MY STORY
If I flip through the pages of my life’s story, I see true alchemy.
My life has been a story with many chapters—some positive and exciting, others quite difficult and traumatic. Each chapter was a stepping stone on the path to finding my soul (my true self) and my life’s purpose. If I flip through the pages of my life’s story, I see true alchemy. I’ve transformed a tremendous amount of pain into confidence, clarity and inner peace.
WHERE DID I COME FROM?
Journeying through the depths of my soul revealed much of my shadow and the work that led me to open my heart.
My mother, sister and I, immigrated from the Dominican Republic to New York in 1989. My family had been fortunate enough to escape a dictatorship and an alcoholic home. I have lived in several cities as a young adult and traveled some, chasing my curiosities, passions and love. Yet these adventures were an attempt to escape the past I had not healed.
One day, I found myself backpacking in Costa Rica with only $150 to my name, asking myself, what is the meaning of life? Why are we here? These questions led to the next 15 years of serious self-discovery. Journeying through the depths of my soul revealed much of my shadow (our blind spots) and the work that led me to open my heart.
WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO
We are here to remember who we are and what we can create.
I was once an Art History Major in the conservatories of SUNY Purchase College. I found myself curious about the artists’ inner life—their thinking and feeling as they poured their souls onto mediums of expression. I noticed an insatiable curiosity that needed to be quenched. So drawn to the human mind and emotions, that I began volunteering for RAINN (Rape and Incest National Network) as a crisis counselor. Then, I started grad school all over again and became a licensed mental health counselor. I was overwhelmed in two grad schools and I survived!
The insatiable curiosity to learn more about human beings did not end there. I continued my education after acquiring an LMHC, and a CASAC. I then trained in Seeking Safety, a modality used to help individuals overcome PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). Fortuitously, I crossed paths with some powerful metaphysical people. I found the light I was searching for, yet didn’t really know what it was until I crossed paths with it.
What can I say? I love finding magick in the unknown. And we all have magick inside of us. So, I became a certified Reiki Master Teacher, a Life Activation Practitioner, and now, a metaphysical teacher to help others do the same.
From life’s adventures and the connections I’ve made, I see that human beings are an amalgamation of wonderful jewels, shining and hidden— not a diagnosis, to prescribe off. We are sentient beings with hearts—sometimes wounded hearts— that can be healed and strengthened. We have an un-exercised free will because we forget who we are, and what we are made of. And that is the it! What life is about. We are here to remember who we are and what we can create! We can hang onto pain, but it is so much sweeter to let go! And that’s been my personal truth.
MY NEW ENDEAVOR
From within and so without.
Because pain is complex, how we manage and avoid pain looks different for everyone. But in order to work through pain, we have to have the ability to self-regulate. When self-regulation is skilled, there is a balance in our mood, nervous system, appetite, sex drive, and sleep, giving us the ability to experience our inner world- without running away, or acting out self-destructively. Balance is the essence of health and self awareness is the key to healthy relationships. My new endeavors involve effective brining like-minded people together to form communion. Community and relationships are medicinal for us. Gathering grants the ability to open our hearts to others and this opening is what can heal us and feel like home. Suffering ends is when we stop hiding, alienating or denying the true-self. Working together will help you fortify your courage to self-express and truly love yourself / others. Knowing thyself is vibratory and expansive. Counseling does not need to be boring. Add some Reiki, meditation, and workshops to give you the means for true alchemy, and let the mind -body-spirit connection lead you home. This is how we heal the world- from within and so without!
Giovanna is a licensed Mental Health Counselor, and has certifications as a Substance Abuse & Alcohol Counselor, a Reiki Master teacher/practitioner, and Mindfulness Meditation Instructor. She currently lives in New York City with where she loves to spend time laughing, creating, and living life to the fullest. She spends her free time meditating, working out, yoga and writing, dancing and singing. Giovanna is passionate about helping people find meaning and purpose in their lives.