My path into this work was not theoretical or planned.
It was lived, embodied and shaped through relationship.
What I now offer others first transformed me
My journey into this work began with my soul dog, Olivia, my greatest teacher and inspiration in this lifetime.
Olivia came into my life during a time of profound transition. I had just made a major move on my own to a different country and was navigating a new culture and environment. It was a time of great contrast and change that activated old wounds around belonging, worthiness and being chosen. I felt alone, unsettled, sad and unsure of myself. I questioned my choices and my place in the world.
I decided to foster Olivia from a local rescue and began to notice patterns in our relationship that mirrored my inner world.
I was longing for closeness and shared presence, yet carried a deep fear of abandonment. I struggled with worthiness, measuring my value by whether or not others chose me. My body was in a constant state of vigilance trying to adapt to surroundings that didn’t feel safe and threatened my sense of identity and values.
What I initially thought were “dog issues” were actually invitations into deeper self awareness and authenticity.
Olivia taught me to slow down and to stop rushing through life. She invited me to practice presence, not just in the moment, but in my body. She showed me how to acknowledge the state I was in and stay with it, even when it felt uncomfortable. Through her steady presence, I learned that I was safe and capable of having my own back.
She was always close, protective and emotionally available. She didn’t disappear when I fell apart. Despite my fear that emotional closeness would lead to disappointment or loss, Olivia stayed. Being chosen in this way, exactly as I was, without conditions or performance, began to restore a level of safety in my nervous system I had never known.
As my body softened and my nervous system settled, my heart opened. For the first time, I was able to relax and express myself without fear that something would go wrong. Through Olivia, I learned what safe love feels like, and to be loved for who I am, not for what I can do or who I can be for others.
Olivia defined what true love is for me and I know now that it can only exist where there is truth. I now trust that I am worthy of love just as I am. This knowledge shapes how I choose partners, relationships and environments.
While Olivia is no longer with me in the physical realm, the work I share today grew directly from this lived experience. It became the foundation for how I now support others in coming home to themselves…just as Olivia brought me home to myself.
Through this journey, I learned what real healing looks like:
