My Professional Experience, Hopes for Community, and How I Like to work
I was born and raised in East Bakersfield – adjacent to the agriculture orchards and oil fields. I have spent my life reconciling the mixed Native, Spanish, and British DNA that lives in my body and through my spirit. I have learned about myself and other persons/cultures through education as a student, holding space as a professor and counselor, reading books and articles on my own, moving to new towns, and taking long walks in nature and in cities with and without dogs.
During my years as a student, I earned a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology, a Masters degree in Athletic Counseling, and a Bachelors degree in the Study of Religion. After my years of working on college campuses and in psychotherapy clinics, I currently work independently as a wellness therapist and life coach based in Templeton, SLO County, California.
I have worked with adults of all ages and all levels of education. I have also worked with at-risk teenagers and keep getting the message that it’s about taking care of the youth!
My goal is to help individuals and groups prioritize their and their communities’ physical, mental, and spiritual health through healthy relationships, proper nutrition and exercise, and nature-based beliefs and practices. I have assisted persons with academic and career choices, lifestyle decision making, relationship aspirations, and different types of emotional unrest.
I am as much informed by music, films, art, and nature as I am anything that I learned in my formal psychology, counseling, and religious education. I hope to be able to help you create an internal and external atmosphere of health, peace, love, and joy.
If you or someone(s) you know and love (son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, friend, partner, etc) is experiencing personal and/or social challenges, we can talk and see if we are a match and can find a time to meet. I refer to my version of mental health services as “naturalistic” because I tend to speak, think, and act with metaphors readily presented in the natural world – easier to do if we are not in some stuffy office.
I prefer sessions to take place in one of the many local gardens, parks, or trails. We may also have opportunities to meet with animals and protected plants in private settings. If you prefer the privacy and comfort of your own space or are outside of the Templeton/Atascadero area we can make arrangements to meet online Zoom and maybe you can be in your own garden!
See the Services page for more details on ways that we can plan to meet. We will have a free brief consultation on phone or Zoom prior to scheduling any formal meeting.
I have a contact form at the bottom of this page. You can also email me directly at [email protected].
Thanks for reading.
John
