FLORENCE GAIA, RN, M.Ed.
Mind-Body Health Nurse
I was born and raised in a middle class suburbs of New Jersey across the river from "the City" (Hudson & NYC) following in my mother's footsteps, a devout Catholic. My happiest times were spent exploring the barn and animals or climbing the apple tree on my Aunt's farm in western Jersey, learning to ride horses from an old Montana cowboy, swimming in the waters of Cape Cod. I also became a nurse like my mother, married, had 2 children and moved to Massachusetts where I continued to devote myself to family, church, helping with a riding program for disabled children, taking school children on nature walks. Every major turning point in my life began in some unsettling way: divorce, leaving my religious tradition, moving West, becoming an amateur competitive ballroom dancer. LIfe transitions, sometimes painful, started with self-doubt, giving my vague discontent a voice. Divorce was such an upheaval to my sense of identity and life plan causing depression and some suicidal thoughts. "Who am I when I'm not a wife or mother?" Joint custody meant alot of alone time. I kept listening within, getting support from my therapist, saying out loud what my heart was feeling, my soul was whispering. Where was this taking me? An unknown future very different from the present.
In my darkest moments I began gentle self-compassion, a critical ingredient to endure. Something as simple as adding cinnamon to my toast sitting outside with my tea. Looking in the mirror, seeing the pain in my eyes, saying "I love you", asking "how can I take care of you today? You don't have to know the answer now." Relieving the pressure of having an immediate answer, trusting it would come...
The inner critic rose up trying to squelch my daring feelings and thoughts - wanting more of something. I learned how to give this inner critic a new job from abusive prosecutor to protective Defender. What a switch! And my Defender still serves me well today - using it's critiquing skills to help me SEE & STOP attempts to disempower or gaslight me.
Shamanic journeying brought me to a rich inner landscape with wonderful animal spirit guides that comforted and brought me insight, healing and guidance. I rode The Black Stallion back to a painful childhood memory and rescued my little girl self, took her out of that situation. The Black resides in my solar plexus emanating a quiet still unquestionable power but is so gentle with me. His black coat shimmering. Each animal spirit grounded me in my Truth. As I trained in Transformational Breathwork trapped emotional angst rose to the surface. Toning loudly with the breath released this energy buried deep in my body. This freed me to connect to a deep contentment in who I am, where I was going and the courage to take the next shaky steps in my life. I continue to use both in mediation practice and as challenges come. I can rest in the freedom to accept my imperfect humanity.
Florence has been a mind-body health nurse for 30 yrs. leading workshops and retreats. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse on an acute in-patient hospital unit in MA and NM for 17 years. In private practice she uses holistic health modalities: Deep Imagery/Shamanic Journey work, Gestalt therapy and Transformational Breathwork™ as well as Movement & Music & some general Native American spiritual practices, like "smudging"/sage cleansings, rattles. Training with Brooke Medicine Eagle in Montana brought Native American spiritual teachings to a lively position in her personal experience which plays a part in her healing work. She recently became certified as a Music Medicine facilitator with renowned music therapist Christine Stevens. She has led meditative drumming circles and ceremonial rites of passage for menopausal women in MA, NH, NM, CO. She is enthusiastic about offering experiences that bring inner peace and empowerment to one's life to feel more whole and alive with a heartfelt connection to Mother Earth and the greater circle of life beyond the two-legged world. Her work is an authentic integration of art, spirituality and medicine.
Education: BSN Seton Hall University, NJ; M.Ed. Boston College, MA
SPECIALIZED CERTIFIED TRAINING: Shamanic "Journeys" aka Deep Imagery, Transformational Conscious Breathwork, Gestalt Therapy,
Studied with: E. Steve Gallegos, Ph.D, NM; Brooke Medicine Eagle*, Montana; Dr. Judith Kravitz, NH; Gestalt Institute of New England.
*Native American teachings on the Medicine Wheel, the Moon and Moonpause Lodge, using sage, sweet grass and cornmeal,
Listed as Facilitator on: www.deepimagery.org; www.transformationalbreath.com
"I offer a fascinating opportunity to turn one's inner landscape of fearfulness and worry into a peace of mind and heart with a more relaxed body that radiates to every cell in our body saying "I'm OK right where I am NOW . ." The work I do with clients challenges them to embrace and accept with a loving OK-ness the many parts of who and where they are, both the positive and what is viewed as "negative" , like anger, fear, sadness, how old wounds affect us today. It is only from this place of warm acceptance that healing, personal growth and evolution, becoming more fully alive can happen. Shamanic Journeying along with Breathwork and wholistic counseling approach a person's issues or troubles from a different angle sidestepping ego/mental defenses to get to the heart of the issues. I also use music as medicine in my work to unlock and soothe trauma, negativity, shame that often hide out like a forgotten child waiting for someone to notice. It attends to the emotional aspect connected to that energy and the spirit longing to breathe free and guide us to our full potential. The end result of working in these unique modalities is an expanded solid sense of true self, a clarity of purpose as one explores the hinterlands and deep subconscious ocean of your humanity.
Living one's life fully becomes the ultimate adventure despite troubles of life."
In my darkest moments I began gentle self-compassion, a critical ingredient to endure. Something as simple as adding cinnamon to my toast sitting outside with my tea. Looking in the mirror, seeing the pain in my eyes, saying "I love you", asking "how can I take care of you today? You don't have to know the answer now." Relieving the pressure of having an immediate answer, trusting it would come...
The inner critic rose up trying to squelch my daring feelings and thoughts - wanting more of something. I learned how to give this inner critic a new job from abusive prosecutor to protective Defender. What a switch! And my Defender still serves me well today - using it's critiquing skills to help me SEE & STOP attempts to disempower or gaslight me.
Shamanic journeying brought me to a rich inner landscape with wonderful animal spirit guides that comforted and brought me insight, healing and guidance. I rode The Black Stallion back to a painful childhood memory and rescued my little girl self, took her out of that situation. The Black resides in my solar plexus emanating a quiet still unquestionable power but is so gentle with me. His black coat shimmering. Each animal spirit grounded me in my Truth. As I trained in Transformational Breathwork trapped emotional angst rose to the surface. Toning loudly with the breath released this energy buried deep in my body. This freed me to connect to a deep contentment in who I am, where I was going and the courage to take the next shaky steps in my life. I continue to use both in mediation practice and as challenges come. I can rest in the freedom to accept my imperfect humanity.
Florence has been a mind-body health nurse for 30 yrs. leading workshops and retreats. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse on an acute in-patient hospital unit in MA and NM for 17 years. In private practice she uses holistic health modalities: Deep Imagery/Shamanic Journey work, Gestalt therapy and Transformational Breathwork™ as well as Movement & Music & some general Native American spiritual practices, like "smudging"/sage cleansings, rattles. Training with Brooke Medicine Eagle in Montana brought Native American spiritual teachings to a lively position in her personal experience which plays a part in her healing work. She recently became certified as a Music Medicine facilitator with renowned music therapist Christine Stevens. She has led meditative drumming circles and ceremonial rites of passage for menopausal women in MA, NH, NM, CO. She is enthusiastic about offering experiences that bring inner peace and empowerment to one's life to feel more whole and alive with a heartfelt connection to Mother Earth and the greater circle of life beyond the two-legged world. Her work is an authentic integration of art, spirituality and medicine.
Education: BSN Seton Hall University, NJ; M.Ed. Boston College, MA
SPECIALIZED CERTIFIED TRAINING: Shamanic "Journeys" aka Deep Imagery, Transformational Conscious Breathwork, Gestalt Therapy,
Studied with: E. Steve Gallegos, Ph.D, NM; Brooke Medicine Eagle*, Montana; Dr. Judith Kravitz, NH; Gestalt Institute of New England.
*Native American teachings on the Medicine Wheel, the Moon and Moonpause Lodge, using sage, sweet grass and cornmeal,
Listed as Facilitator on: www.deepimagery.org; www.transformationalbreath.com
"I offer a fascinating opportunity to turn one's inner landscape of fearfulness and worry into a peace of mind and heart with a more relaxed body that radiates to every cell in our body saying "I'm OK right where I am NOW . ." The work I do with clients challenges them to embrace and accept with a loving OK-ness the many parts of who and where they are, both the positive and what is viewed as "negative" , like anger, fear, sadness, how old wounds affect us today. It is only from this place of warm acceptance that healing, personal growth and evolution, becoming more fully alive can happen. Shamanic Journeying along with Breathwork and wholistic counseling approach a person's issues or troubles from a different angle sidestepping ego/mental defenses to get to the heart of the issues. I also use music as medicine in my work to unlock and soothe trauma, negativity, shame that often hide out like a forgotten child waiting for someone to notice. It attends to the emotional aspect connected to that energy and the spirit longing to breathe free and guide us to our full potential. The end result of working in these unique modalities is an expanded solid sense of true self, a clarity of purpose as one explores the hinterlands and deep subconscious ocean of your humanity.
Living one's life fully becomes the ultimate adventure despite troubles of life."