Catherine Braxton - Apprenticeship Fund

Catherine Braxton

they/them/she/her, queer, non-binary, femme

"Your support will give me access to the training and opportunities I need to expand my skill set as a healer -- and give those who place their trust in me a chance to receive a form of trauma-informed healing that is exceedingly important in bodywork, and in limited supply for those in the BIPOC community. "

My truth.

My goal in living has always been to provide healing spaces for folx living with trauma. I am a survivor of Sexual Violence, Trauma, and Domestic Abuse. I came to yoga & body movement as a healing practice through the world of dance. My journey began purely with wanting to heal myself. Through the years, as I deepened my knowledge and practice of movement, rituals, and education to heal, I discovered my passion for supporting others in their healing journey as well. These eclectic experiences from my life paired with my education, and career, informs the healing work I provide and allows me to connect with folx in a way that is so necessary in the world of healing among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) .

My past.

In the years that I attended Wheaton College, (and later Brown University on Wampanoag Territory in Providence, RI) I studied Theater & Africana Studies with a focus in Ritual & Pre-Antebellum North America and I also engaged in Viewpoints work. I then moved on to an Education Internship at Trinity Repertory Company and continued to teach various classes from Theater Education to Dance & Movement. I participated in internships on Lenapehoking (NYC) in both yoga and herbal studios and healing spaces (And Yoga Studios/Anya Yoga Studio/Flower Power/The Herb Shoppe) and received my 200HR RYT Yoga Certification in 2017 from Jai Yoga Arts. During this time, I also volunteered and worked in abortion work with Planned Parenthood and unofficially assisted both abortions and births, simply as a support person for friends. I have continued to seek out more spaces to promote healing, and from 2018-19, I worked with Indigenous Women Rising. IWR is a nonprofit based in Albuquerque, New Mexico that provides safer abortions and sexual education to Native folx, by Native folx. There I learned and engaged in creating space for Native folx in advocacy training and building upon the reality of Decolonizing work for both Black and Native folx. I am currently enrolled and nearly finished with Birth Advocacy Doula’s “Full Spectrum Doula Training.” Once complete I will be certified to assist in the Full Spectrum of Birth, Abortion, Bereavement, & Postpartum.

My future.

The natural next step to expanding my ability to heal folx, is to move through East West College of Healing’s Massage Therapy School and begin an apprenticeship with Be Abundant Inc where I will learn Craniosacral Therapy and Aquatic Integration.

In many education spaces, there is a huge barrier for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) in the need for multiple certifications, schooling, and an overall social value of higher education. I have struggled with having the desire to do healing work and simply being unable to access the training that would allow me to do so. Currently, my license to touch as a doula only extends to pregnant folx. To realize my need to help as many folx as I can, I must gain a “license to touch” through Massage Therapy School. This and my apprenticeship in Craniosacral Therapy and Aquatic Integration will offer me the opportunity to heal those who place their trust in me with a modality that is exceedingly important in bodywork and in limited supply for those in the BIPOC community.

My Hope.

I can't express how much I appreciate your consideration and support. Every penny counts and every share on social media is truly a gift. Together we can help shift the future of the wellness world toward one that truly holds a safer space for all people. Together we can bring the hope for healing to so many who feel it is out of reach.

I invite you to learn more about me and my journey by visiting:

https://www.catherinebraxton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/insearchofagarden

https://www.instagram.com/_insearchofagarden_/

Discover more about Be Abundant by visiting:

https://www.beabundant.org/

https://www.facebook.com/beabundant.org

https://www.instagram.com/beabundantinc/

Thank you for your support!

- Catherine

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Be Abundant Bodywork is a BIPOC & POC Inclusive, Fat Positive, and LGBTQIA2S+, Trans, Enby, & Queer Affirming business and we support our clients to take up space and be their fully embodied selves. Be Abundant Inc. is currently not a non-profit organization. However, we are actively increasing fiscal accessibility for our services and are currently operating under a pay what you can model. As we work hard to keep our services affordable for folx, we also do all that we can to provide fair wages to ALL of our employees, including apprenticeships. It is in this spirit that we have created this campaign. 100% of the donations from this campaign will go towards Catherine Braxton's tuition at East West College of the Healing Arts, any additional supplies needed throughout the program, and to cover the testing and licensing fees at the end of the program. This is what Catherine requested in exchange for their apprenticeship to learn the trauma-informed approaches to modalities offered at Be Abundant Bodywork. To learn more about how Be Abundant Inc is actively working to increase accessibility of trauma-informed bodywork services to those impacted by the intersecting systems of oppression, please visit our website at beabundant.org or contact us at [email protected]