BA in Individualized Studies Program
I love the process of helping other people learn and grow, whether in classrooms, independent studies, or my counseling practice. I see this process as a collaborative experience and I work to make that transparent, asking directly “What do you need to take the next steps? How can I help? What might happen if you tried this?” And I expect to learn and grow myself as I foster this process in others.
The center of my own ongoing learning is health and human development at many levels--mind, body, spirit, community, and planetary--and the connections between all of these. My academic degrees are in psychology, nutrition, biology, and women’s studies.
In addition to Goddard, I have taught at The Evergreen State College, Antioch University, and the Seattle Midwifery School. I have also worked as a nutritionist, health educator, and counselor in inner-city community clinics, a women’s health clinic, and a home birth midwifery practice.
Currently, in addition to my Goddard work, I have a private practice in Seattle that combines psychotherapy, neurofeedback (also called brainwave biofeedback), health education, and nutrition counseling. I work with adults and kids with depression, anxiety, PTSD, migraines, learning difficulties, and other mind-body problems. You can learn more about my practice at www.seattleneurofeedback.com.
On the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am classified as an INFP type, sharing characteristics, I think, with lots of Goddard students and faculty. This type predicts, rightly in my case, that I am independent, listen well, value deep relationships, often prefer to work alone, strive to serve humanity, have strongly-felt values (in my case often about social justice), care passionately about my work, and search for the deeper meanings in life.
Outside of formal work, I am a fervent organic gardener and permaculturalist and grow a lot of my own food in my city garden. I love to spend time in the woods and the lake near my home. I meditate, do yoga, and have a black belt in aikido, although these days I only practice it off the mat.
I am glad to advise and teach students doing work in mind-body health, psychology, neurobiology, ecopsychology, sexuality, nutrition, environmental health, women’s health, feminist psychology, midwifery, weight and eating issues, death and dying, child development, exercise and movement, permaculture and sustainability, and related fields.
Educational background: PhD in Psychology and Women’s Studies, The Union Institute; MS in Community Nutrition, Cornell University; BA in Biology, Hampshire College.
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Elizabeth Walker, PhD, MS