Introducing Courtney:
Your Guide to Integration

As a professional space-holder and accountability partner, Courtney (she/they) is passionate about creating compassionate spaces where people can feel safe enough to slow down, reflect, and make meaningful changes in their lives. With over a decade of experience as an integrative lifestyle coach, and as a queer woman deeply rooted in sustainable holistic wellness, Courtney offers a unique blend of mindful self-awareness and practical life guidance.

​At the heart of Courtney's work is the belief that we often already know the answers to the challenges we face—but in a world that constantly pushes us to do more and be more, finding the space to uncover and implement those truths can be incredibly difficult. Sometimes, what we need most is someone to truly listen and help us reconnect with our own wisdom. 

​​Courtney’s approach invites you to pause and breathe, offering integrative support through mindful movement, meditation, deep conversations, and universal insights. The work is about creating realistic shifts—helping you build a foundation of balance, ease, and self-care that you can return to and build from for the rest of your life.

​Whether you're navigating life transitions, managing stress, spiritually curious, or simply seeking clarity, Courtney is here to support your journey. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you can find the focus and strength you need to move forward with intention.

The Self Care Creature Mission
​

Self Care Creature exists to bridge the gap between self-care and community care.
We believe self-care isn’t just a personal act, it’s the groundwork for how we move through the world, relate to others, and stay aligned in the messiness of real life.

When we tend to ourselves with honesty, acceptance, and consistency, we build the inner stability needed to show up with more intention, flexibility, and compassion — with minimal burn outs or losing ourselves.

​Through our sessions, courses, and resources, SCC supports people in weaving their healing and growth into daily life. Because how we care for ourselves shapes how we live, lead, and connect with others.

Background & Education
​

  • Degree in Culinary Arts, 2010 Graduation  + Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner est. 2017
    Specializing in uncovering nutritional deficiencies, educating on proper digestion and establishing intuition. Personal experience cooking for dietary restrictions, prioritizing whole food ingredients.
  • National Personal Training Institute +
    ​NASM Certified Personal Trainer since 2012
    Specializing in functional movement, injury prevention + posture analysis. Personal experience in group instructing, athletic cross-training, olympic lifting, hard style kettlebells (2013 certificate), and running (sometimes barefoot!).
  • 200hr Yoga Teacher est. 2015 + 20-hr Trauma Sensitive Workshop 2019
    Specializing in all-level + all-body movement, bringing a practice that safely brings you from mind to body, aiding to establish a new supportive and compassionate nervous system baseline.​
  • Peer Support Guide through Yoga for 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) est. 2024
    Grounded in the principles of harm reduction and guided by yogic texts, trauma research, modern neuroscience, and the 12-step program – this training explores cognitive and somatic approaches to support a foundation for bridging the gap between traditional recovery programs and holistic wellness practices fostering comprehensive healing and growth, and to create a more just and equitable society that supports the health and well-being of everyone.​
  • Foundations to Social Justice with Dr. Tee Williams Summer 2020
    This (12+) week live course taught core theories and concepts of Social Justice from an intersectional and Critical Liberation Theory perspective, with their importance to Social Justice movements.
  • Meet Your Medicine Mentorship with Fey Wolf Fall 2020
    A 4-month transformational journey following five sacred elements within the Indigenous Medicine Wheel, learning to heal and weave shadows into gifts of wisdom intended for life's work and service.
  • Foundations to Self Awareness with Dr. Tee Williams Fall 2021
    This (10+) week live course helped to develop the awareness needed to successfully implement work of Liberation and Social Justice. "Self-awareness is critical to liberation and social justice work because it enables us to more clearly see ourselves and notice what is happening around us."​
  • Reiki Level 2 Certified with Jill Cofer of Full Circle Reiki Studio & School est. 2024
    Reiki is considered a gentle and non-invasive energetic healing modality. Originating in early 20th-century Japan, and rooted in Buddhist and Zen traditions, it involves the transfer of universal energy through the practitioner's hands to promote physical and emotional healing. Reiki can be shared with individuals, animals, groups, and even across distance—supporting ease, balance, and well-being.


​
​Specialty Interests & Self-Study
  • Travels & spiritual curiosity began 2014-2015
    9-month travel excursions through Mexico + Central America sparked spiritual curiosities that began unfolding with deep interest in the ancient cultures of these lands. This is where practice with Oracle cards was first introduced.
  • Practicing Zen Student & Retreat staff since 2017
    After these travels, a profound interested in Zen studies and retreat work took hold. Working at a retreat & zen center in Upstate NY, and separately, hired on as the chef + nutritionist at a Fall yoga retreat. This work continued for many years.
  • "Spiritual Awakening" in the Fall of 2019
    After bizarre personal experiences and through the guidance of trusted mentors, exploration in the work and worlds of indigenous, shamanic, and ancestor reverence began to take form.
  • Other modalities used and practiced...
    Tarot Cards (from 2019), Soto & Rinzai Zen Traditions, Guided Meditations + Visualizations, Ritual + Ceremonies. ​
  • Dedicated to Wholesome Healing and Personal Growth
    Courtney continues to learn and grow within their own communities, guided by various mentors, teachers, and therapists. Not all of these relationships are listed publicly due to privacy and appropriateness. Inquiries are always welcome.​

Respecting Boundaries:
​Embracing Scope of Practice

Respecting the boundaries of expertise is a fundamental principle at Self Care Creature. Courtney's commitment to continuous learning ensures specialized support tailored to clients' needs. Implementing various approaches and techniques provides a holistic approach to well-being. For areas outside of her wheelhouse, Courtney refers to other professionals to ensure clients receive the most appropriate care. Pairing lifestyle coaching with other healing practices and therapies is a natural fit within the Self Care Creature approach as it allows individuals to be provided with a well-rounded and personalized experience. 

Tailored Care Approach

As an integrative lifestyle coach, Courtney specializes in helping high-achieving individuals cultivate contentment and peace of mind, particularly during challenging times of integration and transitions. With a deep commitment to understanding clients intimately, Courtney goes beyond offering strategies for change. She guides clients in exploring the factors that have shaped their journey, fostering acceptance and compassion in that space. Through a conscious and present approach, she works alongside you to facilitate sustainable transformation.
Working with individuals of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, Courtney combines compassion with a straightforward coaching style. Her thought-provoking inquiry creates deep connections that often endure for years. This coaching style is designed for spiritually minded individuals who are ready to commit to personal growth and navigate life with values and integrity. Together with Courtney, you will navigate stress, overcome obstacles, and unlock your true potential. If you seek happiness, reduced stress, self-trust, and meaningful connections, embark on this transformative journey with Courtney at Self Care Creature. Don't wait to bring purpose and impact to your life.
​you may also email to set up a 15 minute call
​to ask questions and make sure it's a good fit

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they know how to make the best of everything."
​Andreas Tsatoumas

A brief story from Courtney about her life:
I have not always been so joy-filled and optimistic.My early years of life were mostly in the suburbs of Seattle, moving around with a mother that struggled to be stable in mind, body and spirit. By age seven, my dad's parents took custody of me and I transitioned my life north, to a small farm town called Skagit Valley, where I currently reside.

Between unstable parents trying their best (and coming up short) and being raised as an only child by my grandparents (three times my own generation), I faced a lot of unique circumstances and quarrels in my upbringing. I recall always sensing the world as a set up for depression and a slippery slope toward psychological warfare, often feeling alone and misunderstood.

Questions began to plague me from a young age, like:
​Is it possible to actually know and trust yourself? 
Is it even possible to be truly happy in life?
And if so, what does that even mean...and how do I get there?

I had no conceivable notion of the path such questions would take me on. 
I've been led to see how living a fulfilled and meaningful existence comes through learning how to support yourself, embracing your fears and facing discomfort. That it is possible to transmute your pain, trauma and grief - but more importantly - life is not about always being happy or feeling good. Learning how to navigate these normal and expected terrains of life, unleashes your inherent resilient nature. As a human being, you are designed for this. I'm here to help you tap in and navigate your life from a more grounded place. This results in less stress and more stability, connection and joy. 
​

Get started today!



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