Spiritual Counseling

2010-02-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for inspiration and guidance? Do you need someone to listen to the feelings and stories of your deepest heart? I am a compassionate and empathic person who would love to help you along the path to your own, most comfortable and healed self. Call if you would like to set up an appointment for spiritual counseling.

Sometimes all we really need is to be seen! Your inner self knows everything you need. My ability to tune into the deeper places of a persons soul; my compassion and my personal experience of over 24 years of recovery and healing can act as a mirror that will reflect your own truths back to you.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one, wild and precious life?"

~Mary Oliver

Education and Experience

2010-02-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

I began to walk along my own inner healing path as a seventeen year old woman when I entered a twelve-step program of recovery that changed my entire life. Doors I never knew could open, swung wide for me.

In 1992 I received my first massage and knew that this was a path that I wanted to take. I had been very dedicated to my emotional and spiritual growth but had not connected the fact that my body was in desperate need of healing, nurturing, safe touch. Massage Therapy gave me this gift and I knew that it was a gift that I wanted to pass on to others.

Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork

In the fall of 1992, I attended the New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts and graduated the following summer. As the years have gone on, I've continued to learn, heal and grow with all the dedication and enthusiasm of the Wild Spiritual Warrior that is me.

I am a NH Licensed Massage Therapist who has a passion for Craniosacral Therapy! As a Professional Member of the American Massage Therapy Association I am dedicated to continuing my education on an on-going basis and to upholding strict ethics, morals and values in my work as a healing facilitator in our community. You can be sure that you are in the very best of hands.

I have obtained continuing education certificates in many healing modalities of Massage Therapy including Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Salt Glow Massage, Kriya Foot and Hand Reflexology, Circulatory Massage, Fibromyalgia, Lymphatic Drainage Massage and more as well as in Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release.

In April of 2010 I completed my Advanced-Level training in Craniosacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute. I love this work and feel absolutely grateful that I can offer it to my clients.

To complement the physical components of healing, I also offer somato-emotional release sessions for anyone who wishes for deep emotional healing and the opportunity to release pent-up emotions that have been creating pain and blockages in their life.

I offer all of my services at the small healing arts center I founded in Newmarket, NH called MotherRoots Healing Arts.

Energy Work

I received my first Shamballa attunement from Irene Fox on Martha's Vineyard and subsequent attunements from Holly Brown and Betsy Haley of Dover, NH. I just LOVE to do energy work. It is transformational, healing, deeply peaceful work that I hope everyone will experience.

Empowerment

In my heart and by my nature, I am a teacher. As a woman who honors the Sacred Divine Feminine, I am dedicated to the Wise Woman tradition of empowering, uplifting and sharing knowledge with others, whole-heartedly. Through self-study, involvement throughout the years in various women's groups, courses in women's studies at the University of New Hampshire and a two-year apprenticeship in women's empowerment I have developed skills to facillitate in a way that is uniquely personal and comfortable for women. Out of this love for teaching, I developed a monthly workshop series called, Reaching into the Heart of the Goddess and a seasonal, bi-weekly, sacred circle group for women called, Roots Deep, Branches Rising.

In early 2010, I began mentoring and teaching at the Wise Woman University. My Artemis Workshop is now available throughout the year in a beautiful, online, 6-week-long course entitled: Reclaiming Artemis: Calling Passion, Power and Wildness Back Into Your Life!

One of my deepest passions is to teach and to facilitate individual and group healing rituals and workshops. Together we can create a very personal and unique ritual for whatever transition, celebration, sorrow, joy or upliftment you may be needing to honor at this time in your life.

Astrology

My first and most beloved astrology teacher is Brian Sandy of Dracut, MA. I learned through him to accept and honor the fact that we are all attuned in a unique way at the moment of birth. I learned from him through many personal readings and I will always be grateful to him for opening this door for me. In the spring of 2009 I decided to study astrology. I took a beginner astrology class with Bob Hoffman of Nottingham, NH. I discovered that I had an innate ability to understand many aspects of astrology as it connected deeply with the study of archetypes and mythology which has always been so much a part of my life! I went on in the fall of 2009 to begin studying with Heather Ensworth in Massachusetts. I continue to do so with great passion! I am an avid student of astrology and thoroughly love doing astrological interpretations!

Melissa's Musings

I enjoy inspiring people through writing and sharing my personal stories about how I connect to the seasonal wheel of the year, magic, ritual and the ancient wisdom teachings. I am so happy to be a semi-regular contributor to The Spiritual Renaissance Publication in Portland, Maine. You can read these published essays as well as many more on my blog, Melissa's Musings!

Melissa after her first solo, "Dance of the Nations" at the Voices From the Heart concert, May 21, 2010

Singing

"Where words fail, music takes over!"

My son always says, "Music is Life!" I couldn't agree more. I am known in some of my communities as "The Goddess Jukebox" because I seem to have a song for every occasion. I have collected a large amount of earth and spirit-honoring circle chants and songs. A work of musical art was created when Director Joanne Connolly created her 200-women choir, Voice From the Heart many years ago in Portsmouth, NH. I've loved every minute of singing with this group since I joined in the spring of 2010! I was honored to have the opening solo at that springs' concert.

You can see us perform here at one of our fun, local annual events, The Newmarket Heritage Festival.

Each year Voices has their large spring and fall concert at the South Church in Portsmouth. The concerts are amazing to witness! Visit http://www.voicesfromtheheart.org/.

I also enjoy leading singing and chanting circles in our community and have done so in many circles of ceremony and celebration. This past summer I was invited to sing with some wonderful musicians at the Unity Church of Greater Portland, Maine for their Conscious Convergence celebration!

Working with Students in the Community

I have had the unique blessing to be able to teach and provide healing services to students in my community in the following wonderful ways:

~Beginner Spanish to kindergartners in the World Language Club at the Mast Way School in Lee,NH
~Facilitating Winter and Summer Solstice Celebrations at the Oyster River Middle School in Durham, NH during a yearly celebration of multi-cultural traditions
~Teaching a class on the Seven Chakras to Middle School students at the Sparhawk School in Amesbury, MA during a holistic health and stress-reduction unit
~Offering Holistic Education and Massage Therapy to students as an employee of the University of New Hampshire Health Services office
~The Love Your Body event at UNH
~The University of New Hampshire Holistic Health Fair
~Regular participation in the Student De-stress Festival at UNH
~Herbal Fun classes at a local home school cooperative
~Individual Apprenticeships with Children

Life, itself, is my greatest teacher and I am committed to following the intuitive voices of my heart as they lead me deeper and deeper into the educational and personal experiences I am meant to have!

One of the rules I live by comes from one of my favorite sayings:

"You have to give it away to keep it!"

With this said, may I get the opportunity to share healing, knowledge and the joy of life with you some day!

Sincerely,

Melissa Potter

MotherRoots Therapeutic Healing Arts

Spiritual Counseling

Education and Experience