I was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. My love of Nature and passion for Mother Earth was nurtured in the south-west bush and pure Indian Ocean;
I am deeply grateful to know this place as my home.

Anne-Marie

Celebrant, Facilitator, Expressive Healing Practitioner

I acknowledge the Wadandi people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, Wadandi Boodja (Saltwater People's Country). I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and future. I honour and give thanks for the respectful, loving and careful ways they live with their country and waterways.
Their leadership inspires me and encourages me to honour and celebrate my own cultural heritage and traditions from my Irish, Scottish, English, German & Danish ancestry.

South-West WA

I live with my husband in a small town in the south-west of WA and my parents live close by. Where I live and where my people come from informs my daily life, my connection to nature, my spirituality and my place in community. I honour and am grateful to my ancestors and the ancestors of this land, for without them, I would not be here.

As a child, I loved to dance and play dress-ups; I delighted in organising the kids in my street to perform for the neighbours.

Self-discovery and group connectivity through expressive arts has always been an important part of my life.

I regard creative expression as a powerful healing, joy enhancing, life affirming act that simply and profoundly improves the quality of our lived experience.

I also love people and have long been fascinated by what it means to be human.

I consider myself fortunate to have grown up in a family where philosophical discussion around the dinner table was common, where I was encouraged to be curious, to question, to listen deeply to my own and others’ life experience.

I have always had a deep sense of gratitude for my life and have a strong calling to be of service to others.

My grandfather (young boy on left) with my great-grandmother and great-great grandmother.

Young Woman to Wise Woman

As a young woman, I completed a Bachelor Degree in Youth Work and began my career as a group facilitator and community-based educator. I worked with non-government organisations and community groups.
I believe that families and local communities are the true heart of a healthy society and culture. I live with the understanding that 'it takes a village to raise a child' and it also takes a village to nurture creativity, to honour death and to celebrate life.

At age 30, I became interested in dance-movement therapies as a personal healing tool and as a way of combining my love of people with my love of dance. I experienced profound personal healing and growth through my practice and training in conscious movement and dance therapies, Body-Mind Centering®, Yoga and Chakradance(TM). I'm endlessly fascinated by the wisdom of the human body and I love sharing my passion and skills with others.

In 2008, I completed a Diploma in Professional Coaching and established my business Coessence. In the same year I also became a Registered Marriage Celebrant & Funeral Celebrant. During that time,
I met Penny Champ, a celebrant colleague who soon became a cherished friend and business partner. Together we established The Women's Hearth where we offer women’s circles, seasonal retreats and sacred ceremonies. thewomenshearth.com.au

I love to live a life that is local, connected to earth, water and sky, enriched by ceremony, music, song and dance. I’m committed to sharing my gifts with the people around me and I love to nurture new connections.

Qualifications

Some of my qualifications, training and experience.

Bachelor of Arts in Youth Work (WACAE)
Diploma of Professional Coaching (Coach School)
Diploma of Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy (in training 2022 Willow College)
Professional Training in Breathwork & Shamanic Healing (Level One)
Licensed Chakradance(TM) Facilitator
Living Dance Facilitator
Re-evaluation Counselling (10 years practice)
Social Artistry Training Intensive with Dr Jean Houston
Trained Group Facilitator (Relationships Australia)
Registered Marriage Celebrant
Trained & experienced Funeral Celebrant (Qualtrain)
Deathwalker Training (Natural Death Care Centre)
Women's Leadership Development Program (Pathways Foundation)
Co-Founder of The Women's Hearth
Red Tent Circle Facilitator
A Celebration Day for Girls Licensed Facilitator
Mother of two home-birthed miracles