Hi, I’m Lynn, a licensed professional counselor, life coach, writer, and single mother of two young adults.
I grew up sensitive in an insensitive world.
I held a vision for a world of human caring and connection, and I wanted to help make this vision a reality, but I felt overwhelmed by the enormity of societal problems. As just one person, what could I do to make a difference?
In college, I discovered Carl Jung’s conception of the collective unconscious. Jung believed that as we each did our inner work to become the most whole, unique, and integrated versions of ourselves, we could raise humanity's consciousness and help heal the pain at the root of human suffering.
I felt called to contribute to this collective healing endeavor.
And so, my life’s work began. I studied my dreams and my torments. It wasn’t difficult to find the root of my problems in a dysfunctional family and maladaptive culture, but I quickly discovered just how hard it was to change my negative thought patterns and behaviors. My depression and anxiety were intense, and my self-loathing inner critic was wickedly cruel. I entered therapy, but my progress was slow.
When I married at 28, I knew nothing about identifying a compatible life partner or creating a healthy relationship. I had unwittingly fallen into the trap of repeating the unhappy partnership my parents had modeled for me. It never occurred to me to do anything but suffer through it, just as they had done, and I settled into a life of quiet desperation.
Then, I had children, and a world of unexpected joy and possibility opened up. Motherhood awakened a sense of new-found confidence and purpose, and a deeper motivation for my growth. I was the caretaker and guide for two unique and amazing little beings who relied on me for everything. I wanted to become the best possible version of myself to serve as a guide and role model for them.
After fruitless efforts at marriage counseling and much inner anguish, I left my lonely marriage. Feeling the emotional impact of the divorce on my children and having to be apart from them when they stayed with their father nearly wrenched me apart.
Thankfully, I found refuge in the practice of zazen meditation. Little by little, I learned to witness my thoughts and emotions from the riverbank instead of being swept down into their dark currents. My anxiety lessened and my depression lightened. My critical, self-loathing voice loosened its grip on me, and an empathetic and encouraging voice began speaking up.
At age 40, after years of my own growth work, I felt ready to guide and support others on the quest for healing.
I began a master's degree in counseling.
In my program, I learned many insightful psychological theories, but once I started working with clients, I realized that I needed more than theories to help people change. Led by my curiosity and hunger to offer tangible help, I began a second education.
I discovered the recent explosion of information about how trauma impacts the nervous system.
I found out how we can reconnect with our bodies to heal from trauma and learned about body-based somatic therapies.
I pursued Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing training, a research-validated method for trauma recovery.
I studied the positive impact of mindfulness and self-compassion.
I researched the key components of healthy marriages and learned how to create secure and rewarding relationship attachments.
I explored self-help and coaching materials for practical strategies to change habits and behavior.
I finally understood why talk therapy, though valuable in its way, couldn't bring about the deeper changes my clients and I were searching for. I had found the knowledge I needed to do the work I was meant to do.
As I implemented everything I was learning, I witnessed true healing.
My clients' lives improved in tangible and significant ways beyond anything I had seen before. They left unhealthy relationships and created rewarding ones, left jobs they hated and found fulfilling careers, cut ties with toxic family members, and replaced codependency with self-care and healthy boundaries.
I would be honored to facilitate this kind of change for you.
I will encourage you to make courageous choices and live from your unique gifts as I teach you the skills to go beyond self-care to self-nurture.
Let me support and guide you on your path toward self-actualization and authenticity as we work together.
You can become an individual coaching or counseling client, participate in one of my online coaching groups, or take one of the Nurture School online courses.
When not counseling or coaching, I enjoy cooking nutritious meals and eating family dinners with my children, attending the local community theater, or snuggling on the sofa with my pets. I am enchanted with home simplification and organization and can often be found decluttering my cabinets or reevaluating my capsule wardrobe. I am an active member of the Shorinji Zen Sangha near Starkville, Mississippi.
Offerings
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Courses: Coming Soon!
I’ve spent years learning what works to help people make meaningful change in their lives and distilled this knowledge down into a series of online, work-at-your-own-pace courses. Learn the most effective skills I teach to my coaching and counseling clients every day!
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Coaching
Sometimes, knowledge is not enough to help us create change. Often, we need to be witnessed and guided through the obstacles on the path to fully actualizing ourselves and our dreams. Work with me one on one to set goals and achieve them!
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Counseling
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi. If you live in Mississippi, too, and you want to do deep work to heal past traumas and recover from depression and anxiety, you can work with me in person or via telehealth.