Meet Andrea
For me, yoga is a life path and the choices that I choose along the way. It is about connecting to the body, to the heart, to nature, to Mother Earth, to Spirit - to something much larger than this life. The practice is our greatest teacher inviting us to slow down, breathe, to move inward in order to observe, listen and investigate the fabric of our being - our light and our shadows, our joys and our fears, our humanity and our divinity.
Yoga is how we live our lives. It is in how we communicate and connect, how we take care of ourselves, how we take care of others and how we take care of our planet. It is our ability to look beyond the physical, connect to the soul, to love and be loved with compassion, empathy, understanding and joy. It is an ever-evolving, unfolding, intimate and exquisite love story.
I feel truly blessed to be able to share my love for the practice with others through teaching. It has changed my life completely and continues to do so each and every day. My intention as a teacher is to meet every student exactly where they are on their path and hold space for them to feel what needs to be felt and allow it to move through them - physically through the body, and emotionally and spiritually through the mind & the heart. My hope is that through this journey, my students are able to discover their own inner strength, and that place of stillness, peace and home within.
I believe my role as a teacher is to plant the seed, help to water that seed, and allow my students to grow and evolve in their own unique and beautiful way. My classes are soulful, explorative and creative, emphasizing intuitive movement, a deep listening, connection to oneself, to nature, to spirit and to Source.
I am beyond grateful to be a part of such a beautiful, supportive community here in the foothills and Lakes Region of Maine and beyond. My work continues to grow and evolve thanks to the ongoing support and inspiration from all of the wonderful teachers, mentors, students and friends who continue to awaken and heal me in ways I could never have imagined.
The Journey
I studied art at the University of Southern Maine, mainly because I had no idea what else to do. My education allowed me flexibility, and exposed me to experiences and people that continue to enrich my life. I floated, struggled, searched, and gathered skills that now have become my toolbox for helping others with addiction and transformation. I bounced around, learned a lot about a lot, and endured some very hard lessons. One thing I know for sure is that none of those experiences define me, limit me, or dictate what I am capable of moving forward. I learned to not let others tell me what to feel or what to think and that I am 100% responsible for my actions and reactions. Most importantly I learned to trust myself again. I learned what I didn’t want by trying and failing, and I learned what my needs really are. Moving forward I realize I don't have the answers, and there is so much I don’t know about so many things.
Growth and Change
In 2000 I became a licensed aesthetician. I continue to offer services at nursing homes, hospitals, businesses and homes. Please reach out if you are interested in a facial or body treatment.
In 2010 I studied nursing at Maine College of Health Care Professionals for one year. That was not the path for me!
In 2021, I pursued a new field of study to become an Addictions Counselor at the University of Maine in Augusta. Currently, I specialize in addiction medicine practicing under supervision of a LADC, CCS at Common Ground Counseling in Fryeburg. I work with a team providing evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment services for patients with unhealthy substance use or substance-related conditions. I also help family members who are affected by a loved one's substance use or addiction. I work with teens, tweens and children utilizing yoga and mindfulness practices as a way to develop healthy coping mechanisms and as a way to prevent substance use disorders in their own lives.
Please contact Common Ground Counseling 207-739-2644, or reach out to me if you wish to work with me in a therapeutic setting.
Common Ground Counseling, LLC has offices in Fryeburg, Norway, Mexico Maine.
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Path to Wellness
I am passionate about supporting individuals in discovering their inner wisdom so that they can live self-compassionate, authentic, and meaningful lives. I am honored and humbled to witness the germination, growth, and flowering of the human spirit with all of the clients I work with. Everyone’s road to recovery looks different; I am on my own journey. I believe we are not alone on this path. I work with individuals and family members to guide people to their inner strength and foster whole person wellness through harm-reduction, trauma treatment techniques, and somatic therapies. I offer a holistic model of wellness in my counseling and in my bodywork practice. I also strive to confront and dispel the overwhelming stigma and shame surrounding substance use disorders (SUD), and navigate each person’s unique process and path. My focus has been on how trauma and substance use/misuse often show up in our lives; often becoming enmeshed without even realizing it, presenting as pain or blocks in our life.
Healing...
Along the way I became a certified yoga teacher for adults, children, tweens and teens. I believe that mindfulness-based interventions can be a useful and powerful tool for prevention, treatment, and recovery for some. I truly believe that we all need help at some point in our lives, and it’s okay, and important to ask! Finding the right person(s) is key, and can be a challenge.
My hope is for everyone to feel safe, seen, heard, and supported. I believe all of our emotions and coping mechanisms serve a purpose, they have value, and speak to us through our bodies at times presenting as pain or illness. We don’t need to be fixed, we just need to listen, accept and move through. As Michael Rosen says, "you can't go over it, can't go under it, you've got to go through it." Healing involves honoring all of it, the good, the bad, the ups, the downs; it's staying through the hard parts in and out of a therapeutic setting. At Wild Craft Healing Arts I listen to what you say, the way you say it, and most importantly, to what you are not saying. As I continue my educational journey I am studying Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping), training to become a certified Life Coach and health coach, and taking courses at UNE expand my skills to help those affected by intimate partner violence.
Stay tuned!
Licenses & Certification
2024: Life & Health Coach (in progress)
2024: Intimate Partner Violence Certificate UNE (current)
2023: Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
2023: DEEP Certified
2022: Teens Tweens Children’s Yoga Certification 95 hour
2021: Yin Yoga Certification
2021: Yoga Nidra Certification
2019: Cranial Sacral Therapy Certification
2019: Reiki II Certification
2018: Certified Thai Bodywork Therapy
2000: Licensed Aesthetician
1996: Outward Bound Wilderness Leadership