About

I'm Elena 

In my five and a half decades on this planet, I’ve known immense joy and love—and also deep sorrow and fear. I’ve been a seeker for as long as I can remember, on a lifelong quest to understand what it means to be alive, what my purpose is, and how I can serve with integrity and heart. I’ve also been devoted to the beauty and pleasure available through our physical forms and through this earth.

For over 30 years, I worked in the field of education while walking a parallel path of personal and spiritual development. In my early twenties, I discovered meditation and Eastern philosophy—primarily through the teachings of Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh. Since then, I’ve explored many modalities for understanding the psyche, expanding consciousness, and creating a life rooted in love and intention.

These modalities—including therapy, coaching, somatic work, and ritual—have been profoundly deepened by working with plant medicines. This work has brought about radical transformation in all areas of my life. It has also been a pathway of decolonization and reconnection, and an honoring and reclamation of ancestral wisdom.

I am committed to supporting people as they explore who they are, heal what hurts, remember their purpose, and reconnect with the sacred—both within themselves and in the living world around them.

It is a deep honor to walk alongside others on this journey.

In the end, we must each tend to our own gulfs of sadness, though others can assist us with kindness, food, good words, and music.  

— Joy Harjo

My Professional Background

I’ve been coaching leaders since 2004. Over the years, I’ve written eight books on coaching, team development, and emotional resilience, and I’m widely recognized as an expert in adult learning. I also serve as a CEO, podcaster, and speaker.

At the heart of all my work is a deep commitment to healing and transformation. Whether guiding individuals or groups, my focus has always been on helping people—and the communities they’re part of—thrive.

Today, my work with individuals and small groups allows me to draw from a wide range of practices, integrating decades of leadership experience with modalities that support deep inner work. As more of us seek meaningful, embodied, and ancient ways to understand ourselves and shape our lives, I incorporate tools that facilitate real healing—through coaching, ritual, creativity, and connection to the sacred.

I have prepared for the path I'm now on through training in the following:

My development continues with the support of a therapist, a guide, and a supervisor. 

Additional modalities that I incorporate into my offerings:

  • Internal Family Systems 

  • Nonviolent Communication 

  • Somatic experiencing

  • Cacao ceremonies

  • Flower baths (florecidas)

  • Oracle cards

  • Akashic record reading 

  • Creative writing

  • Essential oils

  • Yoga nidra 

  • Soul Collage

A Little Bit About Me

I was born in 1969, in London, England, to a Costa Rican father and an Ashkenazi Jewish mother. I moved to the U.S. when I was ten and grew up in California.

I feel most at home when I'm on the wild beaches of the Pacific, in the Costa Rican rainforest, and amongst the redwoods. I know what it feels like to belong nowhere; I know what it feels like to belong to this earth; I know what it feels like to be home. I love to travel and have explored many regions of this earth, as well as many corners of consciousness. 

I have been with my beloved, Stacey, since 1997, and we are the parents of a beautiful son who was born in 2003. We live with two cats and split our time between western Sonoma county and Oakland, California.

I write about my personal explorations on my Substack, The Witch Wound.