let’s meet!

In addition to being a maker, I’m an emergent somatic practitioner and presence worker. My approach leans on expressive arts modalities, using clay as a vehicle for embodiment and mindfulness. If you’re looking for in-person care that centers creativity and movement, I’d love to hear from you.

Because I’m new to (formalizing) my work, I’m only available to see adult clients whose needs align with my current skillset.

What happens in a session?

You can expect to gain insight about yourself through simple gestures and exercises, all body based; some of them involving the use of clay, some of them not! We’ll decide on things to make based on your interests with no expectation for the work to be fired or finished — a process rooted in experimentation; integrating the emergent and cultivating self-security.

We may be a good fit if you:

  • struggle with perfectionism, trust, anxiety, or being in your body

  • are in need of patient, reflective listening

  • find playfulness helpful, or struggle to play

  • are committed to some form of therapy (apart from this)

  • feel curious about collective consciousness/memory as it relates to working with clay

  • would benefit from seeing a queer, trans, bi-cultural/bilingual practitioner from Puerto Rico

education

I graduated from Marlboro College in 2017 with a BFA in Ceramics, Illustration, and Mixed Media. Since then, I’ve worked in and out of art museums, ceramics studios, and woodshops, gathering tools while dreaming up some version of this very practice: a place where creative intuition meets relational healing.

In the realm of somatics and facilitation, I receive mentorship from Kai Cheng Thom, a brilliant author, cultural worker, and speaker. I started meeting with Kai Cheng in 2023, and our mentorship is ongoing.

rates

$75 - 175 per session, sliding scale.

My rates aren’t fixed once we agree to work together! Whatever you’re able to pay (session-to-session, within the scale above) is what we’ll do. I value transparency around money, access, etc. and welcome any questions you might have.

i offer

  • 2 hr sessions

  • a 15-30 minute consultation, in person or online (free)

  • handbuilding technique

  • a private, spacious studio environment

  • flexible scheduling

  • ongoing covid safety precautions

  • clay & tools at no additional cost

i do not

Clinically diagnose people, prescribe medication, or provide psychological counseling/treatment.

where?

In person at my studio on Pocumtuc land, in so-called Western MA.

Please feel free to contact me for a visit, consultation, accessibility info, etc.

 

photo by Zach Thomas @sustainablequeer

let’s talk!

client TESTIMONY

“Working with Ode has been a transformative experience for me, and has opened my eyes to how powerful the connection between my body and emotions can be! 

I am a person who is sensitive to physical stimuli so using clay as a tool for focusing and feeling in my body really works for me, and it’s also fun. Creating objects and guys with clay in the beginning of our sessions is so helpful for entering a headspace of feeling more in my body, and also can direct and inspire somatic exercises we do in the latter part of the sessions. I find that I unconsciously create things with clay that mirror how I am feeling, and then use the creations as a tool for introspective somatic exercises, which can be very powerful and emotional. 

I have found that doing somatic exercises and really focusing on how and what my body is feeling helps with my anxiety. After I leave my sessions with Ode, I feel so much more confident, nourished, and energized for the rest of the day. My emotions shift, and my body is affected as well. Many times I have come into our sessions feeling tightness in my chest from anxiety, and leave the session feeling light, sometimes floaty, and the tightness has gone away!

Some sessions can be very emotional and bring up feelings that have been hiding inside my body. When this happens, Ode is incredibly caring and comforting, and if I ever feel like I need to take a break we will stop and rest. I feel so safe, supported, and taken care of! I wholeheartedly recommend their practice, they’re awesome!”

-Sophie, current client

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Ode moves with an openness and curiosity that has helped me immensely over the past year. Each session, whether remote or in-person, comes with the opportunity to adjust as needed and give big feelings and movements the attention they deserve. I also felt like a welcome novice to clay and really appreciated the opportunity to hold onto my creations when it felt significant. Somatics can feel very vague until you begin, especially as a person with chronic illness and long covid who is learning how to return to myself instead of blocking out my daily pain. Ode is very understanding of this and is clear about their own development as a student and mentee of somatic practices. It's a wonderful collaborative process that I continue to recommend!”

-Iris, current client