Hola! My name is Sterling, and I'm all about living. I love staying active, making music, exploring the world, and sharing a good laugh. Over time, these passions deepened into a genuine curiosity about how people make sense of their experiences, and what actually helps them change and find peace. I believe living looks different for everyone, and helping others figure out or refine what makes them feel alive brings me such joy and wonder. I want to support individuals doing meaningful work and help remind them to smile and enjoy themselves along the way. Everything I offer or share comes from my direct experience and countless hours of lectures, research, readings, and practice.

In the past…After graduating from Duke University in 2014 with a major in Psychology, I lived in New York City as a data strategist for an advertising firm and embraced the fast-paced city life. I loved it, and all the city had to offer, but it was not until late 2019 that I began to feel drained and directionless. Although I loved my life, I had a sneaky suspicion something was not right (this was right about the time I found meditation!). While my job provided me with a comfortable life, I felt uninspired and stagnant in my personal and professional progression. As the pandemic took over the world, I decided to rip off my old life like a band-aid and start anew. I wanted to figure out who I was, and I knew living the same playing-it-safe life was not for me. I moved out of NYC and started a new job as a consumer researcher for a behavioral health company. I worked remotely and stayed all over the world: Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, Denmark, Mexico, Peru, California, Italy, and France. Two years into that journey I was laid-off. At first, I was shocked and then relieved, so I knew I had to double down on my personal healing journey. I practiced in Zen monasteries. I studied with various Indigenous healers. I began performing original music at open mic events. I put myself in uncomfortable and foreign positions. I asked questions. I learned from many people, places, things, and nature. And most importantly, I began learning how to listen to my heart and better understand my mind. These last 6 years have been scary, wonderful, healing, and brought me to who I am now - someone who knows who they want to be in the world and how they want to be in the world. If you’re up for it, I’m willing and excited to go on that adventure with you!

Currently…I recently graduated from Johns Hopkins with a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a concentration on spiritual well-being and Nature Informed Therapy. I co-led the Spirituality and Mindfulness in Counseling Club in the counseling program, creating space for students to explore these conversations personally, relationally, and in their future clinical work.

I have been meditating for 7 years and spent several weeks on retreat in both Zen and Vipassana traditions. I am curious about all spiritual beliefs and religions, and the way people make sense of the unknown. I am a certified Nature-Based Meditation Instructor and a graduate of Mark Coleman's Awake in the Wild Teacher Training, and a certified Nature-Informed Therapist through the Center for Nature-Informed Therapy, where I also consult and help co-facilitate trainings. Incorporating nature into my professional practice and daily life is of the utmost importance to me, because I think nature has a way of helping us unlock ourselves and feel at home in this busy world.

I also worked for the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research as a research intern with the data management team and as an intern psychiatric therapist. Together, these experiences have deepened my interest in how evidence-based practices and longstanding philosophical traditions can meaningfully inform one another. This fall, I will begin a Ph.D. in Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where I plan to continue exploring how nature, movement, spirituality, and non-ordinary states of consciousness, including the experience of awe, can help people live more fully.