Katie Dutcher, MA
I am a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a Kripalu Certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, and was a co-founder of Monterey Bay Meditation Studio. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and I host Flourish and Bloom, offering resources and events for mindfulness, self-discovery, and greater well-being. Through this website, I offer writing and individual mindfulness coaching.
Approach
My approach balances positivity and acceptance, extending encouragement and a real belief that transformation and agency is possible for everyone, while acknowledging and respecting each person’s uniqueness, as well as the depth of difficult emotions and experiences. As a facilitator, I offer a presence that is sensitive, calming, and compassionate, holding space for people to be seen and understood just as they are.
My Practice
I bring to this work myself and my history, which includes grief, career change, and experience in working with my own anxiety, people-pleasing, and self-judgement.In my own life, one of my main desires is to see clearly in service of growth, even when growth feels painful. Over time, I have found that regular practice of meditation, mindfulness, and reflection are ways of being more awake and aware in each moment. This is what compels me to work with the practice of mindfulness every single day as a constant thread throughout my life.
Authenticity
Treading this path with curiosity and a growth mindset has been without a doubt the chief source of growth and happiness in my adult life, allowing me to continually grow in compassion for myself and others. I’ve come a long way, and I am still in the midst of my own journey… in other words, I’m practicing what I’m teaching. I believe that offering my own vulnerability and authenticity can help normalize the ups and downs of emotions and thoughts that can feel so isolating.
Motivation
In my work with meditation and mindfulness, I have taught elders, elementary students, CEOs, high schoolers, moms, international graduate students... I believe that training and practice in being more aware and compassionate (including to ourselves!) can be helpful, and even life-changing, to pretty much everyone! It is this opportunity for transformation that has me excited and honored to show up for this work and to create this community.
