About Shawna

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My Approach

I believe we all have the ability to change and heal ourselves. And we all can also use input from others. I use the wealth of knowledge that I have gained over the years to provide healing modalities for individuals and groups.

Fascinated by the mind-body-spirit connection for decades, I have learned and developed skills to help people on their own path of health and healing. In early 2024, I made the difficult decision to retire from hands-on body work after three decades of hands-on healing.  I am now devoting my time and energies to writing and workshops.  

Published Author

In 2022 Shawna published Thank You, Body: Moving Beyond Stress, Anxiety, and Trauma a card deck and guidebook.  She developed the concept based upon her years of bodywork and healing experience, she then taught herself digital collage to illustrate the cards and wrote the accompanying guidebook.  Thank You, Body is available on this website and select retail locations.

Shawna is currently co-writing a book about her personal journey healing from childhood medical trauma and how she incorporates movement and the mind-body-spirit connection into healing practice.  The new, as of yet unnamed book, will be published by Q1 2025.  

For fun, Shawna submitted her poem Lake Michigan Meandering, and it was selected and published in the 2024 poetry chapbook The Lake Is Mother To Us All: Poems Celebrating Lake Michigan.

My Training

My first degree was in Industrial Engineering, with a minor in Psychology, from Bradley University in Peoria. While I was good at working in the manufacturing environment at a subsidiary of GM, it was not my passion.

The mind-body connection spoke to me, and that is what I began to pursue.

I trained as a Massage Therapist at the Health Enrichment Center in 1986. While working in the field, I also received my Masters in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Professionally, I kept these job separate. However, the mind and body cannot be separated, and that is been proven more and more over the years.

I have been very fortunate to learn various techniques from some very gifted people. I incorporate a lot of them, while intuitively allowing my hands to add healing energy as well.

Holding a safe space for healing and change, I wish to allow the mind-body-spirit to reach a level of very deep relaxation. It is in these moments of surrender that one can make big shifts, moving toward their highest potential.

Trained as a massage therapist, I have found that integrating Myofascial Release, CranioSacral, and Brain work into sessions gives more lasting results.

I intuitively tap into a larger pool of knowledge and set my intention to share the energy that comes through, along with my other training, with the focus on healing and one’s highest health.

All of these techniques are non-invasive, and assist the mind and body in utilizing its own healing system, rather than forcing change.

I’m also educated in clinical psychology. Although I am not currently a counselor for anyone, certain skills remain within all of my interactions; The tendency is for me to be focused on your strengths and helping you to incorporate positive changes into your life.