Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Ellis.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Beginning in high school and most of my adult life, I’ve struggled with severe depression and anxiety. I thought it was something I had to live with and didn’t believe it would, or could, change. As an adult, traditional therapy helped for a while, but I topped out somewhere and kept dipping into cycles of severe lows. In 2018 I turned to alternative and natural healing modalities and started seeing lasting improvements in my psyche and overall well-being. In Early 2020, I found Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), commonly called Tapping. I saw such a difference in my emotional state and outlook that I began studying and became a practitioner in 2021. Since then, I have practiced EFT almost daily and believe it is a tool anyone can learn and benefit from. I am passionate about expanding mental wellness offerings outside of the city to individuals in rural communities.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
In the beginning, it was a struggle. When I decided to dedicate myself to inner healing, it opened up a lot of mental boxes that I’d locked and put away. Anyone who commits to changing their outlook goes through this and can understand. Everyone has probably heard “you must feel it to heal it” somewhere. Well, it’s true. It’s impossible to fix something if you don’t look at it thoroughly and peel back the layers to the source of the emotion. So yes, in the beginning, it was a major struggle. I started putting pieces together of events that linked to my depression or fears and how those patterns had become so ingrained in my subconscious reactions. It was a real punch to the ego. I think people would describe me as happy and positive, and that’s what I tried to portray. Once I gave attention and accepted the truth of the pain I was feeling, I was able to heal it. And now it feels like a distant memory, like a book I read. I’m not held captive by things that trigger past memories. Now things are consistently smooth, and I credit that to having unshakeable trust in what the universe has planned for all of us.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bird & Spoon. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is self-applied “tapping” with your fingertips along the meridian lines in your body. Imagine where acupuncture needles might be positioned – tapping along these points stimulates a flow of electricity that clears blockages built over time in reaction to life events. Combining somatic and cognitive elements, you gently tap on yourself while consciously making statements about a life experience or stressor. EFT rewires the neural pathways in the brain and lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), which can increase immunity, improve mental clarity, and have many other benefits. I support my clients through private EFT sessions, group EFT sessions, lectures, and in-person mindfulness courses. My scope ranges from coming in to do team building or leadership lectures for companies of any size, teacher training on stress management and awareness, and teaching children how to navigate their emotions through tapping. Every practitioner, be it a yoga instructor, sound healer, life coach, etc., has its flavor. My teacher described me as a sunflower that can move mountains. I think that’s because I’ve learned to follow the light instead of looking into the darkness, and I’m not afraid to directly face major obstacles. A bit of a bulldog if I have to be, but also with a lightness and sense of humor. I have immense compassion for people and their stories, and my clients feel safe with me. I think I’m different because I don’t strictly follow a healing protocol. I help people tailor healing to their lifestyles and needs and make feeling better on the inside accessible to even the most skeptical mind.
Through my lectures and mindfulness courses, I bring in the idea of taking care of one’s mental state in a way that feels non-threatening. My audience isn’t typically low-hanging fruit, per se. I like to think that I plant seeds in the hearts and minds of people who are set in their ways and think that healing is for hippies. Ha. On the other hand, I also have clients who want change but need to ease into it slowly. I believe I offer a safe route that removes any healing timeline that some types of therapies are structured around. If the most I can get from someone in the audience is to ask themselves, “What’s one thing that they would like to see improvement on in their lives,” and they go on and do that privately, that’s enough for me. That’s enough to make an impact. And of my EFT clients, every one of them has changed their lives and shifted their outlook. No matter how long I walk the path with someone, I feel honored to do so.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
My mom and dad gave me an outstanding childhood and supported me through everything. I have been graced with family and friends full of life, and I feel fortunate to witness them as examples of living full lives. My recent teachers to credit would be Rebecca Naylor, IKAP Certified Kambo Practitioner, and medicine woman, for showing me compassion and holding space for me during a major shift in consciousness. Sonya Sophia, Master EFT Practitioner, has been my EFT teacher and is a clear example of how to stand in your power and forgive and accept your past. I’m also grateful to God. I know that this looks different to everyone, but I have my understanding and am guided every day by a greater power.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.birdandspoon.com
- Instagram: @birdandspoon
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ellis-eftpractitioner-birdandspoon/
Image Credits
Jennifer Williamson and Marina Wanders
