About Joy

“Grounded in joy, moving with love, planting peace.”  This is how I aspire to live.

Below is more on why I want to share sound healing & forest therapy.

Sound Healing

The first time I heard crystal singing bowls I was mesmerized. Sound healing has been an entry point for me to address deep grief and old traumas that were being held inside my body. I first added singing bowls into my daily life as a wedding gift between my wife and I, but many bowls have followed since. I'm certified in California as a rape crisis and domestic violence counselor, and in 2016 I started offering community sound healing focused on releasing trauma or vicarious trauma.  I'm so grateful to my teachers. Valencia Chan of Angel Light Metaphysical School in Berkeley is a wellspring of knowledge on stones, crystals, and chakras. I'm currently learning from John Philip Newell about Celtic Consciousness. And I'm honored to have completed the Art of Sound Healing Level II Certification from the Seattle Sound Temple.

Forest Therapy

I have always loved trees. As a kid, I loved to climb them and sit up in them for hours; I still love to hug them. Being around trees is medicine to my body, mind, and spirit. When I learned that people guide others toward profound connections with trees and nature, I was hooked. I completed an intensive training from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and am currently in-training to become a certified guide.

Background

In my sound healing and forest walks my approach to empowerment and healing is grounded in social change theories, intersectional gender equity, and a deep connection with nature. For over 15 years I’ve been co-creating unique experiences through retreats, workshops, and participatory learning. For more on my work developing intercultrual leadership trainings and healing services, visit LinkedIn. I completed my MSW at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and self-designed an interdisciplinary major in Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Gender at Vanderbilt University.  As a transplant to California, I'm just as awe-struck by the natural beauty today as I was the first time I drove over the Sierras. When not in our magical backyard in Oakland, I can be found wandering the colorful beaches or meeting magnificent trees.