About Kara | Embodied Self Coaching

My Personal Journey

I was a smart, creative kid. But unresolved trauma in my family, along with undiagnosed ADHD symptoms, left me bullied and behind in school & disconnected, overwhelmed, and depressed in life.

Since then, I have been on a healing journey to discover what was wrong with me (turns out, nothing!) and how I could heal.

I discovered my pain was borne from my disconnection all around - from myself, from nature and from others. At first, nature was the place I found the most safety. Connection with animals when I was a child and later time in wild places allowed me remember myself as a beautiful part of the living Earth - a member the community of life, as Jon Young teaches.

I re-found community connection through the welcome and belonging of the Deaf community, and later, serving as a National Park Service ranger. Now, I discover welcome is everywhere, just waiting to be discovered.

Finally, my practice of Nonviolent Communication and Internal Family Systems brought me deep empathy and support from myself to myself. This final piece, of Self connection, is the ballast and wellspring from which I source my professional practice.

More recently, healing from a year of chronic fatigue from Long Covid led me to discover the traumas from our past will continue to speak through our bodies, minds and hearts and ask to be healed. The illness powerfully deepened my capacity to turn toward the body with kindness and curiosity and hear its communication. Somatic awareness and mindfulness are integral parts of my work.

I meet clients with playfulness and warmth, gentleness and curiosity, as well as creativity and insight. Getting to meet my clients' parts and seeing the beauty in them is profoundly satisfying for me.

Nowadays, I am delighted to be coaching others from my home office in Pacifica, CA. I am a pantheistic, queer/pansexual, cis woman who uses she/her. I support others in seeing their own wisdom and spending my free time playing with friends in nature.

My Specializations:

Bodymind/Somatic Healing
Conflict Resolution, Mediation
Climate, Ecogrief, the Polycrisis
Deaf/HoH/ASL and Hearing clients
Anxiety/Depression
Developmental Trauma
Attachment/Relationships
LGBTQIA++
Grief/Loss
Educational Trauma

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My Training and Background

I have been studying and practicing mindfulness, consciousness and healing since 1990. In 1998, my career as a park ranger led to 25 years of professional speaking, training and coaching. In 2022, I turned full time to my mindbody healing practice.

Through that time, I have been student to a variety of teachers and modalities exploring somatic, emotional, cognitive and spiritual awareness and integration. In-depth trainings and practice include Internal Family Systems, Nonviolent Communication, Joanna Macy's grief work -The Work that Reconnects, Thomas Hubl's Transparent Communication, Vipassana Meditation, and Landmark Education.

I have read over 100 books in psychology, Eastern religion and philosophy, communication, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment, trauma and healing; see here for recommended readings.

Trainings

IFS Therapy Training Level 2: Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO); Trainers: Ann Drouilhet, Sallie Ingle, IFS Institute, 2025
The Work That Reconnects Climate Grief Workshop; Trainer: Lydia Violet, TWR Network, 2024
Program assistant for IFS Therapy Training Level 1; Trainers Jory Agate & Ellie Cunanan-Petty, IFS Institute, 2024
Program Assistant for Introduction to IFS in American Sign Language; Trainer: Jory Agate, IFS Institute, 2023
Polyvagal Theory in Action: Creating Safety and Connection with Trauma Clients; Trainer: Deb Dana, PESI, 2023
Violence, Trauma and Boundaries; Trainer: Jenny Buechner, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 2022
IFS Therapy Training Level 1; Trainers: Ann Sinko, Sue Richmond and Madeline Warren, IFS Institute, 2022
Allies for Inclusion Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Training, National Park Service, 2020
The Work That Reconnects Climate Grief Workshop; Trainers: Molly Brown & Jolie Elan, TWR Network, 2020
Mediation Training; Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, 2020
Allies for Inclusion Group Facilitaton Training; National Park Service, 2020
Embodying the Healing Wisdom Weeklong Retreat; Trainer: Dick Schwartz, IFS Institute/1440, 2018
Nonviolent Communication International Intensive Training; Trainers: Miki Kashtan, Sarah Peyton, Kristin Masters, Roxy Manning, Bob Wentworth, Center for Nonviolent Communication, 2017
Vipassana Meditation 10 day residential course; teacher: S.N. Goenka (recorded), Vipassana Research Institute, 2010

Practice

Monthly Mystic Cafe Practice; Teacher: Thomas Hubl, Inner Science LLC, 2024 - ongoing
Weekly Transparent Communication Practice Group; Facilitators: Bill McCart & Alissa MacPherson, Thomas Hubl Bay Area Practice Group, Jan 2024 to ongoing
Biweekly Authentic Communication NVC & IFS Group; Facilitator: Martha Lasley, ACG, 2022
Weekly IFS therapy (myself as client), 2015 - ongoing

Professional Support