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Each month I post an update called Tuning In on what I'm up to and various content I would like to share with you. Most of the links on this post are informational only, but a few are affiliate links that help me keep up my website. Events: Facilitating:
Publications:
National Days:
National Months:
Dear Valued Community, Summer in Seattle finally started, as predicted it happened we started to get warmer temperatures and sunshine in mid-July. Even with the fairer weather, the tension of the outside world can be felt at every level. This a time when the art of oscillation comes in. As an important part of somatic therapy, oscillation is a helpful tool to use when you feel overwhelmed by the world around you. To understand oscillation let's use the metaphor of dipping your toe into ice cold water. The first time you dip your toe in the water it is freezing and you yank your toe out, but if you do this a handful of times your toe starts to get used to the temperature of the water and it's not as shocking to your system. This is how oscillation helps the body regulate. Our tendency is to either ruminate on unpleasant things or cut them off completely. An alternative is to move in and out of exposure to unpleasant news or processing unpleasant feelings. Try to spend more time in the pleasant experiences around you, while occasionally dipping your toe in to test the waters. Oscillation is how we start to find grounding when things get difficult and it is available to us in every moment. With Gratitude, Kerry  A rose in West Seattle What I'm Reading Related for Therapy: My Inner Sky: On Embracing Day, Night, and All the Times in Between by Mari Andrew "From New York Times bestselling author Mari Andrew, a collection of essays and illustrations, divided into phases of the sky—twilight, golden hour, night, and dawn—that serves as a loyal companion for life's curveballs. A whole, beautiful life is only made possible by the wide spectrum of feelings that exist between joy and sorrow. In this insightful and warm book, writer and illustrator Mari Andrew explores all the emotions that make up a life, in the process offering insights about trauma and healing, the meaning of home and the challenges of loneliness, finding love in the most unexpected of places--from birds nesting on a sculpture to a ride on the subway--and a resounding case for why sometimes you have to put yourself in the path of magic. My Inner Sky empowers us to transform everything that's happened to us into something meaningful, reassurance that even in our darkest times, there's light and beauty to be found." What I'm Reading for Fun: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus "Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist." (I'm a proud member of the sloth reading club, so what I'm reading will not always change monthly) Projects: Self-development book on trauma and worthiness, submitting haiku & poetry, ongoing content for various publications. Considering next steps in career training: psychedelic assisted therapy, HeartMath training, biblio/poetry therapy training, or yoga teacher training.  Scooter taking a nap Poem: Split the Sack by Rumi Why does the soul not fly when it hears the call? Why does a fish, gasping on land, but near the water, not move back into the sea? What keeps us from joining the dance the dust particles do? Look at their subtle motions in sunlight. We are out of our cages with our wings spread, yet we do not lift off. We keep collecting rocks and broken bits of pottery like children pretending they are merchants. We should split the sack of this culture and stick our heads out. Look around. Leave your childhood. Reach your right hand up and take this book from the air. You do know right from left, don’t you? A voice speaks to your clarity. Move into the moment of your death. Consider what you truly want. Now call out commands yourself. You are the king. Phrase your question, and expect the grace of an answer.  Three little birds in West Seattle Quote of the Month: "The more we are willing to dive into the discomfort of life, the more lightness there is." - Lisa Rankin
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Each month I post an update called Tuning In on what I'm up to and various content I would like to share with you. Most of the links on this post are informational only, but a few are affiliate links that help me keep up my website. Events: Facilitating:
National Days:
National Months:
Dear Valued Community, In June, my husband, dog, and I traveled to a small town called Blaine, Washington near the Canadian border. We went with the purpose of recharging by the water and seeing another corner of this vast and beautiful state. There was a park called Peace Arch Historical State Park in which you could walk in both the United States and Canada. Due to COVID-19, the Canadian side of the park is currently closed, but it's still possible to stand in two countries at once. It got me thinking about borders and unseen boundaries. There is no line, like the lines on a map, at a border. There are signposts every so often, but most of the time it's something you cannot tangibly see. Others cannot see our boundaries. This is why we need to practice communicating them and showing them to others. With Gratitude, Kerry  Seagulls on Semiahmoo Pier in Blaine, Washington What I'm Reading Related for Therapy: Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma: Lifting the Burdens of the Past by Sharon Stanley "Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma provides psychotherapists and other helping professionals with a new body-based clinical model for the treatment of trauma. This model synthesizes emerging neurobiological and attachment research with somatic, embodied healing practices. Tested with hundreds of practitioners in courses for more than a decade, the principles and practices presented here empower helping professionals to effectively treat people with trauma while experiencing a sense of mutuality and personal growth themselves." What I'm Reading for Fun: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Mind & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake "When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave. In Entangled Life, the brilliant young biologist Merlin Sheldrake shows us the world from a fungal point of view, providing an exhilarating change of perspective. Sheldrake’s vivid exploration takes us from yeast to psychedelics, to the fungi that range for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet, to those that link plants together in complex networks known as the "Wood Wide Web," to those that infiltrate and manipulate insect bodies with devastating precision. Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life's processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms—and our relationships with them—are changing our understanding of how life works." (I'm a proud member of the sloth reading club, so what I'm reading will not always change monthly) Projects: Self-development book on trauma and worthiness, submitting haiku & poetry, ongoing content for various publications. Considering next steps in career training: psychedelic assisted therapy, HeartMath training, biblio/poetry therapy training, or yoga teacher training.  Semiahmoo Marina in Blaine, Washington Poem: What is Success? by Ralph Waldo Emerson To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived-- this is to have succeeded.  View of Semiahmoo Marina in Blaine Washington Each month I post an update called Tuning In on what I'm up to and various content I would like to share with you. Most of the links on this post are informational only, but a few are affiliate links that help me keep up my website. Events:  Facilitating:
Publications:
National Days:
National Months:
Dear Valued Community, May of 2022 was a very difficult month. I wish things were different, but they are not. Once again we are charged with processing collective trauma at a speed that seems like too much, too fast. But if you are able, try to find a way to allow what you feel to move through you. Talk to someone about it. Create art about it. Find any speck of light you can and be with that, too. Moving into June, it is one of my favorite months of the year—not only is it my birthday month, but it is the month that contains the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. Days with more light feel longer, so I feel like I can squeeze more into my day. My energy stays elevated longer and I feel like I have more space to explore. I encourage you to celebrate the longer and warmer days however feels right to you. Maybe there are different activities or types of food you enjoy this time of year. Take advantage of the fleeting light and warmth. In my opinion, all seasons have positive attributes, but there is something special about summer. With Gratitude, Kerry  Sunset Hill Park in Seattle What I'm Reading Related for Therapy: Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma: Lifting the Burdens of the Past by Sharon Stanley "Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma provides psychotherapists and other helping professionals with a new body-based clinical model for the treatment of trauma. This model synthesizes emerging neurobiological and attachment research with somatic, embodied healing practices. Tested with hundreds of practitioners in courses for more than a decade, the principles and practices presented here empower helping professionals to effectively treat people with trauma while experiencing a sense of mutuality and personal growth themselves." What I'm Reading for Fun: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Mind & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake "When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave. In Entangled Life, the brilliant young biologist Merlin Sheldrake shows us the world from a fungal point of view, providing an exhilarating change of perspective. Sheldrake’s vivid exploration takes us from yeast to psychedelics, to the fungi that range for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet, to those that link plants together in complex networks known as the "Wood Wide Web," to those that infiltrate and manipulate insect bodies with devastating precision. Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life's processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms—and our relationships with them—are changing our understanding of how life works." (I'm a proud member of the sloth reading club, so what I'm reading will not always change monthly) Projects: Self-development book on trauma and worthiness, submitting haiku & poetry, ongoing content for various publications. Considering next steps in career training: psychedelic assisted therapy, HeartMath training, biblio/poetry therapy training, or yoga teacher training.  Carkeek Park in Seattle Poem: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become bitter or vain, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with the universe, whatever you conceive it to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.  Rhododendrons at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, Washington Quote of the Month: "Let go and trust that all will be revealed at the perfect moment." - Angela Sandberg |
WelcomeI'm Kerry (She/Her/Hers) and I am a licensed therapist, group facilitator, poet, writer, & speaker. This is a place to acknowledge and validate our suffering and trauma, while also learning how to turn toward aliveness and spaciousness. 
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