This is me.
True contagious vulnerability.
No filters, no makeup.
Drenched with rainwater.
Floating in a sailboat on the sea.
My #happyplace.
The calm in the storm.
This is me. This is Kate. This is Joy.
My very first pivot. My mother called me Katherine but I prefer Kate. Katherine is too formal and everyone in Manhattan where I grew up shortened it to Kathy, which, when said with a Roseanne Rosannadana-esque NY accent was worse than nails on a chalkboard to my musical ears. So at 17, I rebranded and chose Kate. My first pivot :)
My middle name is Joy. A name I only started to truly live into and embody after tragedy struck—my mother’s suicide on Mother’s Day in 2008. An unimaginable loss that catalyzed another major life pivot and a journey of curious self-discovery to find the joy and the light within.
I believe that joy is a choice. I have made it my practice to choose joy every day. And when I say “joy”, I’m not talking about a state of happiness and positivity. Joy for me is eudaemonia—wellness of spirit. Joy to me means feeling reverence and awe in face of the full range of human emotions. Grateful for the gift of feeling each and every one of them, for the aliveness they signify, and for the wisdom each one brings.
I live on Joy Road. I steward a magical 16-acre redwood sanctuary, a small scale retreat center fittingly called The Compound of Joy (because, you know, Joy on Joy Road, effectively, I am one!) located in the coastal hills of West Sonoma County. I host transformational experiences to heal diseases of disconnection. Diseases of disconnection like loneliness, anxiety, depression, unconscious consumption, self-harm, planetary-harm, and sadly, so many others. I am a catalyst for people to connect more deeply and authentically with themselves, with each other and with nature.
I am. I am a writer, a heartful host and facilitator, a catalyst, and a voice of transformation, and a doula to help you birth your authentic self and manifest your dreams. I am woo but a practical sorta woo. :)
I am not. I am not cheerleader (though I’m told that I’m the queen of the pep talk, the reframe and the silver lining). I am not a guru. I don’t want you to go around preaching the gospel of Kate. I don’t have the answers you seek. You do. I want to help you find your own voice and your own inner wisdom.
I believe. I believe in choosing joy; approaching myself and all I meet with humility and loving curiosity; giving voice to my authentic experience with contagious and courageous vulnerability; finding the beauty in the breakdown; and trusting that all is unfolding magically as it’s meant to even when all seems dark and hopeless. Especially then. I believe that anyone can realize their heart's desires if they are willing to do the work.
I love. Curious conversations. Authentic heart connections. Being seen and loved for all of me. Hosting people at the Compound of Joy. The alchemy of the group. Being in nature. Forest bathing. Beach walks on the stunning Sonoma Coast. Russian Blue cats. Intuitive cooking. Feeding people.
I was. In case you’re curious, in my most recent past life experience, I spent 25+ years leading the transformation of products and services, organizations and individuals in Silicon Valley. I started back in the early Pleistocene era, back when the Web belonged to Charlotte (as well as academics and defense contractors), and witnessed and had a hand in birthing what we now know as the consumer Internet. If you want to learn more about the adventures of Silicon Valley Barbie, you can check out my LinkedIn profile.
I hope. To create a ripple effect in the Universe of courageous and contagious vulnerability and be a catalyst for others on their journeys of self-healing.
Let’s connect. Let’s have a curious conversation to explore how The Vulnerability Doula can be of service on your journey of becoming.
What People Are Saying
“A remarkable, energetic force for good!
“In the many years I have known and worked with Kate, I have seen her alchemy at work. She speaks in the language of the world and is remarkable at the co-creation of what is possible for others because she herself has created new possibilities for herself. Through her presence and commitment to evolution for all, her spirit encourages us to be curious and courageous as we seek to find our own inspiration in the world today.”
“I think of Kate as a vulnerability doula.
She has a gift for emotional connection, which she uses to invite and welcome shared experiences of vulnerability. Being in conversation with Kate is the opposite of talk therapy, in the best possible sense — it’s the emotional equivalent of a warm hug, which you can’t help but return. In a time when we are so accustomed to feeling unsafe across many spectrums of experience, that kind of emotional embrace isn’t just welcome, it’s essential to our spiritual well-being.”
“The courage to be joyful
Kate makes vulnerability a power move: sharing not only the details of the most intimate human experiences but also examining her journey around, through and beyond them. Each time I encounter her or her work I feel an electric charge of understanding and recognition.”
“Talking is easy. Listening? Not so much. Kate’s ability to be fully present and fully engaged is beyond measure. She asks and listens. Then asks and listens again. As a guide, her Socratic approach pushes dialogue forward in a way that has been such a gift in my journey of understanding the role of vulnerability in my life.”
“Fearless Vulnerability
”Smart, witty and eloquent, Kate bravely leans on vulnerability as the strength that it is. She’s fueled by helping others be more compassionately curious about themselves… so if you’re looking for a partner in tapping your own fearless vulnerability, she’s the real deal."
— JEN RICE
“I am large and I contain multitudes.”
Walt Whitman