Instructor

I was often referred to as a “weird kid” growing up.  I wasn’t interested in the same things as my peers.  I took interest in the small and subtle things in life.  To me, these things were big and magical.  By the time I got my driver’s license, I was invited to a ceremony on a nearby tribal reservation by a close friend.  I suddenly found myself in what the Lakota called an ‘inipi’ healing ceremony for Veterans.  At the time it was mostly Vietnam Veterans but some Desert Storm Veterans were beginning to come.  This was an ongoing weekly ceremony primarily for those healing from the challenges of war.  This specific inipi ceremony provided traditional healing approaches for Indigenous Veterans.

 

Being the “weird kid” everyone thought I was, I went again and again.  This was not exactly what my fellow adolescents were doing with their spare time.  I’d listen to the elder’s stories and follow their guidance.  These elder’s knew I was not weird and they also knew I wasn’t a veteran; I was a teenager.  However, they knew I needed healing and some guidance.  They gently kept nudging me towards my healing, week after week.

 

As an adult, I continue to turn to these elders for guidance.  Their teachings have spread through every fabric of my being.

 

During my second stint in college, I was blessed to have two of the most progressive and highly acclaimed Indigenous psychologists in the cultural psychology field to mentor me.  I quickly learned that there was little to no incorporations of Indigenous approaches to sickness and health when it came to psychology; the scientific research was present but the treatment approaches were not being integrated.  At best, people were referred out to seek out or see a cultural practitioner.  There’s nothing wrong with this but it is limited. ‘Why not integrate the treatments,’ I thought?  

 

Having benefited immensely from Indigenous treatments throughout my life, I thought how absurd it is that psychology is not incorporating ancient wisdoms and technologies into psychology.  Rather than waiting for Super Man to come down and start something up, I discussed things with my elders and mentors, I took action and incorporated what I had learned over the decades into my private practice. 

 

At first, many of my Euro-American clients were confused.  My Indigenous clients and clients from collectivistic cultures got it pretty quick.  It was a complete opposite perspective for many of my clients, so it took some getting used to.  However, everyone that was open to it, found themselves improving and improving rapidly.  I fine-tuned things so it worked better in a clinical setting.  Ultimately, I began to discover that I had something so few other therapists were doing.  People were seeking me out for the unique approach.  They had grown tired of the road blocks they were running into in their previous therapies.  

 

I could see that there was a great need for more cultural choice in therapy; not only for Indigenous people but for people of all cultures.  This therapy reframes the way we look at our mental health.  Mental health issues are more so about being stuck.  

 

My elders always told me that I would teach someday.  From their guidance and listening to the gentle whispers, I started to teach these skills to other psychological professionals.  However, there were still people who wanted to learn how to heal themselves.  Instead of seeing folks one-on-one, I could make it affordable for them and help more people if we taught it in short classes.

 

Joining A Little Oneness Therapy (ALOT) allowed me the opportunity to get these teachings out to other professionals and provide more treatment choices for people.  I also love that you can bring your own faith, religion, or spirituality to the work.  For many, their faith is not always welcome or understood in therapy.  Everyone has their own personal journey in life. Whether you’re from the Muslim faith, Christian faith, Buddhism, or you follow an Indigenous spirituality, there is space to maintain the integrity of your beliefs.  ALOT does not preach a faith but rather teaches tools that can empower your faith.  This is something that I personally love.  

 

So many Indigenous cultures around the world freely integrate their faith into everything they do.  The idea that there isn’t space for someone’s faith in their healing journey, is difficult for me to fathom.          

 

I love teaching and I love helping others.  Teaching can be so empowering for people.  There is nothing like hearing the new sound of confidence in someone’s voice when they’ve figured out how to resolve their issue(s).  It is healing and freeing.  This is what I love about what I do.