“I am convinced that most people do not grow up. … I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias.”
~Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
ALL ABOUT US
MY STORY
Hello! I’m Stephanie, your practitioner, and once upon a time, I limped this very path myself.
After decades of managing, but never mastering, my chronic health issues while overextending myself as a caregiver, my nervous system crashed during the Pandemic. Unable to grasp objects, drive, read, or simply regulate my temperature or pulse, I was walker-bound for months, dependent on the kindness of friends and family to survive each day—a bad dream for anyone, let alone a parent and/or caregiver. I began to believe that there was no way out—until one day, I hit what I decided would be my rock bottom.
Determined to have hard conversations and make difficult life changes, I very slowly dug myself out of the deep darkness. Through a combination of medical interventions, I cured what I could of my medical diagnoses. But there was so much more work to be done.
Faced with often unpredictable flare-ups, I learned that there is a deep, profound difference between curing and healing. While curing can often temper a symptom of a condition, healing takes place at the roots of our foundational selves. What part of you needs tending? Where do your roots yearn for water? Are you living a life that is aligned with your true heart’s needs? How can you make your life a more compatible partner for your body?
I found my way out of survival mode and into a life where I thrive—a life filled with joy and connection. Magnolia Somatics is an interwoven combination of paying it forward and my own healing journey. Because, as it turns out, helping others find joy, alignment, and meaningful ease is my personal recipe for healing. It was through the support of thoughtful practitioners, my family and friends, and connecting with the needs and wisdom of my own body through somatic healing that I am able to have more good days than bad. What is your unique recipe for a life well lived? Let’s find it together.
MY BACKGROUND
Degrees & Universities
M.A. Art Therapy from New York University.
B.A. from Brandeis University in European Cultural Studies (History of Ideas), a Film Studies Program, and a minor in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies.
Post-Baccalaureate Studies in Studio Art at Hunter College and The New School in New York City.
Attended Charles University in Prague for one year, studying photography, film, and literature.
Born and raised amongst the magnolia and pine trees of East Texas, graduate of Longview High School.
Certifications & Programs
Graduate of Mindful Schools Year Long Mindfulness Teacher Program.
Certification from Cosmic Kids Yoga in Children’s Yoga Teacher Training Program.
Reiki 1 & Reiki 2 Certification from East Bay Healing House.
Mind Body Coaching Program, in-progress, at The Embody Lab