Heather Shaughnessy-Cato, MA
Fieldbrook Advising, LLC
Mindful Self-Compassion Trained Teacher
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Certified Coach, Wellness & Health
Certified Designing Your Life Coach and Facilitator
Certified Yoga Teacher, 200 hr.
Navigating life’s ups and downs with compassion, wisdom and ease is my favorite topic to explore, study and teach. I have found immense healing, insight and wisdom in my own life through these embodied practices. I am delighted to also be positioned to teach these practices. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you, and to see what we might discover!
I am based in Maine, and am currently offering virtual coaching sessions, workshops and courses.
My approach
With a background in clinical mental health counseling, self-compassion, wellness and health coaching, Designing Your Life coaching and facilitation, I incorporate a range of evidence-based practices into my work. I have found tremendous value in embodied exploration— noticing and working with experiences with the mind, body, and heart.
As a teacher, facilitator, and coach, it is my role to share the wisdom of various practices, the science and research which support their efficacy, to encourage you to creatively engage with the practices, and to support you as you apply what you learn to navigate the realities in your own life.
Through my personal practice, I have an appreciation for varied challenges that present themselves along the path to transformation and change. I therefore tend to approach teaching with some humility, humor and an invitation to be honest about and learn from all of our experiences.
I continue to be inspired by the clients and students with whom I have worked — by the creative ways in which they applied wisdom teachings to get unstuck, to grow in their ability to love themselves, and to face heartbreaking realities with courage and resilience. One of the greatest benefits of teaching and continued practice is learning from and being inspired by others.
My background
Summary of my experience
- Small business co-owner of Fieldbrook Advising
- All of my teaching, coaching, and facilitation is a part of Fieldbrook Advising LLC
- Self-compassion, yoga & mindfulness teacher
- Previously served as a therapist (while under supervision during licensure process)
- Previously served in Development/Fundraising roles within Higher Education and Arts & Culture
Education
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Summa Cum Laude, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- B.A. in Psychology, B.A. in Sociology, State University of New York at Geneseo
Professional Certifications and Trainings
- Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Trained Teacher
- MSC for Healthcare Communities Trained Teacher
- Certified Wellness and Health Coach
- Certified Yoga Teacher (200 hour)
- Certified Designing Your Life (DYL) Facilitator and Coach
Other areas of training and focus:
Compassion and Self-Compassion:
- 8-month Community for Deepening Practice – weekly sessions with a cohort of fellow MSC teachers to deepen self-compassion practice and teaching
- The Way to Freedom: 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva with Pema Chödrön, Omega Institute
Mindfulness:
- Graduate coursework on the integration of mindfulness into therapy for emotional wellbeing
- Clinical internships included integration of mindfulness into therapy
- Completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Intensive, Omega Institute
- Contemplative Practice in Higher Education, Omega Institute
Trauma-Informed Trainings:
- Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training
- Trauma-Informed Children’s Yoga Training
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
Meditation:
- 10-Day Vipassana Meditation Course (silent retreat)
My latest training adventures:
I continue to participate in trainings for my own study and practice, and to infuse what I learn into my offerings. My latest ventures? The Contemplative Psychotherapy Program with the Nalanda Institute.
Services offered as part of Fieldbrook Advising, LLC
