Welcome in.

I have a Babaylan-inspired practice, which for me is a way of listening and tending space for what has been interrupted. Tending can be, and often is, relational, ancestral, embodied, energetic, creative, and alive. The work here is not to heal, but to listen and restore relation.

Arrival.

As you enter, keep your shoes on or take them off. We can talk—introductions, explore what Babaylan-inspired practice is, talk about the weather, review the last time we met—or we can simply greet each other in silence.

Orientation.

Once we land, I’ll offer a ritual of gentle orientation and then I’ll ask you, “What needs tending?”

This can be done verbally, with any language or other sound, or non-verbally through movement or another form. As this unfolds, I’ll be listening to you, me, and the space between us.

Tending.

Together, we’ll tend to what emerges through field, relational, and somatic listening. I’ll support you in paying attention to and experiencing the movement between sensations, feelings, memories, images, thoughts, movement/flow, and relationship.

Creativity & Revealing.

Creativity and/or revealing may or may not arise organically. Through being with, co-creative energy may guide us toward experiences such as drawing, fort-building, humming, or music. The energy may also lead us to experimentation with ritual, symbols, images, metaphors, movement, etc. Sometimes, when creative energy meets, a revealing is uncovered. What is made or revealed is treated as alive and is not analyzed.

Ancestral Awareness without Appropriation.

This is also a space where land and ancestral awareness, without appropriation, may be acknowledged.

Closing.

In a closing ritual, we’ll set the foundation for integration by weaving your experience back into daily life. This is a time for naming what’s settled and unsettled and attending to the nervous system.

My Approach.

I work from an anti-oppressive lens centering Indigenous intuition instead of science or solutions. This doesn’t mean I don’t believe in science or solutions—I do; I just don’t tend to them in this space. My approach is to authentically be in relationship with you, buoyant in relationship to my experience and body, and healthy in my boundaries.

My Experience.

I have over 20 years of experience working in the field of mental health, including positions of leadership, and 17 years of experience working in resorts, camps, retreat spaces, challenge courses, outdoor recreation, and wellness. 

Rooted Unlearning, Systemic Learning, and Re-Membering Experiences

Would you like to work with me?

Call or text me: 828-263-7273

Email me: Catie@gestaltwellnessstudio.com

I look forward to connecting with you.

~Cai