Hi, I'm Lizzie.
Before venturing into a yoga lesson with me or booking a therapy session, you might like to know a little bit about me.
My work is as an educator and therapist. I come from a somatic background of yoga and bodywork (Rolfing, Craniosacral Therapy, Thai Massage), which also includes a somatic-based psychotherapy called 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 and healing, which came from movement, knowledge and self-exploration. On this path, in my twenties I discovered yoga, in my thirties, Rolfing, and, in my forties, Compassionate Inquiry.
My intention is to create a safe space for people to meet themselves with honesty and authenticity, and to support the liminal spaces that we are all navigating; spaces with potential for transformation.
My Story
At three years old I was diagnosed with an auto-immune digestive disease. Uncertainty and loss of agency were cornerstones of my youth, and have been guiding forces behind my lifelong interest in healing. I found yoga in my twenties as a way to connect with my stiff, runner's body, and as a way to manage stress, but I also found a whole lot more. Eventually I quit my day job as a creative director to follow this passion.
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In 2013 I had a liver transplant as a result of long-term chronic illness. By this time, I had become a yoga teacher, Rolfer and craniosacral therapist, tools that would help me through a year long, complicated recovery.
In early 2023 I had a a second large-scale surgery and cancer removal. I am grateful to be in remission, which is an every day reminder that every minute counts.
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 us, and every fork in the road can be a pivot point. There is no going back, and most often our direction and outlook changes. Whether it is an organ transplant, an invasive injury, chronic illness, or raising a neurodiverse child, a divorce, the loss of a loved one, addiction....the list is endless, but each of these potential breaking points give our system an opportunity to become more intelligent, more sensitive...more wise. 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 has also informed how I live and work, and is why I am so very 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, writer, artist, swimmer and sometimes musician.
Certificates
Compassionate Inquiry Intern (2023)
Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Certification (2023)
Compassionate Inquiry Year-Long Program and Mentorship with Gabor Maté (2021/2022)
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)