About us
Befriend is dedicated to walking people home to their true selves and community.
About Nadia
I began my career in psychotherapy with a deep interest in neuroscience. In my early 20s, after years of ill health (starting aged 9), I began to suffer severe symptoms. After seeing over 45 specialists, the trauma of misdiagnosis, and losing functionality completely, I decided to choose an alternative route to save my own life.
I recovered from multiple tick-borne infections, mould illness (CIRS), autoimmune disease, anxiety, chemical and food sensitivity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, heavy metal toxicity, and complex post-traumatic stress (cptsd). My passion to help others heal led me to hone my understanding of these fields through further degrees and accredited professional courses. I have learned the most from thousands of hours of clinical practice with my incredible clients, and hundreds of hours of professional supervision. I will continue to invest in further learning because I am passionate being able to better serve the astonishing humans I am honoured to work with, and because being a forever student of life brings me joy.
- BA Hons Social Psychology University of Sussex (2003)
- MSc Hons Psychology and Neuroscience University of Sussex (2004)
- PG Dip Counselling Psychology University Of London (licensed UK) (2005)
- Interpersonal Neurobiology for healthcare professionals with Dr Daniel Siegel (2016-2017)
- Foundations Of Focusing – Focusing Institute (2017)
- Compassion Based Mindfulness Teacher 2018-2019 - certified
- Master NLP Practitioner (certified and insured) (2018)
- Trauma Informed Yoga teacher training RYT 200 (2017-2018)
- Internal Family Systems Therapy (2018-2020)
- Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy (2021)
- HeartMath Trainer and HeartMath trained Healthcare Professional (2018)
- Limbic system re-training coach for the Gupta Program (2018-2019)
- PsychK Facilitator (2020)
- Mindful Compassionate Dialogue (2017 and continuing)
- Healthcare professional training in mind body recovery with Dr Howard Schubiner (2017 and 2020)
- Healthcare professional training with Dr Rick Hanson; Hardwiring Happiness (2019)
- Melting The Shame Freeze with Bret Lyon (2022)
- Compassionate Inquiry – 12-month Psychotherapeutic training with Dr Gabor Maté (2021-2022)
- Certificate In Somatic Strategies with Linda Thai (2022)
- Therapist attachment training with Diane Poole Heller (2022-2023)
- Somatic Experiencing Practitioner SEP (2024)
Having attended 6 advanced and 4 advanced follow-up workshops led by DrJoe Dispenza as well as assisting, I am very comfortable weaving this into my teaching if clients wish.
My work harnesses health rather than focusing on illness or trying to get rid of symptoms. I do not see this work as a ‘treatment’ for ‘sickness’ but as a discovery of what physical, emotional or social factors block the innate ability to recover, which will be unique for each person
The power of self inquiry, our personality patterns, language, self-compassion, safely feeling emotion, healthy nervous system, and brain plasticity are all included. Clients find this collaborative process empowering and fun. As sessions progress, clients improve their emotional and physiological resilience along with gaining an increased capacity to feel joy and appreciation for themselves and their life. My clients range from CEOs dealing with burnout to patients recovering from decades-long chronic illnesses.
I work with compassion, knowledge, a lot of humour, and no bullshit. Come as you are, you are accepted and appreciated.
I live in Portland, Oregon in the US with my husband, two dogs, and my magical stepdaughter. I am a keen tennis player, a student for life of yoga, love goats, and am a total bookworm. I am very introverted and I am a highly sensitive person (HSP), so I champion ways of moving through the world in life and business that allow HSP's and introverts to be who we are with confidence and ease. I travel globally both to adventure and to work with clients. I believe that a successful life is one of growth, community, honouring nature, and an open heart; not the capitalist definition of success. I am allergic to bullshit and to taking myself too seriously. I cultivate deep gratitude for my imperfect life, just as it is, and therefore I always have a full cup. I honor my once-in-a-lifetime dog Maverick who left earth to become part of everything in 2020 for being the cornerstone of my healing, and teaching me just how much love can heal, and how sacred grief is.
