Mindful Blog

Christine came to this practice to heal.  She had that lucky terrifying moment, where it was clear the tactics to succeed, may have not been the ones to live, and certainly not with intention or any sense of well being.  That moment, learning that the past experiences didn’t set up a future life that matched intention, nor a status of mental and physical health that was going to work for the rest of life, was the wake up call Christine needed.

Already interested in wellness, neuroscience, traumatic childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma, finding ways to feel alive not just living, Christine sought to learn, practice and embody a new way.  Doing something proven to rebuild the brain – mindfulness and meditation.  And it helped in a life saving and life altering way.  It is still working.  It is is a lifelong journey creating more openness to this world – not the world that was made through control, force of will and avoidance – this messy, amazing and beautiful place, with this chance, one precious chance .  No more wasting it, time to live it.

Christine dove into Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self Compassion, Zen Buddhism, retreats, reading and getting a teaching credential from the Engaged Mindfulness Institute and is completing her teaching credentials with the Center for Self Compassion.  Christine meditates, and has mindfulness practices integrated into her day.

The career details – Christine has a degree from the University of Oregon in Planning, Public Policy and Management and a secondary degree from Portland State in Urban Studies. Christine has over 30 years as a public safety professional, working in police, prosecution, corrections, youth corrections and supervision, as well as communication and legislative work at the city, county and state levels.  She is a policy and legislative expert, but her stand out ability is how to make systems work, always centering on the people doing the work and impacted by those systems.  Whether it is a prison unit, staff that are burnt out, youth in isolation, victims of crime or the organization, Christine works to learn where people are at and move from there.   She is the swiss army knife in organizational management, leadership and making things work.  A go to person wherever she is, her approach embodies “people may not remember what you said, but they will remember how they made you feel.”