become a yoga teacher, Rolfer and craniosacral therapist, tools that proved invaluable through a complicated recovery process.
During Covid, I met Gabor Maté and found Compassionate Inquiry as a deeper dive into understanding my own trauma. I subsequently became a practitioner, private mentor, and part of the training support team.
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In 2023 I underwent a second large surgery after a cancer diagnosis. I am gratefully in remission, which remains a driving force behind my work and lifestyle.
Illness and recovery are a part of my identity, so it would seem odd not to mention it when I talk about who I am. People often ask me about my health, as in "How's your health?" The short answer is that everyone of us is in a changing body. Life experiences evolve who, and how we are, and every fork in the road can be a pivot point. These moments give our system an opportunity to become more intelligent, more sensitive...wiser. With wisdom comes a different navigation system, one that most often slows down and is more accepting.
Learning to live with what is present for me has been integral in healing, self-acceptance and moving forward. It is a cornerstone of how I live and work, and is why I am so passionate about walking alongside people going through change.
Beyond my work as a teacher and therapist, I am a mother to a neurodivergent teen, a wife, bagel maker, wannabe potter, writer, yogi, nature enthusiast and piano player. I am the child of divorced parents and am an American/British citizen.
Certifications/Degrees
Compassionate Inquiry Certified Personal Mentor
Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner
Compassionate Inquiry Intern 2023-Present
Compassionate Inquiry Year-Long Program and Mentorship with Gabor Maté (2021)
InnerMBA Certification (2020)
IFC Certified Coach (2020)
Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher (2007/2015)
Rolfer® + Rolf Movement® Practitioner (2013/2015)
Craniosacral Therapist (2010)
Ayurveda 4 Year Course (2004)
MA, Communications and Design (1997)