Selected Writing
This is a curated selection of pieces I'm proud of - spanning personal narrative to client excerpts to more analytical work. Before deciding to work together, it may help to see how I write, and these give you a real sense of the voice, structure, and care I bring to every project, whether it's yours or mine.
Client's Book - Excerpt
The Bark & The Skin
The bark of the tree tells the story of its life - bark that is cracked, split, peeling, or missing, exposing the inner core; gnarled spots, oozing sap, and clear abrasions all tell a story. The role of the bark is to protect the inner core of the tree, and when the bark is damaged, the tree does what it can to persevere - it seals off injured areas, forms “wound wood,” regrows bark, and alters its chemistry to create an inhospitable environment for opportunistic pests. But the evidence of trauma is never erased - we can see the scars on the bark.
Our skin is not much different - our skin can hold both physical and emotional wounds - showing visible evidence as scars, or manifesting invisibly as sensitivities. Our skin can suffer from unresolved trauma in the body as well - trauma triggers a stress response, which increases inflammation, and can then cause flare-ups of skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. Inflammation can also impair the skin's ability to heal from wounds leading to permanent scarring. Chronic stress from trauma can eventually reduce the skin’s ability to protect, heal, and regenerate, leaving our body defenseless. Caring for our skin then must include caring for our physical and emotional boundaries. We must foster self-love, presence, and resilience to feed our protective layer and protect our body, spirit, and life.
Personal Essay
In the weeks that followed our loss especially it felt completely impossible - not difficult, not scary, but impossible - to choose another path (a non fear-based path) for my thoughts. I felt powerless and paralyzed, stuck in a mindset and a belief system that perpetuated my fear and solidified my role as a victim in this life. The narrative in my mind cycled between, ‘something I loved deeply has been taken from me and I will never be happy again,’ and ‘everything I love deeply will eventually be taken from me and I will never be happy again.’
Like a sled on a snowy hill slipping effortlessly into the most deeply trenched path, the one that hundreds of sleds have chosen over and over and over again, all of my thoughts found a singular pathway and predictable conclusion: fear, despair, hopelessness. And every time I allowed myself to be taken on that emotional ride controlled by fear, I deepened that trench and strengthened that pathway. When I imagined what it would take to change those unhelpful thoughts, to believe a different belief, or reframe my approach, it seemed that the edges of that path - the only path I knew how to take - had turned into unscalable, towering icy canyon walls.
Read the full essay on Substack.
Research Essay
The United States finds itself at a crossroads today - once the promised land of democratic freedom and representation, deep unrest now ripples through the nation; growing political division, protests, and systemic inequities are rapidly bubbling to the surface. Loss of faith in governing institutions and censorship, key warning signs of revolutionary action, are on the rise. Yet the question must still be asked: are we truly on the brink of a transformative moment - on the eve of revolution - or can the tension in the U.S. be resolved peacefully?
Why does what’s happening today feel like the lighting of the proverbial match that will burn old institutions to the ground? Much like France in 1789, the U.S. is experiencing warning signs of a revolution to come...Understanding this moment in time, and reading past media spins and propaganda, allows us to see the trembling fault lines beneath daily headlines. Revolutions don’t arise from single events, but from long‑standing and compounding pressures that culminate in immediate crises; a match alone cannot light a raging fire – it must have plenty of fodder to fall on. Political gridlock and ineffective governments are definitive fodder for feeding a revolution.
Read the full essay on Substack.
Client's Book - Excerpt
Resistance to Change in First Responders
It is very hard to convince most people (and firefighters are no exception) that something they believe is working well could be improved, or that they should change their ways. And it is infinitely more difficult, if not impossible, to change someone’s mind in the midst of an emergency or high-stress scenario. When the body or mind is stressed, the body goes on autopilot and muscle memory takes over - actions become unconscious. What this means for first responders is that if a firefighter has spent the last 20 years doing the same thing when responding to a fire, and their routine has not included doing a run down or a 360 before entering the structure, it's going to be very very difficult to introduce new steps and new methods. If the department just tells these firefighters that they have to start doing those new things (in this case, a run down and a 360), there is going to be some level of resistance. Even if the firefighter is open minded about the change during a neutral discussion, it could all go out the window when the emergency begins. Yes, it is important to talk about why adjustments are being made, but it is equally important to test these new mandates in the field in order to make a lasting change. With practice, these life-saving tactics become habits and not something a firefighter has to think about and wrestle with during an emergency.
Industry Article
In the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace, one trend has become increasingly prevalent and continues to be in high demand: flexibility. Flexible work arrangements, which allow employees to choose when and where they work, have gained popularity for a myriad of reasons. While they offer numerous advantages for both employers and workers, one of the most significant benefits is the empowerment of employees to be more productive by working when and where they are most efficient. From 2020 – 2022 fully remote and flexible work seemed to be here to stay, with many organizations promising remote work into perpetuity. However, as we’ve gotten further from the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers are mandating a return to office and requiring 5 full days in office from employees. This mismatch between expectations from workers and company leaders is trending as the latest workplace challenge.
Read the full article here.
Children's Story - Excerpt - Adapted for World Stories Bank
“How The Widow Saved Her Son’s Life”
Long ago, in a land where the mountains touched the clouds, there lived a boy named Galsan and his mother, Hera. Galsan’s mother was a widow, and he was her only son. Every morning Hera made her son her special rice cakes for breakfast, and every evening he sat at her feet and told her everything about his day. Galson and Hera were close, and they had no secrets from one other.
Their village was ruled by The Khan, a strange man with strange behaviors. The Khan never went in public, and no one living in the village had ever seen him, but each morning the Khan would send his guards into the village to fetch a young man to come and comb his hair. The young men never returned. Nobody knew why the Khan did this, but nobody dared to ask. For years and years this went on, and the village became sadder and sadder as young men were taken from their families every day.
One day the Khan’s guards came to Hera and Galsan’s house. Galsan’s mother knew what this meant, but she did not cry or beg for her son to be spared. She told the guards to wait and she went to her kitchen and began to bake. She kneaded the dough, and as she kneaded she pressed milk into the flour - the way her mother had done, and her mother's mother before her, and while she kneaded she thought. While the cakes were still warm, she wrapped them in a cloth and pressed them into Galsan’s hands. “Eat these as you comb the Khan’s hair,” she told him with a smile. And then she kissed him goodbye, still smiling, knowing this would not be the last time she saw her son.