Are we meant to work together?
Here is a little about me so you get a feel for how I work, what my background is and even a little glimpse into my conception, loss and birth experiences which have led to the creation of Sacred Healing! Read on and let’s make sure we will be a good fit for one another.
I’m a mom to two amazing little souls, a wife to an incredible partner and a student for life! I live in Canada, out in the country surrounded by nature. I grew up on a small island in Northwestern Ontario and was home schooled with my sister until grade six. Our days were spent learning science outside at the swamp or having gym class skiing through the bush or swimming, depending on the season. So, my love of nature, water and animals started from the very beginning! Now, as an adult, whenever I need grounding and healing I still find my way back to nature as a way to reset and rejuvenate myself.
Professionally, I started working in the social services field twenty years ago and always knew this is where I was meant to be in some capacity. Helping others at a core level was always something I was passionate about. As I moved around in the field, I began to notice that although what I was doing felt meaningful and was helpful to my clients there was something missing from the way I had been working and living; a spiritual side, a holistic element. As I was becoming more consciously awakened in my own life, I became certified in Reiki and certified as a ThetaHealer®. My more mainstream training consists of my Hypnotherapy Certification and a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy which was a wonderful program that taught me best practices for how to work in a trauma informed way. SOOOO, tie that all together and I now intuitively use my skills as a marriage and family therapist combined with my love of energy healing to help clients reach new levels of consciousness and achieve healing.
But let’s back up a little.. why do I specialize in trauma?
I am especially passionate about working with all kinds of trauma due to my personal experiences in dealing with sudden loss of immediate family members and being a survivor of sexual assault at a young age. I have learned a lot because of these events, not only through my extensive education but through alternative healing modalities that I have used for myself as well. At the time, those traumas were earth shattering for me and led to years of trying to heal. There were times when things were incredibly hard and I really struggled to keep my head above water, especially when everything that had happened compounded into a diagnosis of PTSD. I had spent many years using only traditional talk therapy so I was shocked and thrilled to experience what felt like instantaneous healing when I went for my first energy healing session. As I mentioned earlier, this was the missing piece!!! Working from a holistic model of care, to heal not only the mind but the body and spirit as well, was the key!
I knew trauma would be my specialty but birth trauma and pregnancy loss weren’t even on my radar until I became a mom for the first time. Our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage which left us shocked and devastated. When we conceived again I desperately tried to relax into trusting things would be ok this time. Like so many other moms, I was excited for birth and researched and prepared for every last detail. Then, the day came and labour started. My birth ended up being very traumatic. I disconnected from my body and the experience of birth so I could try to manage the crushing disappointment and shame I felt after I realized no one was listening to me and I had very little control over the process.
Upon delivery, our baby was taken from me for unnecessary medical interventions and we spent hours apart which led to issues with nursing and bonding. I spent the first couple of months after birth battling back depression as well as shock, anger and shame. Luckily, I had an amazing support system with my mom and my partner and a lot of knowledge about how to heal trauma which gave me the time and tools that I needed to process the experience and to release it.
Three years and a surprise pregnancy later, it was time to birth again! I struggled throughout the pregnancy with making the “right” choices in regards to having the birth I wanted this time. I knew what I wanted but it truly wasn’t until the night before labour started that I actually finalized who would be with me for this birth. I ended up discontinuing care with a wonderful midwife and two doulas because in my heart of hearts I knew they were not meant to be with me on this journey for various reasons. In the end, I ended up having a water birth at home with my two best friends, my partner, my mom and my son. This birth was intense and incredibly hard but it was also incredibly healing.
So, in a nutshell, I had two very different birth experiences. One was incredibly traumatic and the other was incredibly healing. Neither of the births were the zen experiences I was hoping for but they were exactly the births that I needed in order to be in this place today. It is because of ALL of these experiences that I am ready to help guide you through the processes of:
*consciously conceiving (exploring blocks that may be preventing conception)
*having an empowered pregnancy and birth
* healing from a traumatic birth experience
*healing from trauma
*moving through and healing grief
My healing journey was long and challenging, but I really believe I went through these experiences for this exact reason, to bring me to this place today, here with you.
What do I do next?
If after reading all of the above, you are feeling ready to dive in and work with me, please head here next to check out my offerings!
I look forward to connecting with you and witnessing your journey to health
Sarah
