You suffer less from your emotions and more from the belief that certain parts of you are unacceptable.
My Story
For most of my life, I was the obedient, goody-two-shoes “Star Student.” Straight A’s, leadership roles, never in trouble… I was proud of never being sent to the Principal’s Office! After college, I became a Psychiatric Nurse at one of the best hospitals in the nation and was quickly labeled “Super Nurse” by my co-workers as I took on leadership roles and eventually became President of my unit’s practice council.
I thought the achievements—the grades, the titles, the dream job—would finally make me feel proud of myself… But every milestone only left me feeling empty and constantly focused on chasing the next one.
In 2020, I left nursing to become a full-time Certified Life Coach, and started my own coaching business. From 2021 to 2022, the business grew. I made more money as a Life Coach than I ever thought possible, and sold high-ticket packages at prices I never thought I could sell. And still… it was never enough.
By 2023, I felt deeply unaligned with my work and was called to look inward—into my body. I paused my business, trained as a Certified Qigong Teacher, and took a receptionist job at an acupuncture office just to pay the bills. I had never felt so depressed. I was earning the least I ever had, working harder than ever, and my self-worth completely collapsed.
On April 10, 2024, it all became too heavy. The thoughts of being a failure—in my career, my business, and my life—piled up. I felt like a burden to everyone. When thoughts of ending my life surfaced, I quickly became scared and called the Suicide Hotline.
After nervously dialing the number, all I heard on the line was: Beep. Beep. Beep. I called again. Same response.
I was devastated and thought to myself, “Not even the Suicide Hotline can help me?!” But in that moment, I remembered something important: I have tools.
I began a simple Qigong movement called Separating the Clouds. As my hands parted above my head, I imagined dark clouds clearing and warm sunlight touching my face. I quickly felt a rush of calm coming over me, and that’s when my mind finally settled. The suicidal thoughts literally “vanished,” and I was able to be present in the moment.
That moment of presence helped me return to my Self (NOT the Achiever, the Doer, or the Perfectionist parts of me)… but to my True, Authentic Self (or “Self-Energy” as Richard Schwartz calls it in Internal Family Systems).
That’s when it hit me. I realized that there was a Me beneath the certifications, the income, the achievements that was present, and that I could find peace within myself that was NOT conditional and not focused on my bank account and my successes.
My emotions weren’t the problem… it was my belief that certain parts of me were unacceptable, based on my circumstances.
My Mission &
The Work I Do
After being a student of Personal Development and Self-Help for nearly a decade, I noticed a pervasive message that was being spread across podcasts, books, and coaching programs everywhere:
Where you are in your life right now is not good, and you need to achieve more in order to feel freedom, happiness, and joy.
This mindset is positive in its intentions, and it has helped me in so many ways… It helped me create a business, coach people who were feeling stuck and lost in their lives, and achieve more things than I could ever imagine.
And… It reinforced my underlying belief system that “I am not worthy unless I achieve something great.”
My Mission and my Work is rooted in the opposite.
You’re allowed to be a failure.
You’re allowed to be broke.
You’re allowed to not have a successful business.
My work is rooted in helping people see that true happiness and emotional resilience lies in the ability to stop fighting against or rejecting the parts of yourself that you aren’t happy with, and to start making peace with the version of yourself that you are right now.
From that place of peace, you can learn to know your True Self and move forward in your life in a way that sounds aligned with the essence of who you truly are, and what your soul wants to do.
My Certifications & Mentors Who Have Inspired My Work
CERTIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS
Healing Through the Vagus Nerve: Life Force and Nervous System Energetics (Star Blossom Education with Bonnie Thompson & Kristi Joy Rimbach), 2025
Embodying Safety: A Certificate for Integrating Yoga, Qigong and Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute with Dr. Amelia Barili & Dr. Stephen Porges), 2025
Live Online Mindful Self-Compassion Program Completion (Center for Mindful Self-Compassion), 2024
Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi), 2024
200-Hour Tier 1 Certified Holden Qigong Teacher (Holden Qigong), 2024
Master Certified EFT Practitioner (American Institute of Health Care Professionals), 2023
Certified Somatic Coach (Somatic Coach School with Rachel Friedman), 2022
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction/MBSR Program Completion (Mindful Leader), 2021
Certified Life Coach (The Life Coach School), 2018
Registered Nurse (California Board of Registered Nursing), License #804181, 2011-Present
WORK EXPERIENCE
Led Qigong & Mindfulness Classes/Workshops for Clinical Staff at Stanford Healthcare and for Cancer Patients at Hoag Hospital, 2025-2026
Qigong & Mindfulness Group Facilitator, Solstice Pacific Integrative Health Clinic (PHP, IOP, RTC), 2024-2025
Certified Qigong Teacher, Self-Employed, 2024-Present
Certified Life Coach, Self-Employed, 2020-Present
Psychiatric Registered Nurse, UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, 2012-2020
MENTORS & TEACHERS
Dr. Richard Schwartz, Creator of Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Author of No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Kyle Cease, Creator of Evolving Out Loud & Author of The Illusion of Money: Why Chasing Money Is Stopping You from Receiving It
Dr. Stephen Porges, Creator of Polyvagal Theory & Author of Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us
Amanda Armstrong, Creator of Regulated Living, Author of Healing Through the Vagus Nerve: Improve Your Body’s Response to Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Trauma Through Nervous System Regulation
Lee Holden, Founder of Holden Qigong, Qigong Teacher
Marisa Cranfill, Founder of YOQI (Yoga + Qigong), Qigong Teacher
Mimi Kuo-Deemer, Qigong Teacher & Sixth-generation lineage holder in Baguazhang, Internal Martial Arts Teacher, Author of Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis: Nourishing Practices for Body, Mind, and Spirit
Kristin Neff, Self-Compassion Researcher, Author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself