Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Smith

Hi Stephanie , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

My story does not have a starting point per se. Everything is continual, ongoing, moment to moment, life to life. Literally every moment I have ever experienced has brought me to this now moment.

Most succinctly, after decades of forcing my way through life, I was confronted with one choice, to let it all go.

I left my teaching career as public school high school teacher and adjunct professor at Worcester State University. I moved to Maine with my brother and sister in law and we opened a brick and mortar holistic wellness center and tea shoppe and apothecary. I was overjoyed to help support people in this way; through natural, holistic, and energetic means.

Of course, this was only another piece of the puzzle. After a year of being open, we needed to shut our doors.

A tumble weed in the wind, I had to unravel, unravel and unravel.

So much of who I thought I was, this version of me that I built up, educated, strengthened, and pushed to some amazing limits, was shown to me at a few really key points in my life, that all of ….and I mean all of it…was not me…and had to go.

Deconstruction was already taking place, although I did not see it at the time. Once I met the place in my journey where I could go no further, I had to surrender to it all. I surrendered to copious amounts of loss, grief, anger, confusion, denial, frustration,……the entire spectrum of human emotion flooded me. This shook me awake, alive, This succession of events burned away all of it, putting me right where I needed to be; in a place of feeling and healing.

I had to see the world with new eyes, see myself with new eyes. I had to allow for growth, cultivate and tend to my truth, make hard choices, set hard boundaries, say no, say yes, try again, and again, an again, chiseling away the hardened mud, allowing the light to shine in and shine out.

After years of collecting the puzzle pieces of the real me, I arrived here, in the midst of growing my heart centered holistic canine behavior and wellness business named Sacred Paws, studying for my Doctor of Animal Naturopathy and my PhD in Neural and Brain Sciences with minor in Neuroethology, moved back to my home state of Massachusetts, rekindling my relationships with old friends and family, and building a more harmonious life as a whole with my beloved four canines, Ashe, Ember, Sweet Pea, and Daisy.

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?

A smooth road….what is that?? Hahaha.

No, definitely not a smooth road! Honestly, despite it being tremendously difficult in so many ways, I would not change a thing. I have learned FAR MORE from having to go inward, dig deeper, understand more, track patterns, educate myself more, work harder, prioritize myself and my healing, REST, listen to my body (this one took a lot of work), learn and repair my trauma and fractured nervous system, and gosh the list goes on and on.

From the loss of businesses, relationships, financial struggles, health challenges, and more, it is all part of life, part of the process, part of becoming and revealing the truth of who I am and my signature, my resonance, my path.

I am without a doubt grateful for every moment that has unfolded.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

I am the founder of my business Sacred Paws, as well as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Trauma Informed Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainer, Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist, and a Canine Herbalist.

I am currently a student and working on becoming a Doctor of Animal Naturopathy. In the fall (2024), I will return to my PhD. program of Neural and Brain Sciences with minor in Neuroethology (animal behavior).

I am over the moon elated about offering comprehensive natural health alternatives for clients near and far, especially in conjunction with behavioral struggles. So many people are completely unaware of how much natural health can resolve their canine health and behavior issues. I feel honored and immensely grateful to be in a position to help people and their pets live longer, healthier, happier, more vital and harmonious lives.

I specialize in working with canines with particularly difficult emotional and behavioral challenges from reactivity, learned helplessness, separation distress, and more. What sets me apart is that I can support my clients more comprehensively. Behavior work has its limitations. Dogs are not machines that can be programmed. Dogs are living beings with several layers. Their physical body, emotional body, mental body, electrical body, magnetic body, and more are just some of the layers that need tending to, so that we can really support this puppy for long term health and vitality through and through. Lots of canines need more support that targets the root cause of their imbalance, whether that is energetic as the result of a trauma or stressor, diet and nutrition imbalances, gut health imbalances, blocked detox pathways, toxic load issues, environmental stress, inappropriate and inhumane training techniques, lack of needs being met, and oh so much more.

I am so grateful to offer these comprehensive natural health and behavioral services!

Currently, I offer remote services including private 1 on 1 sessions, webinars, and when the time is right, classes geared around empowering pet parents as well as teaching other canine professionals natural remedies that they can incorporate into their behavior plans for their clients. I love hosting events answering questions for free for people struggling to support their canine’s behavior and wellbeing. My next event is at Fish & Bone in Boston, Massachusetts on Sundays starting on 6/30/24-9/2024 for Open Newbury.

Any big plans?

My future plans include traveling, teaching, and speaking at events, to other canine professionals and pet parents. I would also like to build an online education platform. I want to empower people and show them how to truly see their dogs with clear eyes and provide them the tools in which to take matters into their own hands; cultivating long lasting healthy happy harmonious lives and relationships with their canine companions.

I also look forward to setting roots down when the time is right, possibly having a home office to see clients in person as well as remotely.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oursacredpaws.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/oursacredpaws/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/oursacredpaws/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAa-xn7o0kb1C5X9MdVCXHQ