The Soul Care House: Marriage and Family Therapy, etc.

Across from my desk sits this shelf with some reminders. Some days, like during a pandemic for example, one might feel a tich lost, or stuck, or ever so slightly adrift. On those days, a lifeline of some sort can be very helpful. So I stare at these two photos a lot. And I think about all the things these two remarkable people taught me about who I am and what I am supposed to be doing on this planet. And it helps. My relationships with both Ken, (who I lost) and Leeana, (w...ho moved across the whole damn country!) have shaped me in ways that are so significant, that doing every day life without both of them at the same time sometimes feels impossible. So on particularly bad days, I remind myself that the way I am tempted to see myself in a time of isolation and disconnection is generally inaccurate and unhelpful. And I lean on people I trust to tell me the truth about me. Perhaps you are needing some lifelines too. And you need some other voices, more grounded than your own, to lean on. This, my friends, is how we are going to make it through a pandemic. See more

Look where these babies ended up!!! In my backyard! Had to bring them home with me cause this work we do together is sacred and hard and we need all the beauty and inspiration around us we can get. Like for this Monday night (Sept.21), our Couples workshop. Small, outdoor, socially distanced, we’ll keep you safe and give you an opportunity to focus on just the two of you. And we’ll practice some tools to help you have productive conversations about difficult things. And also, snacks. And wine, obvi. All couples welcome. Register at the link in profile.

Outdoor workshops!!! Small and socially distanced but we are doing it!! Art and Writing on Sept. 14 and Couples Night on Sept. 21! More info and sign ups on my website. Would love to see you!

This is my Portland kitchen on demo day. I’ve been waiting for this day for months. And now watching the old layers come down, I can see new possibilities emerge that I hadn’t yet imagined. When the false ceiling came down and I realized how much of this space is actually 10ft high, I felt myself take a deep, grateful breath. This space will be beautiful in a few months and over time, it will fill with family and friends and lovely neighbors like the ones I am getting to know while I am here. Sometimes change is forced and overwhelming and then sometimes it bring spaciousness and hope. That’s exactly how I felt standing here today.

A message from our sweet Carolyn as we close out our last week as a team. I’ll sure miss this tender one! Change is happening all around and within you. You will feel many things. And you will also continue to become... who you are meant to be. -Morgan Harper Nichols My time at the Soul Care House has changed me. It has played a significant role in teaching me how to hold more space for the tension in life- sadness and hope, fear and excitement, pain and beauty, to name a few. It has presented invitation after invitation to continue to own my story, experience growth, healing, and more movement toward wholeness. The stories I’ve had the honor of holding with others, the resiliency and courage I’ve witnessed, the community of badass therapists engaging in their own deep work and showing up authenticallyI’ve taken it all in. Change is happening all around and within me. I’ve sensed numerous invitations in the midst of this change. A few being invitations to dream, to grieve, to celebrate the new season upon me, and to launch my own therapy practice. I will continue to offer telehealth sessions and plan to create a beautiful space of my own very soon to see people in person. Of course I bought some furniture from Elaine! For all of you navigating the change happening around and within you, and feeling many things, I see you. My door is open to you. I’m holding Morgan Harper Nichols’ words for usAnd you will also continue to become who you are meant to be.

Our new website is up!! Thanks to @carlystewart101 it’s very pretty! And we are ready to offer offer some small, outdoor, socially distanced, workshops! Sept. 14 - Art and Writing Night: We're creating some space for you to check in with yourself, to explore how this last year has impacted you, what you might need now and what you are being invited into. We'll have writing prompts to get you started and art supplies galore to create with. Spend your whole evening writing o...r doing art or both. Whatever your heart desires. Also, per usual, there'll be snacks Sept. 21 - We've heard from lots of couples how challenging this time has been so we are creating a night for you. We'll help you take a step back, explore what's happening in your relationship right now and give you some tools to help you work through the rough moments more effectively. All couples welcome! Wine and snacks! Register at our new site!

I’m in Portland for a few weeks, prepping the space up here for a big renovation that’s about to start! Demo day is coming, so I’m creating a temporary kitchen in this pretty room for when I’m up here, checking on the project. Sadly, I’ll be rolling up all the pretty rugs and covering everything with plastic for awhile but four months from now, this place will be the bomb! I fell in love with it the first time I saw it last year. My daughter and I were feeling the need for m...ore proximity, especially after the twins arrival so we spent a few days looking at old homes. This one was a no brainer. It’s a Dutch Colonial built in 1892. A total grandma house with a sleeping porch and attic for babies and sleepovers. And a beautiful living room where I could picture groups of people gathering to do the work of soul care. It definitely needs an update so I’m thrilled to get started!! See more

If only I had some pretty things for my new office space!! The awesome thing about letting go of our office space in Mission Hills is that I get to re-imagine a new Soul Care space right in my backyard. And with lots of favourite pieces to choose from, I’m having zero trouble making my guest house feel like the Barn I’m leaving behind. It sure takes the sting out. I’ve even got a plan to incorporate our stained glass windows. More photos coming!!

So, here are the pillows left over from this move. And these are just the ones I am keeping. I have no place to put them, no plan about where to use them, and yet I feel compelled to keep them. Do I have a problem? Yes or no. Do I need an intervention? Yes or no. I will tell you, regardless of your response, I am keeping every last one of them. I just want to know if this is a problem I should address at some point.

Transitions can be challenging but also invigorating. While I am letting go of a space I love, I am fortunate to have another place to land. And as you may know by now, creating environments that invite people to explore their hearts is way, way up there on my list of favorite things!!! This is my guest house. It’s been a lot of things over the years. A horse stable when Ken and I first bought this home, a bunk house for sleepovers, a game room for gaggles of teenagers, the...n a studio apartment for guests. And now a blank slate for the new iteration of Soul Care. So much of my life is a blank slate right now. Losing Ken, letting go of the private practice, selling houses that held space for tiny miracles to happen. A lot is different and yet a lot is still so good. Using this place will be a welcome change. It will bring energy to a space that has become too quiet over the last few years. So here’s to the future, to change and growth and another room to decorate!!!

Well, this baby is all done!! Super fun to take all my favorite things and put them into the space that inspired the Soul Care Barn. I feel ready to roll but this freaking pandemic is really slowly me down. Dang it!! Here’s an idea though. I’m thinking about offering some small workshops (6-8 people) in my backyard, socially distant. Perhaps an a journaling and art night, or a couples communication development night. What are your thoughts? With this feel safe to you? Are there particular topics you would like us to focus on? Would you need wine? And how much?

A message from our sweet Carolyn as we close out our last week as a team. I’ll sure miss this tender one! Change is happening all around and within you. You will feel many things. And you will also continue to become... who you are meant to be. -Morgan Harper Nichols My time at the Soul Care House has changed me. It has played a significant role in teaching me how to hold more space for the tension in life- sadness and hope, fear and excitement, pain and beauty, to name a few. It has presented invitation after invitation to continue to own my story, experience growth, healing, and more movement toward wholeness. The stories I’ve had the honor of holding with others, the resiliency and courage I’ve witnessed, the community of badass therapists engaging in their own deep work and showing up authenticallyI’ve taken it all in. Change is happening all around and within me. I’ve sensed numerous invitations in the midst of this change. A few being invitations to dream, to grieve, to celebrate the new season upon me, and to launch my own therapy practice. I will continue to offer telehealth sessions and plan to create a beautiful space of my own very soon to see people in person. Of course I bought some furniture from Elaine! For all of you navigating the change happening around and within you, and feeling many things, I see you. My door is open to you. I’m holding Morgan Harper Nichols’ words for usAnd you will also continue to become who you are meant to be.

If only I had some pretty things for my new office space!! The awesome thing about letting go of our office space in Mission Hills is that I get to re-imagine a new Soul Care space right in my backyard. And with lots of favourite pieces to choose from, I’m having zero trouble making my guest house feel like the Barn I’m leaving behind. It sure takes the sting out. I’ve even got a plan to incorporate our stained glass windows. More photos coming!!

Thank you to @morganharpernichols for all the soulful beauty she creates. If you don’t already follow her, check her out. Grateful for the poets and artists who move and change us through their work.

A few days ago I had a dream that all my teeth fell out! Super fun. Dream analysts say this can represent a few things: 1. Loss and the need for self care while going through radical life changes. ( That resonated.) 2. Giving birth to something new and the tension that comes with that. (I feel that! )... 3. Facing a time of personal growth that expanses one’s strength and confidence. (That was encouraging.) There were lots of less positive interpretations, like feeling insecure, fear of aging or making costly compromises. I did not appreciate any of those. I’m am choosing to hope that this next chapter, while disorienting, will offer growth and new adventures and that my resilience will carry me through. Change might be messing with my sleep but at least in real life I’ve still got my teeth! Life is tough my darlings, but so are we.

Get Ibram X Kendi’s powerful book, How to be an Antiracist.

Transitions can be challenging but also invigorating. While I am letting go of a space I love, I am fortunate to have another place to land. And as you may know by now, creating environments that invite people to explore their hearts is way, way up there on my list of favorite things!!! This is my guest house. It’s been a lot of things over the years. A horse stable when Ken and I first bought this home, a bunk house for sleepovers, a game room for gaggles of teenagers, the...n a studio apartment for guests. And now a blank slate for the new iteration of Soul Care. So much of my life is a blank slate right now. Losing Ken, letting go of the private practice, selling houses that held space for tiny miracles to happen. A lot is different and yet a lot is still so good. Using this place will be a welcome change. It will bring energy to a space that has become too quiet over the last few years. So here’s to the future, to change and growth and another room to decorate!!!

Big news at Soul Care! Prepare your heart.

Just thought you might need a break to look at something pretty. I sure did, so I headed to Portland to work on this design project. Life has been pretty intense, right?! First COVID stoped us in our tracks, got us all angsty about protecting ourselves and others. And then the murder of George Floyd and the clarity that finally hit us so collectively, that our black friends and neighbors had suffered far too much, for far too long and we have done far too little about it. W...e finally heard them. We got involved. We began reading, listening, and learning about their pain, their constant fear, and the regular humiliation they are enduring. We agreed. This has to stop! And we understand now, that it is our work to do. Not theirs, ours. And so many are. It’s inspiring to watch the shift in conversations away from our personal concerns to what it means to be anti-racist and how we can go about making things right for others. It’s good, heavy, uncomfortable work and it’s going to take a long time. I’m trying to notice when the weight of all the things, all at the same time, has me edgy and frantic. I’m trying to remember that if I don’t do the things that have always grounded me, I am no use to anyone. Just want to remind you to take care of yourself too, in the middle of all this. Let’s stay engaged but let’s take breaks too. We need clear heads and full hearts at times like this and stopping for some beauty along the way will help us do it.

Therapist Shannon Little and I talk about the dilemmas of coming out of quarantine on latest podcast episode, Leaving the House. Who know we’d have so many different opinions about how to do this??

Happy Friday!! We made it through another week!! Who else is missing their work space??

This Passion flower grows behind our barn. When she is in bloom, she is bold and vibrant, spectacular even. She reminds me of a book I’m reading by Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings. While this is a work of fiction, Sue focuses on the theme of our largeness. She writes, every person has their own genius. That is their largeness. Bringing it forth is our life’s work. During the quarantine I’ve had plenty of days when I’ve felt lost, numb, like I can’t find myself or my largeness without the context of my work community and friends. But thankfully there are reminders around us, like this flower and Sue’s voice that keep drawing us back to the bigger picture, to exploring and nurturing the divine spark that is always within us. For inspiration, check out Brené Brown’s interview with Sue Monk Kidd. So good, I took 2 pages of notes!!

New podcast episode up!! Here’s what @lmtankersley and I are loving lately, what’s bringing joy or relief or inspiration during these crazy pandemic days. What are you loving these days?

It’s okay if some of the people are driving you a little crazy. Being trapped in enclosed spaces, with no clear end in sight, is not good for the human heart. This is why the outside was invented! And cars, so you can drive away from any of the people or things you need a break from. So let’s take ourselves outside or for a drive and look at the sky and the trees. Breathe. Apparently the air is cleaner then it’s been for a long time. Well, that’s something, at least. #we’reallinthistogether

These are my people. My daughter Katie, her husband Zach, the Baby Preshies, and my son Josh. On one of our many zoom calls, I asked them for their thoughts about what defines our family, what makes us us, what’s our family brand? Our latest podcast episode,#OnBrand with @lmtankersley, is about the idea of creating a family brand. Hope you enjoy the conversation. Maybe a quarantine is a great time to talk about what makes you you with your people.

New episode out on our podcast!! @lmtankersley and I talk about finding what lies deep within you, honoring it and stepping into flow. Let us know what you think!

This is my coworker, Lucy. While she is super pretty, she’s not a great worker. She sleeps a lot, and when she is not sleeping, she is chewing on my shoes, licking the countertops, and pooping wherever she wants. When I talk to her about how difficult she is making our work environment, she just stares at me, like I’m being overly sensitive. This is not working out. I think we are going to have to let her go.

This is my podcasting buddy, @lmtankersley. We just recorded 4 new episodes and the first one is up today! Leeana and I used to live a mile apart and spend hundreds of hours together around each other’s kitchen tables, talking about all the things, crying sometimes but mostly laughing. She’s a remarkable person. Tender, funny, loyal and wicked smart. Since she moved across the country, I miss her every damn day. I hope our podcast conversations will encourage you the way sitting around a table with her encourages me. This episode is about shifting from surviving to living. I hope you enjoy! Link in profile. You can also find these episodes on Leeana‘s podcast, Begin Again.

In my spare time (Who am I kidding, almost all my time is spare time right now), I am reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle. This paragraph is why we love her. She gets us. She really gets us. Case in point: during our online staff meeting yesterday, we talked about important stuff, like how reality TV was getting us through right now. We had a deep, very intellectual discussion about which Real Housewives franchise is the best and why most of us can’t stop watching Tiger King. It was pretty heady stuff. All that to say, there’s a lot of great stuff in Glennon’s book in case you are looking for a good read.

If you haven’t yet heard Brené Brown’s podcast, do yourself a favor and listen to this episode! So good! It’s like a guidebook for managing yourself/family during quarantine days. Thank you @brenebrown for always showing us the way!!

My friend @whittingtonhillary shared this with me and I loved it so thought I would pass it on. Good news!! So many people are living from the growth zone! It’s been so encouraging to watch the remarkable, creative, funny, heroic things people are doing for one another during these difficult days. It’s inspiring! We might be stuck waiting on this thing to pass, but thankfully we’ve got folks around us who know how to shine in tough times.

New episode with my bestie, @lmtankersley, sharing tips, thoughts and nonsense. Hope it cheers you up a bit.

One of our therapists found this. . Here’s to all the moms and dads who are doing 75 things right now: homeschooling, working, feeding people, calming everyone down, keeping everyone safe. It’s so much but you’re doing it!!

Our health care workers are heros! Showing up at a time like this, regardless of the risks and lack of resources is no joke! Nurses, if you are needing a place to be cared for, licensed therapist Courtney Salamone is offering a FREE online support group for you! If you’d like some information, contact her at [email protected]. She’ll work out a day and time that will work for you.

We are still on the job, working remotely from home but still available to you. If you are feeling the need for some professional support these days, we have a special offer for new clients: 8 sessions for $75 per session. We know many of you are struggling emotionally and financially so we wanted to make therapy more affordable. If you are interested, Caralie, Courtney, Carolyn and Shannon have openings right now. You can check out their bios at the link in profile or send an email to any one of them: [email protected], [email protected] [email protected], [email protected].

This weekend I’ve been out on Orcas island, checking in on some construction projects we’ve got going on here. That puts me in work/problem solving mode and usually means that I wear myself out ticking off the tasks and hardly get into THE TREES!! So this morning I snuck out alone to just breathe. And it made me cry like it always does. A while ago I read that an acre of trees produces enough oxygen in one year to provide all the oxygen needed for 18 people for a year!! When ...I’m out there, I can feel the truth of that. The air is unbelievably fresh, the trees are unbelievably green and I feel incredibly lucky to have a little slice of heaven where all of us can breathe until we are all filled up. This is a special place to us and we love to invite others to enjoy it to. Our next offering happens in April, a writers retreat for ladies. If that’s you and you need some space to breathe too, check out all the details at soulcareorcas.com. Lots of magical moments await you. See more

Ladies who write!!! Guess what! WE ARE REDUCING THE REGISTRATION FEE for our writers retreat!! We want you to be able to come if you want to so we are lowering the price till Mar. 1! Get all the info and register at link in profile. Come join us in this magical spot.

New episode!! Elaine and @lmtankersley Discuss their own experiences and the things they learned along the way about deepening friendships. Check it out!!!

Today I’m (Elaine) at Powell’s Book Store in Portland, Or. surrounded by about a billion books! It has me thinking about @lmtankersley and our upcoming Writers Retreat. Where would we be without all the writers who’ve labored endless lonely hours to bring books of every sort to life?? What a gift to the rest of us! If you are a female writer, want some support, tips and a chance to pitch your work to an agent, join us on Orcas Island in April. Check out all the details at soulcareorcas.com. We’d love for you to join us!!

Found this on my (Elaine) desk this morning. Thank you @carlystewart101 for reminding me, that tough season and all, we are still here, getting it done. Today we’re posting our latest podcast episode, What’s helping?, a conversation with @lmtankersley about what makes a difference when you’re in the weeds for some reason. The Soul Care House podcast is available on iTunes and Google Play. Check it out!

If you’re a writer, here’s a little something to think about. April 2-6 Ladies Writing Retreat on Orcas Island. In the forest, on the waters of the Puget Sound. Time with writer @lmtankersley to learn about the craft and the business end of writing, time with Elaine Hamilton to process what might get in the way of you pursing your gift AND TIME TO PITCH YOUR WRITING TO AN ACTUAL AGENT!! We can’t wait to share this gorgeous space and experience with you!! More info at link in profile. Deadline to register March 1!!

We’ve got some more collaborations going on with @lmtankersley!! In our new podcast episode, Elaine and Leeana talk about approaching the New Year with respect for where you’re at if you’re going through a tough season. They talk about what they are letting go of and their word for the year. ALSO!!! Coming up this April, Leeana and Elaine will host a writer’s retreat on the gorgeous Orcas Island! Literary agent, Angela Scheff, will be available to meet with each participant and take a look at your work!! For more info, go to soulcareorcas.com.

We’ve been approved to offer CEU’s to mental health professionals! We are starting with Getting Triggered, led by Elaine Hamilton, a half day workshop to help participants connect with their unique counter transference triggers. The work of helping others inevitably taps into our own stuff some days. Someone’s loss, betrayal, anger or childhood story is painfully familiar and we find ourselves face to face with countertransference, emotionally overwhelmed, over-identifying ...or slipping into fix it mode. We’ll talk about how to recognize triggers in the moment , what to do about them and how to care of ourselves and our helping relationships in the process. And of course we will also have snacks!! (since snacks help with triggers!!) February 7, 9:30am-12:30pm. 3 CEU’s $100 for licensed professionals, $75 for students and associates. Register at link in profile. See more

The first full week of the new year. We go back to school, work, fuller schedule, more structure. For some, the new year brings the excitement of a fresh start, a chance to set new goals and define our hopes for coming year. For some, like me (Elaine), this new year is a welcome end to very difficult last year. As many of you know, my husband Ken, died from an aggressive cancer in April and much of life since then has been taken up with trying to get my bearings and getting m...y head around the many projects he had in the works that need someone’s attention. And then there’s the grieving, for myself, for my kids. My sweet friend @lmtankersley suggested going over the last year, month by month and writing down what that time was like. I wrote pages and pages and when I was done, I heard myself say. No wonder I’m exhausted! I don’t know if you are like me but I often expect myself to weather storms, even traumatizing ones, with more clarity and energy than is likely possible. If you are heading into this new year after a troubling/disappointing/painful last year, please be kind to yourself. Maybe the first order of business for your January is lots of rest, time away, some fun, whatever. So let’s do that. I’ll be over here, trying to cut myself some slack so if you need a pep talk, let me know. See more

Right?! Take some space when you need it. It’s okay if you don’t want to do all the things, with all the people, all the time.

Just another day at the office in this hedious room. If only we had something pretty to look at. Our life is so hard.

Expectations run high this month! Of ourselves, of others. It can be overwhelming and triggering, moving us into less healthy versions of ourselves. What if this year, we took a few more breaths, reminded ourselves to let go a little, practiced tenderness, and kindness, slept a little more and cuddled with the ones we love. Wishing you as much peace as you can find this month.

We are doing it again!! We all loved our Begin Again retreat on Orcas Island so much, so we are going to do a repeat! The ladies who came in Oct. all said they needed another day so we are offering another one! More time to walk in the woods, kayak, process, hang out with each other. Can’t wait for #2! If you’re interested, take a look at our retreat website for all kinds of info and registration. This one happens Jan.16-20, 2020. Link in profile.

While for some holidays come with hopes for connection and relaxation, they can also bring stress, trigger grief, stir up old family dynamics, and create uncomfortable moments. Join Shannon and Carolyn for an evening out to learn some practical ways to navigate those moments. Friday, Nov. 15th, 7-9pm. Register at link in profile.

Wildly You, a day retreat for ladies, happens Nov. 9th! We’ll talk about letting go of our negative labels and embracing the truest versions of ourselves. There’ll be talking, writing, sharing, yoga and wreath making. @audiswift and Elaine have a glorious day planned for you. And it’s all happening at Elaine’s home in El Cajon. Register at link in profile.

Repost from @audiswift who is joining me for a day retreat for ladies in my backyard in El Cajon! Wildly You is about addressing negative labels we get stuck in and how we can redefine and live into the truest versions of ourselves. There will be sessions led by Audi and I, reflective journaling, yoga, lunch and wreath making. It will be a day full of gorgeousness and we’d love nothing more than to spend it with you! Saturday, November 9, 9 AM to 4 PM. Go to the link in profile to register.

Next Friday is our Understanding Trauma workshop. We’ll talk about how trauma can result from both Big T’s (big events) and Little T’s (smaller, sometimes ongoing emotionally disturbing experiences) impacting our brains and bodies, how they cause fight, flight and freeze and how to move through these reactions to a healthier you. Register at link in profile.

Here’s a look inside our Orcas Island Retreat! So grateful for @lmtankersley who brought the , and to Taryn from @the_botanical_kitchen, who fed us the BEST FOOD! And for this gang of ladies who came open, ready to dive into deep waters with us and lovingly held each other’s stories. Thank you for making this experience so special. @ Orcas Island

So much good stuff this fall!! Next up, Carolyn’s workshop on Understanding Trauma. She’ll talk about how both small and large traumas build up in the body and mind and what we can do to minimize their impact. Oct. 25 in the barn. Register at link in profile.

This weekend was everything we could have hoped for! Laughing, crying, writing and sharing and walking in the woods, and art and amazing food! We gotta do this again!!

These two are taking their retreat jobs very seriously. We have beautified our space and got ourselves all organized. Now for a walk in the woods and then tomorrow, it’s go time!

It’s Orcas retreat week!!!! @lmtankersley , @carlystewart101 and @tiffany_martens, my sweet niece from Canada and I are headed out to the island to prep all the things for the ladies who come it 2 days!! Can you tell we are super excited?? (Also we are on the tiniest plane ever, so right now these 3 are also terrified as well as excited.)

Creating change in our lives is HARD! Watching others successfully grow can make it seem as if we are the only ones having trouble getting somewhere new. But it’s almost always hard won. Through choosing something uncomfortable over something familiar, saying no to coping strategies that no longer serve us but aren’t yet replaced by something better. Through tears, frustration, failure. All of these are a part of what it takes to get there. But you can get there! You deserve a life, a relationship with yourself and with others, that nourishes you and gives you life. You don’t belong stuck forever.

We’ve got so many ideas around here right now! @elsieruby and I (Elaine) are doing an Enneagram Two workshop. Us Helper types really need to get together and talk about how to be awesome without exhausting ourselves!! Friday night, November 1st. Register at link in profile.

@audiswift and I (Elaine) have spent a lot of time together talking about life. And when our Orcas island retreat filled up so quickly, I talked with Audi about joining me to do a day retreat for ladies here in San Diego. Instead of the barn, we decided to have it at my home so we’d lots of room to spread out. We’re calling it Wildly You, addressing negative labels we get stuck in and how we can refine and live into the truest versions of ourselves. This day will be full of gorgeousness, with sessions led Audi and I, reflective journaling, yoga, lunch, and wreath making. We’d love to spend the day with you! Nov. 9, 9am-4pm. See link in profile to register.

Well, we did it!! Got all of our favorite stuff and our team settled into one house! Thought we would show you around a bit.

Our latest podcast episode is Matt interviewing me about the beginnings of Soul Care. The why and the how of who we are, what we are trying to offer from our little corner of the world. We took this pic ourselves which explains the look on my face but this was the best we could do.

We are selling some Soul Care treasures! We’ll be having an open house tomorrow (9/12) and Friday (9/13) from 9:00-12:00 p.m. if you’d like to come by! 1427 W Lewis St.

One week from today!! Our upcoming workshop is for couples(married or dating) in the first 5 years of their relationship. Therapists Caralie and Courtney will lead a conversation about the challenges and tasks of the early years of a romantic relationship. Next Friday! Register at link in profile.

New podcast! Kari Katzenmeier and Elaine talk about what it’s like to transition from being your own person to becoming a parent who’s now in charge of little human.

Well, this happened about a million times this week! Carrying heavy things from one house to the other was our part time job. Why, you ask? Our original house (1427 West Lewis) is being sold so we are gathering our team and our best stuff into one house! This is a BIG change but once we sorted out how we would share one space, we got really pumped about being able to spend more time together as a whole team. That means more support, more consultation on cases and more hanging out with each other! Win, win, win. So now you’ll find us in one spot (1525 West Lewis). The best part of this is I’m redecorating all the spaces, (pictures to follow) which is my most favorite thing! And we’ve still got our Barn which I will love till the end of time!!

Got this in the mail today! Author Leeana Tankersley sent us a copy of her latest book and we are here for it! Super pretty inside and out. It’s soulful and beautiful, just like Leeana. If you are looking for writings that invite you into self reflection and self compassion, this is it.

Ladies!! We have one bed (for 1 or two ladies if you have a buddy you’d like to share with) left for our Orcas Island in Oct.!! We are super excited! @lmtankersley and I have lots of good stuff in store for you as we explore the theme of Begin Again. We’ll talk about how we can embrace our soul’s persistent invitation to growth and freedom, all while nestled in the trees, with the Puget Sound in our backyard. I am not kidding!! Oh, and a personal chef is making us dinner each night. This is potentially the greatest idea I’ve ever had!!! Register for this last spot at link in profile.

New podcast episode!! Therapist Shannon Little and I talk about transitioning parent/child relationships into adult/adult. We talk about what to say and of course what not to say. That Shannon is very clever!! Link in profile.