“When I started my journey of healing and self-discovery with Marilou, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being totally naïve to the practices of deep listening and somatic coaching, I was curious but at the same time a bit scared and self-conscious. From the very first session, Marilou created a safe and nurturing space that allowed me to feel welcome, and integrated with a very diverse group and allowed me to explore the depth of my emotions and physical sensations. Through Marilou’s gentle guidance, I have learned to reconnect to my body, to pause and listen to where I store my tensions, to unravel the intricacies of my emotions.
Meditation has now become a daily routine for me, leading to a greater sense of self-awareness. I feel more equipped to find my place when everyday challenges occur, a place that is unique to me and makes me feel balanced in my relationships, mind-set and overall well-being.
Marilou has such a unique, genuine and authentic way of guiding everyone through each session. There was never a time when I felt not seen heard or supported because she has such a natural ability to foster an environment where vulnerability meets compassion, understanding and non-judgment.
I feel fortunate and grateful beyond words for the journey of healing and self-discovery I embarked with Marilou, for the people that I met along the way and the transformative ongoing shifts in my life.“
~ Leontine Benedicenti, DVM, Assistant Professor, Clinical Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
“Working with Marilou is a gift. Her unwavering commitment to practice is evident in every interaction with her. If you are looking for someone who has done their own healing; is consistently committed to working on their own healing; and is capable of guiding you to your own truth and inner knowing – in the most gentle, compassionate, and accountable way – Marilou is the coach and facilitator for you.”
~ Toni Geurts
“There is a sense of peace, a sense of calm that I continue to receive as I engage with my third offering of the Deep Listening cohort. I am committed to deep listening, to myself and others, really paying attention to myself – my body and my inner voice – as well as really acknowledging those around me.
The experience with this fabulous group had been a saving grace for me as I navigated an extremely challenging year in my professional life early on in 2023. The opportunity to join Marilou’s Spring 2023 came at just the right time and began teaching me how to live and listen differently – to trust in the process and to be attentive to what is going on within and around me.
I am learning how to listen to my body and how to be more grounded and settled. The practices of journaling, breathing, meditation – while there is plenty of room for improvement in consistency and length – are getting better and are “working” in terms of my inner calm and grounding.
These generous offerings of Marilou’s have been so inspiring. Each session has come at a different emotional point in my personal and professional lives and have made such a difference in helping me cope and face what is going on around me. I am in a much better space, both professionally and personally as we head into 2024. I know I still have so much to learn. This way of being and showing up in the world is a continuous project – one that requires consistent attention and practice – but it is worth everything to do. I am forever changed and extremely humbled participating in these circles, and particularly by your leadership, Marilou. Very, very grateful. Thank you.“
~ Monica Brown, Academic Dean of STEM, Century College, MN
“Every time I met with Marilou, I left feeling energized and more equipped to be in the world as I wanted to be. The work we did together was positive, creative, and collaborative. Because it was embodied and experiential, I arrived at insights that I couldn’t have realized through language alone. The physicality of the work was very generative for me, at once practical and poetic. I found Marilou to be a smart, wise, kind guide. I trusted her, and consistently felt that she truly saw me for who I was. She approached our work as a whole person with her own story and experiences, which helped me know that we both understood this personal work could not be divorced from the broader context of culture, race, systems, and history. It was the first time I’ve worked with someone who was able to flawlessly integrate the two, and it gave me the sense that these somatic lessons could really stand up in the real world. I’m so grateful for the experience of working with Marilou — it’s been so much more than I could have hoped for.”
~ Sinda N.
“What I have gained from my sessions with Marilou really can’t be put into words. I can say that I have direction on doing what makes me feel alive, I have gained more awareness in myself and in the world and I have gained confidence of my inner wisdom. These are gifts that will continue to give long after my sessions end…that is invaluable. I have learned skills that have cultivated my growth and I feel very fortunate to have been taught. What I have gained has been gradually shifting me but has really changed the direction of my journey. I can confidently say and continue to practice daily ‘I am a commitment to expansiveness with permeable boundaries’.”
~ Mary S.
Your intuitiveness and attentive nature benefits your clients beyond what the “normal” somatic coach likely has to offer. In the short time I have known you, I feel I have known you forever. You were always very attuned to me and what was going on in my life and helped guide me to solutions to my problems and issues I was dealing with through many different practices.
You are great at listening to your clients and guiding them to resolutions. You knew when to listen and when to share relevant information in order to help guide the discussion in the right direction. You helped me make decisions on my own (such as my over-arching declaration and weekly commitments) with just the right amount of feedback and guidance.
~ Linda P.
The coaching sessions are very helpful to me because of the growing relationship with you, Marilou, as a coach who is very centered, very knowledgeable, very in tune with and respectful of all around you. I feel so at ease in our sessions. Thank you for the ways you gently challenge, nurture my own curiosity, protect my comfort, safety and self, free my thinking and wonder, and ask for permission. You teach me new language and explore my own words as I learn about somatics from and with you. You listen to understand meaningfulness and to promote connection, not just learning new language. You have such powerful strength and share it in the most gentle, compassionate, and nurturing ways. You ask permission for what you initiate or share. You offer feedback that is nurturing and freeing. You don’t claim to know it all; you embody what you practice.
~ Gloria H.
Ahnung Way 