More about Christy

I’m a counselor, facilitator, parent coach, and educator, living in the forest of Alsea, Oregon, just outside of Corvallis. My work is grounded in deep listening, intuition, and a belief in the transformative power of connection to ourselves, each other, and the natural world.

For over two decades, I worked with children and families as a nature connection mentor and preschool teacher. In 2010, I founded Humming Hive Forest School, a Waldorf-inspired outdoor preschool in NW Portland, where I guided families in cultivating rhythms of play, nature immersion, and community for eight years.

In 2020, my passion for understanding and transforming conflict led me to Process Work, a non-pathologizing, body-centered approach to counseling and facilitation. I was already adept at helping young children navigate conflict, but I wanted to develop the skills to support adults through life’s deeper emotional and relational challenges. Through this journey, I found a framework that honors inner wisdom, respects each person’s unique process, and embraces the complexity of healing and change.

Over the years, I found myself increasingly drawn to supporting parents themselves, not just children, helping families simplify, reconnect with rhythm, and create more ease in daily life. This naturally led me toward Simplicity Parenting, an approach that aligns deeply with my Waldorf-informed roots and my belief that meaningful change begins with the adults who hold the family system.

Education & Training

  • BA in Early Childhood Education Naropa University

  • Waldorf Teacher Training Micha-el Institute, Portland

  • MA in Process-Oriented Facilitation and Conflict Studies Process Work Institute

  • Clinical Training River’s Way Community Clinic

  • Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Maté

  • Grief Tending Mentorship Sacred Groves

  • Simplicity Parenting Coach Training with Kim John Payne

My specialties include parent coaching and family systems work, trauma healing, communication and conflict resolution, and nature-based therapeutic practices. Whether I’m supporting individuals, couples, or families, my goal is to help people move through challenges with more clarity, connection, and self-trust.

When I'm not working, I’m often plunging into cold rivers, dancing, gardening, knitting, learning Spanish, or playing with my two beloved cats, Miel and Gus.

The approach below reflects the values and frameworks that shape how I support this work in practice.

My Approach

My work begins from the understanding that we are born powerful, creative, and intuitive beings. Over time, many of us lose touch with this inner wisdom, having been taught - sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly - that answers, authority, and healing live outside of us. My work is about helping you return to yourself. For parents, this often means reconnecting with the authority and wisdom already within you, so you can create a home environment that feels steady, connected, and supportive even in an unpredictable world.

Over time, my work has become a weaving together of Process-Oriented Psychology (Process Work), Simplicity Parenting, Compassionate Inquiry, and developmental insights shaped by my years working closely with children and families as a Waldorf teacher.

Whether I’m working with an individual navigating anxiety or life transitions, a couple or co-parents working through conflict, or a parent seeking deeper connection with their child, my approach remains rooted in the same intention: to help you listen to the wisdom embedded in your challenges. I believe that the symptoms we experience - emotional, physical, relational, or spiritual - are not problems to be fixed, but messages pointing us toward wholeness.

In our work together, we’ll bring awareness to the signals that are often overlooked. These may show up through body symptoms, dreams, relationship dynamics, behavior patterns, or whatever is arising in the moment. I don’t follow a formula or textbook. I follow your process. My role is to support you in tuning into your body, your emotions, and your inner guidance. I work slowly and intuitively, holding space with compassion and curiosity, while also offering grounded guidance and developmental insight to help you move forward in ways that feel sustainable and true to you.

This isn’t about forcing yourself to become someone new; it’s about remembering who you already are and allowing new parts of you to emerge, learning how to live from that place with greater trust, clarity, and intention.