Hazel uses experiential therapy—which involves a lot of scarves, chairs, cold water dips, music, markers, curiosity, and occasional crying—that leads to healing with clients. By working outside of the box of normal “talk therapy,” she can help clients make significant breakthroughs. She helps clients become aware of their negative thoughts and to rewrite them as a way to rewire the brain. One of her mantras is, “Lean into the pain, it has something to teach you.” Hazel’s first addiction started with an eating disorder when she was only nine years old. It was her first coping skill to deal with feelings of inadequacy. She then turned to alcohol which she struggled with for 17 years. After feeling like she was “dying inside“ and hating the person she was becoming, she was blessed with the gift of desperation and began her recovery journey with Alcoholics Anonymous. After a decade of sobriety, she has worked hard to deal with the underlying issues that fed her addiction, including improving her body image and low self-worth. Hazel continues to actively engage in her own recovery every day. Hazel believes that the only way out of the pain is through it, and that pain can be our greatest teacher if we do not run from it. It takes courage to choose to face the painful, negative beliefs we have about ourselves and to work on healing them, but there is ultimately freedom and fullness on the other side. Outside of work, Hazel and her family enjoy exploring their new home in Utah after moving from the Bay Area during the COVID-19 pandemic. She and her husband of 15 years have two children and a miniature Australian Shepherd. They love connecting with the people around them and living loudly.