We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Patterson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

It was a simple post on the “share your latest” virtual community platform, Pillar, where National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches hold membership to access industry resources, engage with research and hear about job postings.
“Do you want to do something meaningful when you hear about all these disasters, shootings and fires happening around the country/world?” The post detailed working on a state mental health task force, post disaster, to assist with community crisis stabilization.

I share life with someone who is an EMS expert with work beyond the ER, extending to FEMA, county air rescue, SWAT, and state policy for active shooter EMS response so naturally I was familiar with the reality of crisis. What I didn’t know was how my “yes” to this type of wellness coaching, the boots-on-the-ground methodology, would shape the trajectory of my work in the industry of wellness. As far as I was concerned, at the time of application, it wasn’t yet a risk.

Fast forward to late July 2023, when I virtually meet the prospective disaster team comprised of mental health professionals. What followed was a series of events that have forever changed me. Early August, Maui went up in flames. Both, my husband and I got called for possible deployment. The rational side of this circumstance had me configuring out dog sitting and child care possibilities. If we both deployed this would not be feasible-welcome to disaster work, the only constant is uncertainty.

Sure enough, my husband does receive a deployment and soon after I am on another virtual meetup with Capacity Path, the first ever, state funded emergency response team for mental health crisis stabilization. I faced a solicitation for deployment to Florida as Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the Gulf Coast, calling for an immediate need. I knew I would be a part of a movement, making history for mental health if I accepted the orders, and so I did, ultimately agreeing to arrive five whole weeks after the disaster happened. The reality that crisis lasts longer than the actual event still simmers within. Saying “yes” to this deployment was the risk.

I had never been to Florida. In a call leading up to my deployment I was asked how I might handle a rural area where poverty and opioid addiction were high, where racism was real and because I was coming from California, the antithesis to Florida, how might I handle the political undercurrent? I was curious and held a confident ability to read a room. “I got this,” I told myself. I booked my plane, rented a car and in no time I was driving down a two lane roadway in rural Florida, second guessing nature for crocodile sightings and intentionally box breathing to chase a calm, confident state. I arrived by trusting apple maps through dirt roads without street lights and pulled onto a property where stars were suspended across a blanket of black and only one person stood, who did not greet me.

And this is where life changed. I approached the team member who was setting up what appeared to be a sound bath meditation. I inquired if I was at the right place. Within moments, my nerves went to rest and I was quickly put to work unloading crystal bowls. This team member had volunteered to provide the meditation for the team debrief that was to happen within the hour. What? At this point silence is the only thing you can hear for miles, but shortly the haze of lights start showing up. Vehicles arrive, parking in an orderly way upon the grassy lawn of an endless yard. At least 15 or so members, all dressed in blue scrubs, start unloading cargo from a day out in the field. Stories of compassion, heartache and exhaustion were echoed throughout the hustle. Eventually most settled into floor mats around this extraordinary sound bath complete with gongs, chimes and drums was enjoyed. What seemed timeless was a solid 45 minute transcendent debrief. Following the calm, a frenzy of evening plans erupted. One might have considered for a moment a crisis never happened just weeks before.

Day two I’m on my first mission, feeling completely out of place and plagued with imposter syndrome. Thankful to the team I was partnered with my awkwardness was supported. We were all in this together. By nightfall, I felt purposeful. Coaching has impact and when united with other allied mental health professionals the social engagement system is enacted with effectiveness. Post traumatic growth can occur.

Disaster is an equalizer. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, where you live, how you dress, communicate or practice faith. When disaster arrives, everyone is impacted in their nervous system. It is a privilege to work with people in this context as I become an immediate person who aides in creating psychological safety, something that has been completely shaken and uprooted-or perhaps never felt pre-disaster, as many, and I mean many, people live in tension and reactive states. Disaster amplifies this.

So, being asked, what is a risk I have taken? I took a risk to leave the ego, to be vulnerable, and embrace the uncertainty of disaster. The risk proved to be a reward of growth, professionally and personally. As of today, I have had the great opportunity to be of service in four disasters, working with first responders, secondary responders, impacted residents and the greatest team out there, Capacity Path.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Let’s face it, doing life alone is not how we are designed! We are dynamic individuals, and interconnected. I stepped into wellness, like so many, through navigating my own story of interpersonal relationships and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the journey.

I grew up in a large, emotionally rich family where I learned early that in order to grow through what we go through, we must meet it with love. As an adult balancing career, marriage, and motherhood, I often found myself overwhelmed and disconnected from my own sense of Self, avoiding conflict in order to survive. Having experienced traditional cognitive therapy I did not always have words to articulate what I was internally processing, and feeling like my problems were verbalized on repeat, I needed tools, not more knowledge or talk time. Creative expression was a familiar comfort that became a lifeline. I began a creative practice and through time, reconnected to my Self.

The act of making art helped me understand myself better. I felt more grounded. I knew the value was in the process of creating and not in the final product. As I dove deeper into the neuroscience behind stress, trauma, and the nervous system, this human-centered approach to achieving emotional wealth through creative expression is more than an outlet, it’s a tool for regulation and Self-Authority. It brings the body into balance, quiets the survival brain, and invites reflection.

Now, as a trauma-informed expressive arts facilitator, and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I specialize in helping people reconnect with themselves through embodied, creative experiences.

What began as part-time workshops in 2014, has grown into being branded as an ecosystem partner for holistic wellness initiatives among the corporate sector! My company, CERASart, features a catalog of 20+ trauma-informed, somatic-based thematic engagements designed to foster emotional intelligence for the individual within population based wellness programming.

In addition to the experiential engagements, I offer a 6-month signature coaching program for top-down leadership models and serve as the corporate outreach specialist and coach for Joule Health and Wellbeing, an on-demand stress support coaching platform (another vital ecosystem partner for employee benefits). Much of my work continues to be influenced by my time serving on the post-disaster response mental health crisis stabilization task force. The ability to create experiences for individuals to practice skills that foster nervous system regulation and Self-Authority has become what I refer to as necessary work. People need a tool belt of options to use when faced with disconnect, emotional unrest and crisis.

I believe my work bridges the gap between need and access to hope.

I meet people where they are—with empathy, clarity, and tools that restore their sense of agency. Whether I’m working with executive teams, frontline staff, or individual clients, my mission is the same: facilitate the development of Self-Authority, through experiential learning and creative expression in order to lead more authentic and connected lives.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Community is most helpful for succeeding in this field of wellness. First, surround yourself with others who are already leading and being where you are working towards. Level up your exposure by joining a mastermind group and absorb all the sharing, lessons learned, resources and more. The networking alone is worth it! Guarantee you will immediately find that you are more skilled than you think, and that imposter syndrome affects every single business owner. It’s a universal shared experience. Secondly, having a community of like-minded industry professionals is vital. You might facilitate your own group or join an organization that brings industry people together. However you get there, be sure it’s on your radar and a part of your plan. Doing business in a silo supports no one and destroys your own sense of self. The ability to have community for business development and operations as well as for industry is absolutely a lifeline for success.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I grew up heavily influenced by Christian values, one of which was to be of service to others. This was encouraged through acts of charity, offered in the form of time, talent and/or treasure. Being of service is still a huge part of my heart and actions today but I have had to unlearn my perception of what acts of charity can be, is and will be for myself. As a business owner, I was not honoring the goals I would set for myself because I was such a “yes” girl, offering my time and talent to the needs of others, organizations, and external opportunities. Learning to have boundaries with my time and talent and develop a framework for what is considered treasure has been one of those life lessons where I become the owner of my choices rather than a passive participant. Building a business is an evolving process that is incredibly rewarding but does require a level of self reflection. It is through this reflection we grow into our own identity and ownership of who we become and remain in alignment with our values.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cerasart.com
• Instagram: @ceras_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerasart/
• Other: https://joulewellbeingbooking.com/sarahpatterson
  https://www.expressiveselfcoaching.com