Deep
Awakenings
About Donna
I've been fascinated by people for as long as I can remember.
How we think. How we relate to one another. Why we do the things we do.
That interest has followed me through just about everything I’ve done—from communication and theater to hospitality, leadership, coaching, and hypnotherapy.
How I Came to This Work
I studied theater in college and later completed an intensive acting training program.
Acting taught me to study people in a particular way: to understand motivations, listen closely, notice what’s happening beneath the words, and respond in the moment.
There is no substitute for being present.
I’ve spent nearly 35 years in hospitality, including 13 years in management. I’ve led large teams, navigated complicated situations, made plenty of mistakes, and learned a lot about people—and about myself—in the process.
Along the way, I earned a degree in Interpersonal and Small Group Communication from Sacramento State. I became a Certified Life & Business Coach through UC Davis in 2016 and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in 2017.
And I’m still learning. I continue to explore different approaches to personal growth, including body-based and energy practices.
I don’t come to this work as someone who has figured it all out.
I come to it as someone who knows what it’s like to look honestly at yourself, try something different, and discover that change can happen in ways you didn’t expect.
How I Work With People
Understanding yourself can be powerful. But understanding something doesn’t always mean you know how to change it.
Sometimes we can explain a pattern perfectly and still find ourselves repeating it.
That’s why our work isn’t limited to talking things through. Sometimes the shift happens somewhere beyond understanding—in the body, in the imagination, or through an experience that allows you to relate to something differently.
I bring my experience, training, and guidance. You bring your own experience and knowing.
And we see what happens.
Change starts with you.
Not because you are the problem, but because you are the person you can actually change.
A Little More About Me
I love nature. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time tree gazing, and I always come away feeling a little more grounded and grateful.
I’ve practiced yoga for more than 30 years, and it’s still a meaningful part of my life.
I love spending time with my family, my friends, and my dogs. I’ve always loved theater, and more recently I did two rounds of local sketch comedy. I like people. I like making people laugh.
And I don’t think personal growth has to be solemn.
Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we surprise ourselves. There’s room for all of it.
