CONNECT. HEAL. THRIVE

Holistic coaching that invites the body to lead the process and clears the way for the mind to witness the trail markers.

Amarisa in a green dress standing on a forest trail surrounded by tall trees and green foliage.

Aloha! I’m Amarisa

I have a passion for complicated journeys.

I’ve walked very difficult terrain and know the value of having a guide who is willing to walk lightly through the muck, who notices the hidden signs, and stays the course through unknown territory. The path through trauma from brain injury and a decade of sensory processing impairments gives me a unique perspective and ability to craft tools that become cherished supports that ease the way.

Join me on the trail…

where we can upgrade your gear, strengthen your body and mind, and create a personalized, holistic approach to develop your internal compass and harness your creative energy to walk your path with more joy of living.

Image description: Amarisa stands at the trailhead carrying the pack she has carried since graduating high school. This pack accompanied her across the threshold from teen to adult, from biologist to brain injury survivor, from home to distant lands and cultures.

So, Ama, what’s in the pack?

I’m not a minimalist hiker or simple life coach. I’m not content to enter the wilderness with a bag of bandaids and call it a first aid kit. I pride myself on being prepared with ample skills, tools, and supplies to keep the body and mind nourished and ready to meet the challenge.

I’m a certified coach, yoga steward, Intuitive Eating counselor, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and biologist passionate about helping people like you navigate complexity and achieve your goals with grace.

Read my story 🦋

Let’s walk together as you learn new ways of being. When you are ready we can toss what no longer serves, shift the patterns, and fill your pack with what you need most on your journey. I am ready on the trail to listen at the deepest level and truly follow your process as you learn to befriend your nervous system and trust in your capacity to move forward.

  • “Meeting Amarisa Marie wasn't an appointment - it was fate. We literally crossed paths on a street in Santa Cruz, and that moment quietly changed the course of my life. When I met her, I was battling intense brain fog, severe balance issues, and mental fatigue so deep I could barely think straight. I wasn't living - I was surviving.

    Amarisa, with her rare combination of personal experience, professional expertise, and what I can only call "soul intuition," immediately understood my struggles - even when I couldn't fully explain them myself. She introduced me to proprioception work and guided me patiently each week, knowing exactly how to meet me where I was, without pushing too hard or backing away. She is one of those rare people who listens not just to your words, but to your whole being.

    Thanks to her wisdom and dedication, my balance is improving, my clarity is returning, and - unbelievably - I have started two companies in the last six months and written over 20 songs. I'm still healing, but I'm working again, writing again, living again.

    Amarisa isn't just a coach - she's a true life-saver. Think Yoda, but in Santa Cruz, and way more personable. If you need someone who sees you, understands you, and can help you rebuild from the inside out, Amarisa Marie is the real deal.

    Forever grateful.”

    S.V., Songwriter, Entrepreneur, U.S.A.

  • “I found it hard to find words to capture the fullness and amazingness of Amarisa. I've worked with her as a coach for over two years. Her coaching has allowed me to navigate challenges in my work and personal life in a safe space we created, where I can be curious and sit with discomfort as I shine a light on beliefs that are getting in the way of moving forward.

    I especially appreciate the breadth of Amarisa's training and how it connects the mind and body. This has allowed me to integrate what l'm discovering, giving me not just a cognitive understanding, but also a felt sense of what is being learned in my body. I appreciate her commitment to seeing me grow.

    I highly recommend working with her to anyone wanting to make meaningful shifts in how they show up in their life. This small step may be a powerful catalyst in helping you break free of familiar paths.”

    M.J., Bicultural & Bilingual Trainer, Facilitator, & Coach. Japan

  • “I've had the privilege of being coached by Amarisa over the past three years, and her warm, intuitive, and deeply relational approach has been consistently supportive and transformative.

    Amarisa brings a wealth of knowledge across multiple modalities—including process-oriented coaching, somatic experiencing, and yoga—which means our sessions go beyond traditional coaching. With care and consent, she offers practical tools and insights that have helped me live more in alignment with my values and personal growth.

    I highly recommend Amarisa to anyone looking for a coach who integrates a deep understanding of the mind-body connection and trauma-informed support.”

    J.H., Coach, Facilitator and Management Consultant, Australia

Benefits of an Embodied Process

Amarisa walking on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i through a dry, grassy landscape with bushes and trees, surrounded by hills with orange and green vegetation under a sky with the moon and clouds at sunrise.

  • Build somatic trust, your body’s capacity to guide you toward safety, clarity, and connection.

  • Whether you are healing your relationship with food, leading teams through complexity, developing a new way of working, or redefining resilience on your own terms. Refine your capacity for skillful action.

  • Let inner and outer conflict act as catalysts for growth and fuel transformation. Witness the dance between receptivity and resistance. Know when to slow down, when to step toward or away, when protection is needed, when to step more fully into your power.

  • Release the outdated, limited, small identity and cut through the veils that cloak true knowing. Open an inner space of deep wisdom and knowledge through attunement with the body as vehicle to express creativity and act from the teacher within.

This is a process of somatic attunement, of reclaiming agency if it has been lost, finding trust in the nervous system, connecting to intuition, and feeling empowered to courageously engage with life.

Reach out if you’d like to explore joining me at the trailhead.

Close-up view of white flowers with yellow stamens and round green seed pods on a sunny day against a blue sky with blurred trees in the background.