Meet Yasmeen
Intuitive Counselor, Author, Caretaker, Healer, Sustainability Expert, Gentle Transformation Catalyst
Professional Bio and Interesting Tidbits
I was born and raised in Switzerland. My father is of Bangladeshi/Indian ancestry and my mother is German/Polish. I descend from a long line of palm readers and astrologers from my father’s lineage and herbalists from my mother’s lineage – you could say the healing arts are quite literally in my blood. One of my early childhood memories is my mother grabbing crystals to lay on my aching belly, instead of reaching for the (conventional) medicine cabinet.
I have a deep sense of honor, respect and love for all animals, plants, trees, and Mother Earth herself (though it would be ok if the spiders didn’t want to hang out with me quite so much). This ingrained sense of connection with the natural elements inspired a professional career in the field of sustainability, working for numerous environmental nonprofits, from the World Wildlife Fund to Friends of the Earth. I completed a PhD in Sustainable Development (yes, you may call me Dr. Yasmeen), a Masters in Environmental Economics, and am trained and certified in Ecovillage Design and Permaculture from the Findhorn Foundation.
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Since humans and the natural world are two parts of the same whole - our fates are undeniably linked - I embarked on a second career tending to the emotional wounds of humans, for I believe a whole human has a greater capacity to care for others and for the impact they make in the world, than a wounded one. I studied extensively with a fantastic, powerful medical intuitive in Alaska, in addition to a shaman, worked with at-risk youth, guided children’s yoga and meditation classes, and ended up working in the field of art-based trauma prevention and recovery. I have delved into open-hearted communication/non-violent communication training, somatic tracking, empowerment coaching, facilitated staff retreats and mentored newly spiritually awakened beings.
I am currently engrossed in weaving the strands of my first book, a spiritual self-help-memoir entitled “Ancestors of Spirit, Ancestors of Blood – A Tale of Belonging.” Stay tuned for a release date, and sneak peeks!
My Healing Journey
I had an idyllic childhood – or so I thought. In my 20s, I reached a point in my life where my emotional pain was so strong that my physical body couldn't keep up anymore. I couldn’t leave my bed for months on end. Until that point in my life, I was stubbornly convinced that there was nothing wrong with the way I was living my life, no unprocessed trauma, no flaws, and no shadows lurking under my bed. The physical breakdown of my body convinced me otherwise. I slowly started waking up and recognizing the tight unrelenting grip anxiety and panic had on my life, the unhealthy coping mechanisms that became my go-to. I hated feeling like I was caught within myself, and conventional medicine was unable to fix this for me. That was when I realized it was more painful for me to remain stuck repeating my cycles and unhealthy patterns, than to muster up the courage to break out of them, face my fears, and ask my shadow to dance.
Healing of any kind must deal with the root causes of the dis-ease or dis-comfort that led to the state of being physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually unwell. The more I opened up to my shadow - the painful, poky things in my self and my life, the more I softened those sharp corners and eventually they were smooth and cuddly enough that I could embrace them. Feeling whole again, feeling empowered, feeling like the world was once again my oyster I allowed myself to go diving for pearls. Pearls that were born out of hardship, but have been transformed into beings of beauty, wisdom, and grace.
I would love to share these pearls with you. I would like to not only be your guide for whatever stage your journey is in, but also be your compassionate cheerleader, because I know that life is not easy. Every experience you have is valid. Please don’t compare your experience to what others in the world might be experiencing. Just because someone else might have a different type of trauma does not invalidate the pain you are feeling. Your emotions, your experience is valid. You matter.
I see the light in you, and I see the shadow and I don’t judge you for either.
My Belief & Vision
I believe that everyone deserves compassion, empathy, and unconditional love. We all deserve to be heard, feel valid and empowered in our own lives. Let’s be the change that will make the world a better place by starting with ourselves – investing the energy and time into finding love, forgiveness, and healing for ourselves, so that we may radiate it into the world around us. That may well be the most effective way to bring about change in our world!
I also believe that we all deserve this regardless of status – financial or otherwise, which is why I am a firm believer in offering my services at a sliding scale. Your worth is unrelated to what is in your bank account!
As humans, it is our birthright to live a wholehearted life, fix what is broken – even if we have broken it ourselves. We are allowed to feel worthy, be forgiven, and be whole, and empowered. Imagine how different our world would be today if more of us humans were wholehearted?
It doesn’t matter if you are an individual, a couple, a group, or a business, I am here to support you, empower you, bear witness to your journey, and help you stand in your full light again, feeling whole, embracing life with your whole heart and soul.
It is through the transformation of each individual that we will transform the entire world.
It is time for us to co-create a wholehearted world.
