About
Hi, I’m Mary Ann.
The legacy of a painful childhood provided the impetus for my lifelong search for the real me, for the person buried beneath the layers, the person from whom I disconnected in order to survive. I sought to know and understand myself, my world, and the world at large. One thing I did not understand until much later in life is that what I was ultimately seeking was peace.
In my early 40s, I met a psychotherapist who took a psycho-spiritual approach to counseling, an approach that deeply resonated with me. At the time, I was enjoying a successful career in the pharmaceutical sales industry, yet felt like something was missing. With the encouragement of my counselor, I enrolled in a part-time Masters of Social Work program at Florida State University while continuing to work full time. I earned my MSW in 2002 and had every intention of becoming a counselor. I never did, however, become a counselor. I found it difficult and impractical to leave a lucrative job that provided me with financial security.
My counselor also encouraged me to start journaling, something I had never done. As a novice, I found myself writing about seemingly trivial topics like the weather, a bad boss, or a family conflict. I vented my frustration and anger on the pages, often feeling no better afterward and sometimes feeling even more frustrated and angry. I really did not see any point to journaling. Still, I continued to journal off and on over the years.
I cannot say exactly when or how it happened, but at some point, my journaling practice organically evolved into something deeper. I started to write not only about events, but more importantly, how they impacted me. Journaling helped me to process my emotions and life's events in a more constructive way. Rather than just venting powerful emotions, my writing began to lead me to a place of greater clarity and new perspectives, a place of calm and peace. I began to see my childhood and other life challenges through more of a spiritual lens, and I now feel gratitude for all that I have experienced in life, for it has made me the person I am today.
Now, two decades later, I use journaling as a tool for reflection and contemplation of this beautiful world in which we live. I love to spend time in nature, observing the rhythm of life, the plants and animals. The more-than-human world has so much to teach us, if we will only slow down, quiet our minds, and humbly observe and listen.
After taking facilitation courses as well as journaling and sacred nature connection classes through Transformative Language Arts, the Center for Journal Therapy, and Wild Rhythms, I started creating my own workshops and offered my first journaling workshop in January 2024.
To learn more about my heart-based journaling workshops, please visit my About My Workshops page.
Wholesale & Workshop Inquiries
For more information about a wholesale order or if you would like to collaborate to create a custom workshop designed to meet the specific needs of your group, fill out the form below or contact Mary Ann at 720-485-1431.