I did not grow up closely identifying myself with nature but rather had a difficult childhood which focused me on serious matters of life and took me away from the joy of the outdoors. I came late to a spiritual viewpoint and was an atheist until age thirty. As I opened to my spiritual self, I gradually opened to nature and found it personally and spiritually nurturing. I have learned and grown and known peace and grace at my core. Though I draw primarily from a Christian perspective because that is the ground of my faith, nature is available to people of all faiths and backgrounds. My work now as the founder and director of SPA Sisters: Spirit, Place and Authentic Self, a non profit program for women, focuses on ways to help women grow into the fullness of who they are through nature and to find their own path of spiritual growth. As a watercolor painter, my work is from me…an expression of who I am. My watercolors reveal me as colorful, clear and free…all true! My creations mirror who I am. The same could be said about creation revealing the Creator. Nature is a place where your deepest self can also be discovered, including your spiritual core. The natural world is available for each of us, and I believe that when we allow ourselves to be fully present in it, nature will show us much about our authentic selves and our own spiritual journeys. In spite of my professional credentials outlined below, I am primarily Nancy, enjoying my life and engaging in my relationships as a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, combining family, work and fun, for the last 39 years! I feel grateful to be a part of this abundant life.
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NANCY BARRETT CHICKERNEO, Ph.D, is the Director of the non-profit organization, SPA Sisters: Spirit, Place and Authentic Self®. She has a Ph.D. in Art Therapy and a Masters Degree in Religious Studies with an emphasis on spirituality. She is a psychotherapist at Intermission Therapies in Geneva, Illinois and is certified for addiction and EMDR trauma treatment. Nancy is also a professional watercolor artist. One of her greatest passions is helping women come to wholeness and she enjoys joining creativity and spirituality in the workshops and retreats she leads. |
While working as a psychotherapist in the mental health field for twenty plus years, I also designed and facilitated retreats in nature. I noticed how much the outdoor landscape mirrors who we are as part of creation. I wondered why nature was such a little considered part of our healing process. As I watched women profoundly grow and heal in natural retreat settings, I became convinced that human emotional and spiritual health is connected to our relationship with the rest of nature.