Casey Elderedge
Casey’s love of person-centered wellness and education has been central to her professional contributions on the West Coast. A California native, Casey graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Administration (therapeutic emphasis). Working in a variety of rehab centers to promote healing with patients who suffered spinal cord and/or neurological injuries (such as stroke), as well as minor psychiatric patients offered her a first-hand view of the value of understanding and caring for one’s nervous system.
Working alongside children and teens lit a special joy in her heart, and Casey’s first post-graduate position was as a Recreation Therapist in a locked psychiatric hospital in Encinitas. She found recreation and nature a helpful medium to teach mindfulness and relaxation techniques for coping with mental and emotional barriers to wellness.
Steeped in a family and network of friends who were all educators, Casey went on to earn a Master’s in Reading and Language Arts, as well as a Reading Specialist Credential through Dominican University. She taught for about 10 years, until a mysterious illness changed the course of her life. Within a year, she had developed stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma and battled for her life. Not to worry, though, she’s still here, some 14 years later, and with much hard-won wisdom.
Fueled by her own healing journey, Casey studied functional medicine for a decade and then earned certification in Integrative Medicine Health Coaching through The Academy of Integrative Medicine. She learned how devastating early childhood trauma is to our mind, body and soul, and through the Ayurvedic medicine emphasis, discovered important skills for deeply nurturing the self in more personal ways.
From this holistic healing platform, Casey explored many different Ayurvedic breathing techniques, yoga, stretching and meditation to help in her own healing journeys. One of these was a biofeedback modality her hypnotherapist had used to support her with her fear of getting sick again, post-cancer. Casey felt the pull for a new course of study and completed HeartMath’s Clinical Certification for Stress, Anxiety and Self-Regulation.
After 5 years of smoke, fire, drought, roving blackouts and excessive heat, Casey and her husband moved to Keizer, Oregon, to be safer and closer to her sons. She misses the sunshine of California, but has fallen in love with Oregon and its people. She can be found most days outside with her flowers and doggies, Shadow and Bella, or finding joy in laughter with friends and family.