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About Me

Kelsey Sawyer MA, BC-DMT

Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist

200 Hr Certified Yoga Teacher

Certified Grief Yoga® Teacher

Hi! My name is Kelsey Sawyer and I am the founder of Riverbend Grief and Movement Therapy. I am also  a Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist, Grief Coach, and Yoga Teacher. I have been a dancer my whole life and realized just how healing dance and movement could be for grief at a young age after experiencing multiple deaths of important people in my life. This led me on a path to becoming a dance movement therapist that specializes in grief to not only integrate these losses myself, but connect with and support others who are grieving in a more embodied way.

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Experience

 

I graduated with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy from Lesley University in 2019. Since then, I have worked as a youth program manager and therapist for children's grief programs across the country. I  had the honor of training at Dougy Center's International Summer Institute in 2019 and have completed certifications  in Grief Yoga® with Paul Denniston and Comprehensive Grief & Loss with Claire Bidwell Smith. I have  also had the opportunity to share my passion for this work at the Safe Crossings Foundation Northwest Conference on Childhood Grief for 3 years, and am proud member of the National Alliance for Children's Grief and American Dance Therapy Association. 

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As a yoga teacher, I have trained with teachers and mentors who align with my values both on and off the mat. I completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Tiffany Cagwin and Ame Wren through Boston Yoga School in 2016, and Part 1 of my Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Caitlin Rose Kenney in 2021. I owe a lot of my embodied awareness and development as a human being to these individuals, and am constantly in awe of the work that they do to make this a more holistic, inclusive, and connected environment to practice life (and yoga) in. Recently, I was able to share my Flowing with Grief yoga class with participants  at Claire Bidwell Smith's in person Conscious Grieving Retreat in Mill Valley, CA. It was beautiful to see how connecting yoga and grief through movement and breath could transform these individuals experience of grief in their bodies. 

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All of these experiences have prepared and inspired me to open up my own private practice and continue this meaningful work of linking movement and expression to grief. When I'm not "therapist Kelsey"  I like to go for walks in nature, spend time with the important people in my life, move my body, and enjoy a nice cup of tea.

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I couldn't be happier to begin creating a supportive and informed grief community and I look forward to flowing and connecting with you!

 

 

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