My personal journey from familiarity to freedom....
Music was my first introduction to the concept of self-soothing. I sat myself down at my late grandmother’s thrift store keyboard at the tender age of five, having not even the slightest clue that this instrument would be a key (ha!) to saving my life. One of many keys, but I digress. Music transcends cultures, experiences, generations. I grew up to be a classically trained pianist and eventually taught myself the guitar and ukulele. I spent the past decade spreading that knowledge to children, teaching privately and in schools, because I knew how powerful it was to be able to sit down and translate your emotions into something tangible. Healing through the power of music has been an incredible journey, and I wanted to take that path and make it something bigger.
The mental health industry has always been my calling, because let’s face it – after many a traumatic experience, I wanted to become for others the person who I always needed. I had music, of course, but there comes a point after certain traumas that it is a Band-Aid on a bullet hole, and the mind, body and soul need something a little stronger.
I attended one of the top New England colleges for my first Bachelor’s in 2010, swiftly following it up with more education in Cognitive Neuroscience and a pre-med program. I was determined to find the answer, the cure, the solution to navigating a world that is simply not a very welcoming environment for anyone with inner turmoil.
This led me to pursue my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, but after taking almost every single class, something felt off. It felt too sterile, too clinical. Where was the spiritual aspect? Where was the empathetic and human connection? The medical model went against almost everything I believed in and experienced; but who was I, a newbie to a very prominent field, to question anything?
What changes could someone like me possibly make?
As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. I quit my job, dropped everything and decided to take a spiritual journey across the country from my home of New York City to the sprawling mountains of Arizona, and everything in between. I traveled through meadows, fields, mountains, even the desert, in search of an answer to a question I wasn’t even really sure how to ask. What exactly was I looking for, anyway? How could I heal other people – actually heal them?
After spending some time in the Four Corners, I found my way to Sedona, Arizona. It was there that I found my teachers, where I received my certification from McLean Meditation to become a meditation teacher after an amazing and life changing meditation retreat. I like to say there was the me before this experience, and the me afterwards. Putting my spirit in the hands of my wonderful teachers was the best give I have ever given myself – and upon receiving this gift, I knew it was time to share it with others.
I returned to New York City rested, rejuvenated and ready to make some changes. It was then in 2014 that Layers of Harmony® was born. I lead wellness seminars in Manhattan, bringing the peace and freedom of meditation to the extremely hardworking professionals of the city, people in high stress environments.
This was not enough for me. I knew that I had found one of the keys to the spirit, but that is just one Layer of harmony. How would I be able to touch on the physical and mental attributes of the human condition for a complete overhaul that so many of us need? My new goal was to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, and create an integrative modality to tie all of it together.
I received my health coaching certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, because I knew that the next step in achieving emotional homeostasis was to address the nutritional lifestyles of my clients and their relationship with food. 95% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut, and the gut processes hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses for learning, memory and mood. There is a clear scientific connection here, and so the second Layer was put into motion.
The final step, and the hardest, would be to integrate the mind itself. I then became a Reiki Master, followed by Integrated Energy Therapy. While both of these modalities are wonderful, there was still something missing.
I reflected upon my own personal journey at this point. I was healing my soul with a consistent meditation practice, healing my gut and my overall physical health with all of the incredible knowledge I gained from health coaching, and even the energy treatments were a positive integration into my life.
But here was where the issue remained: none of this was touching the root cause of my trauma. The darkness, while shrinking, still remained. The anger, the guilt, the frustration… while more or less manageable at this point, it was still there. I really did not plan on healing myself along the way, but I realized as I was journeying the land for answers that I would have to face my demons if I were to help others face their own.
To quote one of my many mentors: you cannot walk someone down a path you have not been down yourself.
And it came to me in meditation: the root cause. Where can I find the root cause? The root cause of my own suffering, the suffering of those around me, the suffering of the clients who seek my help. The root cause: found in the final Layer, the mind, where the root cause of all suffering has planted itself.
Here’s the thing: when we experience trauma of any kind, when we reach for our vices, we accept subconsciously that this is just Something That Happened, and we have to Just Live With It. This is not the case at all. Science has gone on to prove that the vast amount of the issues we deal with are psychosomatic in nature. If this is true, then the time has come to acknowledge the Thoughts that play a part in this web of suffering we have seemingly caught ourselves in.
So, what can I do to find the root cause of it all? Hypnotherapy. I enrolled in the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy where I learned how to challenge false beliefs and negative emotions, and turn them into powerful, positive and true affirmations. I learned that by communicating with the subconscious, we find that it is actually trying to protect us, but more often than not, is harming us instead.
I obtained my certifications in Hypnotherapy, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Certified Clinical Transpersonal Hypnotherapy. I faced my biggest fear, I allowed myself to be hypnotized, I allowed some amazing professionals to help me address my issues, and to this day I am free, all because I chose freedom over familiarity.
I was comfortable in my darkness for far too long. When we spend too much time in the dark, the light is too blinding to even look at. If I can say enough is enough and turn towards that blinding light and let it encompass me, I truly believe that anyone can.
And there you have it: the Layers of Harmony®. The integration of mind, body and soul. The balance of your physical body, your spirit, and your extremely powerful mind all play a part in bringing you back to life. I have worked to create this unique and powerful modality not only to bring balance and peace to the human condition, but to create a rippling effect on the world itself.
I still play music, of course. You can find that in the customized meditations you will receive from me when we work together. Every meditation is customized to your needs with a beautiful, unique piece of music in the background, from my soul to yours.
Not all who wander are lost. Some of us just didn’t give up until we found what we were looking for. Let that someone be you, too.
