This practice exists to help you integrate what’s shifting, so you can live with more clarity, alignment, intention, and care.
Meet Richard
“You don’t need to know what’s next. You only need to notice what isn’t working, and gently start to shift it out of the way. Something new will take its place.”
I used to think my story was only about survival. Diagnosed with depression at 12. An attempt on my life at 15. Losing my mom at 17. Cancer in my twenties. A rare genetic diagnosis at 34 requiring multiple highly invasive surgeries. Leaving behind a 12-year career at 36. Now, at 40, facing uncertainty again.
For a long time, I told the story through pain, through loss. But eventually I learned to listen differently.
I've spent nearly two decades helping others through major life transitions, as a counselor, educator, and learning leader. But it was facing my own unraveling that taught me the deeper truth: growth doesn't happen at the speed of light. It happens at the speed of sound, when we slow down, listen inward, and stop clinging to old identities.
That's what After the Ceremony is about. Less mysticism, more momentum. Concrete tools. Deep presence. And a belief that change is possible, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.
If you're navigating grief, illness, uncertainty, or integrating something that's shifted your worldview, I'm here to help you listen for what's next.
It gets harder, but you get better at it.
If I can do it, you can too.
— Richard
Rooted in Experience, Informed by Practice
My work draws from both formal study and real-world transformation. Here’s how that shows up in practice:
Professional Foundation (17+ years)
Career Development & Counseling: Guided hundreds through transitions, loss, and reinvention
Learning & Development Specialist: Designed growth frameworks and identified breakthrough moments
University Professor: Helped students navigate both academic and personal challenges
Performance & Storytelling Coach: Taught people how to rewrite their narratives and trust their voice
Lived Curriculum (Ongoing)
28+ years of therapy: Deep understanding of the client perspective
50+ plant medicine ceremonies: Integration experience across multiple traditions
Chronic illness and cancer survivor: 14+ years navigating cancer remission and schwannomatosis
Community builder: Creating safe, meaningful spaces for artists and seekers
The Integration
Most coaches have studied transformation or lived it. I’ve done both, for decades, in parallel.
If you’re looking for real tools, and a guide who understands how disorienting change can be, I’m here.
This isn’t just about insight. It’s about actually living differently.