Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Balsamo

Hi Sharon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I started out with severe anxiety and depression when I was 13. My family was going through a lot of transition that we didn’t necessarily have the tools to handle effectively, particularly not having a deep understanding of trauma and how this affects an entire family system (this was the 90s, after all!).

I started therapy around the age of 15, when I started getting daily migraines due to all the stress I was navigating. More than individual talk therapy, the two things that helped me the most during this time was seeing an energy healer, who helped so much with my migraines (therapy kept me in my head, and I really needed to be in my body to truly heal); and participating in a girls’ group, facilitated by my therapist and a local artist, where we just talked and processed about our struggles, practiced different coping skills and did art together. Feeling connected to others in this way was completely new for me, and something I wanted more of! I was also exposed to different career paths and options for my life that I hadn’t previously considered, which gave me hope and inspiration for what was possible for my future.

In college, I began having regular panic attacks, and SSRIs only worsened them. It was then that I began group therapy, which totally turned my mental health journey around. Being witnessed and held in safety in a group was the medicine I needed, coming from an upbringing where I felt invisible and like my existence didn’t matter.

After college I got a job working in Wilderness Therapy, where I learned the incredible power of Mother Nature to heal our most painful wounds, and build confidence in a way that the “human” world just cannot. I was also trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, which provided me with new skills to navigate the emotional intensity that stemmed from my childhood trauma.

I then went to grad school to become a therapist myself, as walking this path had changed me so fundamentally that I wanted to help others do the same. I did a series of EMDR to address the root issues of my trauma, which cleared so much of my anxiety and depression issues for good. Beyond grad school, I’ve done trainings in holotropic breathwork and brainspotting, two revolutionary approaches to mental health issues that have been transformative for both me and my clients. Today, i incorporate a hybrid of approaches in my own mental health and in my practice, with my spiritual path at the root of all I do!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Healing from trauma, anxiety and depression often feels like a process of two steps forward, two steps back! But I have found and learned to trust that even when i feel I am stuck or moving backwards, as long as I am committed to showing up for myself the best I can, no matter the challenges I’m facing, that I am moving forward no matter what.

Navigating COVID and the pandemic lockdown felt like a huge roadblock at the time. Looking back now, I see that it helped me better understand my less-than-healthy coping skills and practice radical self-compassion, while forcing me to take accountability for how I contributed to my own stuckness. Now I am back to practicing healthy daily habits that keep my anxiety and depression at bay, at seeking out the support I need to process the traumas that happened to me during that time. Healing is a long and winding road! The key is to never give up!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in working with folks with anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions and spiritual concerns. I love what I do and am constantly creating and facilitating experiences that are magical and transformational, to help spread the power of integrating spiritual work into our healing journey and how absolutely fun and amazing it can be.

I am most proud of my book Deeper Magic: Crafting a Meaningful and Spiritual Life. This book is full of healing practices, empowering feminine archetypes, different magical tools and rituals, and other fun and powerful ways to create a spiritual foundation that resonates for YOU. It works cyclically, through the months of the year, with journal prompts, card spreads, meditations, affirmations, and ideas for celebrating the changing cycles of the year. Every year is an opportunity to deepen your own personal practice, get to know yourself better, and live with more intention and personal power to weave the life of your dreams! I facilitate groups and retreats based on the concepts of the books, where we make ritual bath salts, candle spells, do ceremonial breathwork, and so much more. It is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life!

I am currently leaning into my identity as an artist and creator, and how that can be in service to our Mental and Emotional healing. I am planning a cookbook as a companion to my book, as well as an oracle deck. I am also writing a series of short stories about goddesses and witches and what that looks like in the “real world”!

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?

You can find me at www.thewakingjourney.com to learn more about my offerings. I do individual therapy, one-on-one intensives that include breathwork, trauma healing, and magic, and offer workshops and retreats based on the concepts of my book.

You can find my book, Deeper Magic: Crafting a Spiritual and Meaningful Life through my website, on Amazon, or for sale at the People’s Apothecary in Bend, Oregon. You can also sign up for my newsletter for more info on my upcoming offerings!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thewakingjourney.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonjobalsamo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonjobalsamo