We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lori Baudino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lori, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

My risk taking started when I stomped my feet, expanded my arms, and yelled out my feelings as a young child. My risk taking continued when I pushed back on the dress code of my private school and decided to wear pants instead of the required skirt. And when I asked to perform my book report by tap dancing on my teacher’s desk, and learned math while shooting hoops, instead of following the traditional educational path of feeling defeated or dejected to a closed room with a desk. Taking the risk, to eat the food that felt right to me even when it wasn’t what was being consistently offered by the masses. And, my risk taking continued when I chose a passion for dancing, movement, and mental health. By choosing my own upside down, around the side, and non traditional path in career – I have been faced with questions, push back, been ignored, laughed at and challenged. The quote from gandhi says it best, “first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” – everyday, I challenge the norms and follow my passion. Instead of being difficult, I became relevant. Taking a risk to me, has been choosing my embodied knowledge and felt sense of wellness, my intuitive nature, and genuine authenticity to believe in the mind/body integrated connection. To follow what I know and to stay present in the process that has unfolded in my studies, professional work, job opportunities, creation of my businesses, my marriage, parenting, and friendships. By choosing to follow my truth, I put myself out on a limb every day – hoping I make a difference in the lives I am blessed to care for, and those that entrust me to empart insight and explore with them. By not doing the traditional studies, by asking questions, and following my gut – the risks have lead me to see my vulnerabliites as strengths and to know I have chosen the best path for me – because of my endless questioning and wondermeant of whether I am doing enough or being enough. It’s risky to believe, and to follow and to be. And yet, I am each day!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a licensed clincial psychologist, board certified dance/movement therapist, speaker, author, traveler, friend, mother, and wife. With over 20 years in the field of embodied mental health care – I have worked in hospital settings with funding from the Andrea RIzzo Foundation (Dreasdream) providing bedside therapy to children with cancer and special needs. In private practice I work with the developing child, by supporting the whole family and whole child; mind, body and spirit. My approach supports not only a top down understanding of the neuroscience/brain response to stress and mental health yet also the bottom up understanding of how experiences are felt in the body and expressed through movement. Movement becomes an intregal part of supportive care – explore sensory integration, embodied somatic practices, and communication skills across settings. I have a team approach – collaborating with developmental specialists to support the whole child from nutrition, education, optometry, myofunctional/speech/language, occupational therapy, autoimmune, and more. I offer advisory and supervision to professionals and students – to support the integrative and expansive reach of embodied therapies. I travel globally to offer workshops, retreats, conferences and parent/educator/medical support for mental health care to children. I work with all children 0-18 and support the family dynamics including sibling support, and parent guidance.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The most helpful for succeeding in my field has been continuing to strive for collaborative connections to support all fields of care, so that we might refer, and encourage more supportive resources to clientele. Additionally, being able to juggle mutliple opportunities, be flexible in scheduing and open to changes. These are key qualities that support the evolving practice and growth in my work. I continue to say “yes” to requests and encourage clientele to seek mental health support – even for a single session! And, to ride the ebb and flow of the business, and to continue to seek ways to learn more.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Yes, I have always followed my intuition and passion for my work. I believe in loving what I do – I get to experience all the challenges and triumphs of this work. I also feel its not just one profession I chose, but moreso a mindset and lifestyle that affords me opportunities to continue to learn, travel, explore and grow. I know I can and will continue to pivot and expand my goals, and support for mental health.

Contact Info:

• Website: drloribaudino.com
• Instagram: drloribaudino
• Facebook: drloribaudino
• Linkedin: drloribaudino
• Twitter: drloribaudino
• Youtube: drloribaudino
• Other: global_therapists.org dreasdream.org

Image Credits
Catherine Lacey Photography