Hi, I’m Ellen . . .
I have a really good and buoyant life. I get to spend time with my best friend/husband and with both of my children as they finish college programs and venture into the independent lives they’re designing.
But that’s not how it used to be. My son was born with profound medical needs, and when he was 10 months old he had drastic brain surgery to preserve as much of his healthy brain as possible. With all the care he needed, sometimes 25+ appointments a month, I felt invisible and was sure I’d never have a life of my own, especially after his father and I divorced.
The emotional responsibilities of the family fell squarely and heavily on my shoulders. Or so I thought.
Then when he was in second grade and about to undergo his 13th or 14th surgery, I took a step back and paused. And in that reflection I knew I didn’t need to change me and I certainly didn’t him to change. During that time, which all together took about 12 years of discovery, I got really clear that it wasn’t either/or: care for my family or have a life. The more I studied, learned and practiced, the more everything came into focus, and I knew both were possible.
I believe every woman deserves to have
the life she dreams of,
even when life gets hard and complexities of aging show up.
Let’s Age Buoyantly together.
I also know it’s just not right for your life to be anything short of a series of joyful possibilities full of appreciation for the life you’ve been given. And you don’t have to spend the dozen years I did figuring that out! That’s why for the past six years I have helped more than 600 people learn how to feel self compassion, dismantle stress, and build lives full of hope. I’ve supported them in setting healthy limits on what they give to others, including their loved ones, and I guide them to self-worth through self discovery.
I teach what I learned: Caring deeply for and about yourself is the single most loving thing you can do for the health of your family.
Why a dandelion logo?
Surviving the most inhospitable environments to burst forth between sidewalk cracks and in bone-dry land, dandelions persist at sharing their bounty as food, medicine, and joy.
I think of children clenching the sunny heads in spring to present to mothers, and then when fall arrives, as happily making wishes as seed sails are blown into the wind at the end of the flower’s life.
These yellow blooms stand as proof that deep roots and strong grounding can push back against powerful forces of uncertainty, disappointment, and disconnection.
I think all of us need to have a little dandelion grit at the ready—nurturing yet steady, persistent and giving—a fierce force to be reckoned with.
Paying it Forward
10% of all tuition and one-on-one mentoring fees are donated to organizations and individuals working to heal the hearts of humanity.
HeartMath and the Connection Practice
Workshops and mentoring go deep into the work of both HeartMath and the Connection Practice. As a certified trainer in both of these modalities, I am deeply indebted to RIta Marie Johnson, founder of the Connection Practice, for showing me the path out of the unpredictable emotions I experienced after my son was diagnosed and for years afterwards. To HeartMath I owe a world of gratitude for the research and wisdom it took to see that emotions can be understood with science and with . . . well, with heart.
Radical Inclusion
As a cis female (she/her/hers), I am grateful to the teachings of Freed Bodyworks in Washington, DC for teaching me that radical inclusion has kindness at its core. It is about seeing each human being with compassion, keeping curiosity alive, and practicing acceptance and deep respect.
Co-founder, Frances Reed, says, “Freed Bodyworks embraces the many ways that people's bodies are non-conforming: gender identity, body modification, weight, culture, sub-culture, race, employment, ability, illness, age, and more.”
Small Business Anti-Racism Pledge
I live in southern Wyoming on ceded lands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Sioux. I have taken the pledge and am committed to educating myself about my white privilege and how it contributes to harming others. Here is an introductory racism class I’ve participated in and whole-heartedly recommend: Hard Conversations: Introduction to Racism. And here is the Anti-Racist Small Business Pledge.