Leah is passionate about teaching the language of the soul: folklore, mythology, memoir, bodywork, and dreamwork.
Most recently, she graduated from the two year Haden Institute Dreamwork Leader program in 2014 where she engaged in scholarly and experiential work with dreams and group leadership. She has been a dream enthusiast since 1991when she had her first “big dream” that provided a powerful portal into her soul. She was convinced of the dream’s profound wisdom and meaning.
Leah studied with folklore expert, Jack Zipes, and learned his unique style for combining creative dramatics, comparative folklore, critical thinking, community action and creative writing.
Leah has been a free-lance instructor at Writers & Books Literary Center since 1993 and received the Big Pencil Award in 2012 for being a “teacher who inspires the creation and appreciation of literature.”
She has been practicing massage therapy in the Rochester, NY area since 1998 when she graduated from Finger Lakes School of Massage in Ithaca, NY. Working in a busy chiropractic office, she focused on techniques for relieving painful shoulders, necks and backs. Here, she learned a great deal about treating fibromyalgia, arthritis, cancer, stress, as well as the value of deep relaxation. For twelve years she have specialized in Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Massage.
Leah earned a M.A. in teaching Humanities from Colorado College. She draws on two decades of coaching drama and speech, teaching secondary English, and writing and performing original stories in her work as a teaching artist. She inspires students to remember and value their own life experiences and create them by telling the pictures in their imaginations before documenting them in writing. Her work has been featured at national conferences and retreat centers.
What students say about Leah:
“I appreciate Leah’s deep commitment to being a safe, wise and intuitive guide for exploring dreams, and for unleashing the creativity and growth they can provide.” – J. H., “Getting Personal With Dreams” class
“Leah is a wonderful teacher and created a safe environment for us to share. In doing this it enhanced all of the works. . . Thank you, thank you, thank you!” — T. H., “Great Love and Great Suffering: Writing your Spiritual Autobiography” class.
“Leah, you really are a spellbinding storyteller. Your stories touched me deeply. I wept even though I was familiar with the stories. Thank you so much.” S. H., “Touched by Beauty, Graced with Joy Conference.”
“It was your class that opened my eyes to how good my life is and has been. Through writing about it, I have learned to love and bless it all, even the dark parts. Thank you.” J.H., “”Great Love and Great Suffering: Writing your Spiritual Autobiography” class.