Rediscover your true nature

Helping women do the deep work so they can stop turning against themselves and build lives they love

If beating up on ourselves worked,
we’d probably all be doing great by now

A paradoxical thing happens when we take a step towards accepting ourselves exactly as we are. A doorway opens into a whole new way of being.

Beneath all the self doubt, self judgement and anxiety, there is a version of you which is calm. Curious. Clear. Connected.

Let’s find her.

Offerings

Feel more alive in your body and mind

1-on-1 Work

  • Healing happens in relationship. This includes the relationship to our selves and to our problems.

    All of your strategies and coping skills that are messing up your life now? At one time they made sense and helped you in various ways. Until we know how to see them for what they are, and how to change our relationship to them, they often run our lives.

    Together, we look with compassion and curiosity at the life experiences that brought you to this point. We untangle knots of confusion about what’s going on and why these patterns keep showing up. We learn what to do with all those dang emotions (hint: it’s not about keeping on pushing them down until they explode). And we practice the art of befriending yourself.

Groups

  • What’s even more powerful than a single woman learning to support herself emotionally? A group of them.

    It’s my view that women are ancestrally hardwired to be each others allies and champions. There is something profoundly healing in speaking your truth to a small group of women and having them simply receive it and hold it. Likewise, when we hear other women speak about their lives and inner worlds, we inevitably come to know ourselves better.

    I occasionally run multi week containers for women to do this deep work together.

    Reach out if you are interested and I’ll put you on the list to hear when the next one will start.

Psychedelic Support

  • A lot of healing and transformative work can happen in psychedelic states. But I would say that the real work is what comes after. I can help you make sense of and integrate these powerful experiences, as well as help set you up for success leading up to it.

    In person ceremonial services are also available for women in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    I have been working with psychedelics for healing since 2010 and been a guide for others since 2015.

Approaches

Some of the things that may get woven into a session with me

  • Parts Work

    Parts Work, also called Internal Family Systems, is a therapeutic tool that encourages us think of certain emotions, thoughts or behaviors as personified “parts” in our psyche. This allows us to separate from them just enough that we can see them more clearly, but this time with a sense of curiosity instead of self-judgement.

    As we learn to work with our parts from this vantage point, a new version of you naturally begins to emerge. Your psyche reorganizes itself to allow for more inner peace, self-compassion and clarity about your true self.

  • Connecting to Nature

    Using the metaphor of “inner seasons” we re-establish a framework of intimate connection and attachment to the natural world. Just like a parent and child, we start to see our resemblance to this planet that made us. We are made in her image, with seasons and cycles inside of us that mirror the wider ones all around us. We belong here.

    We use this to orient ourselves like a map. With practice, this slowly helps us stop fighting against the natural ebbs and flows of our lives and learn what each “inner season” actually asks of us.

  • Body Practices

    The primal brain, also called the reptilian brain, is what makes us feel either safe or in danger. The language of this part of the brain is sensation. By getting in touch with what trauma therapist Peter Levine calls “the felt sense” of our bodies, we begin to heal trauma and enjoy life more.

    In a session we may employ exercises like simply putting your attention on body to see what sensations - if any - you notice there. Or maybe a little gently touching your scalp with your fingertips while taking deep breath. Such practices often seem simple, but their effect can be profound and help us get back to the root of what life is all about.

  • Mindfulness & Visualization

    I think of mindfulness as the art of being present to what’s actually happening. It’s tuning into the subtle realms of our direct experience.

    Visualization, including the use of Active Imagination is an approach that helps bridge the conscious and unconscious mind.

    Together these tools help build a relationship with your own inner guidance system and create an inner world that is a refuge, where deep safety can be found.

Some of the things I love supporting women with:

  • Stress, anxiety, depression 

  • Dissociation and embodiment 

  • Recovery from high control groups and abusive dynamics

  • Intimate relationships

  • Aligning with nature as a healing force

  • The Heroine’s Journey/Underworld initiations

  • Healing after burnout 

  • Nervous system regulation

  • Trauma recovery

  • Personal exploration and growth

  • Spiritual growth and inquiry

  • Spiritual emergencies

  • Re-mothering

  • Creative blocks

  • Holistic health outside the system

Hi, I’m Olivia. And I’m really glad you’re here.

I love few things more than working with other women on their healing journeys.

Think of me as part guide, part cheerleader, part midwife to your own rebirth.

My professional background includes a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and an MA in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute. I have also spent over a decade studying trauma, embodiment, tools for recovery, herbal medicine and holistic health from a variety of sources. 

That said, I feel my real education has come from my own healing journey and paying deep attention to what life was teaching me. This has included forging my own path, dark underworld journeys of initiation and humbly learning about what it truly means to be human.

How it works:

  • For individual one-on-one work, I offer a deeply discounted first session ($35). I know it’s hard to find the right person to work with so this lets you see if it feels like a good fit, without having to invest so much up front.

  • Sessions are over Zoom and are 60 minutes long. There is an option of a hour and a half or two hour long-form session which can be great for getting into especially deep or difficult territory.

  • Sessions are $100/hr

  • I reserve a few lower fee spaces for those who need it and currently have room for two more. Just reach out if that’s you. 

  • Email me at Olivia@TheEssentialSelf.org or use the contact form below to set up a free 20 minute consultation call, or to dive right in to an initial session.

Testimonals

  • “Since working with Olivia, I am way less afraid of my own feelings. She seems to ask just the right questions. My relationships feel stronger and deeper and more satisfying as a direct result of the work we’ve been doing. There’s been a ripple effect in my life, and it’s inspiring other people around me to want to work on themselves too, because they can see all the positive effects it’s been having on me and how much happier I’ve been.”

    Monica R.

  • “Olivia has been instrumental in my healing journey over the past year. Despite seeing many therapists, none have provided the tools, clarity, and insight that she has. Her ability to listen, understand, and provide insightful guidance is truly remarkable. She makes me feel heard, seen, and validated. I am immensely grateful for her wisdom and guidance.”

    Kailey W.

  • “I came to my first session super anxious about having to set a boundary at work. Within that one hour, Olivia helped me understand what was underneath that anxiety as well as visualize an archetype that helped me find my inner power again. The next day I went into work calm and confident and said exactly what I needed! Without guilt or apology. It felt like a major shift in what was possible for me and has continued to open up new doors.”

    R.K.

  • “I felt a deep connection to Olivia very quickly. I feel incredibly seen when working with her. I feel like there’s a wise woman holding me in a warm, connected, safe container. She has great attention to detail and helps me to slow things down so we can get to what’s really important and clear away the B.S. She’s a powerful guide who helps create an energetic container for big healing work to get done.”

    Nicole Garrison

Let’s connect

Let me know your availability for a free 20 minute phone chat to get started. I look forward to talking with you!