Graduate
Profile
Elizabeth
Schermer (2004 Graduate)
During
the year I was involved in the program there were many major
changes in my life.
I began transitioning out of my teaching career at the same
time that I began practicing Feng Shui and developing my
new business. There were also many changes in my personal
life as I did the necessary internal work to develop my
intuition and intuitive abilities.
My experiences with the Golden Gate School provided an excellent
foundation for my practice. I always recommend the program
whenever I have the opportunity.
What
is the name of your business and where do you practice?
I live in Seattle and work with clients throughout the Pacific
Northwest and California. My business is called Fundamental
Feng Shui. I used this title because I am interested in
supporting people at the foundation of their lives. The
term “fundamental” also refers to a commitment
to operate from basic principles. Working both intuitively
and practically, my intention is always to better understand
“the fundamentals” of the ways that energy interacts
in the world.
What were you doing before you took the program?
I was a Montessori educator. I first worked 10 years with
young children and for the past 15 years I worked with adolescents.
The Montessori paradigm of education is based on an understanding
of the importance of a properly prepared environment and
my experiences in this setting provided a great foundation
for Feng Shui. I have a good understanding and sensitivity
to the ways that our physical environment can support optimal
human development – for adults as well as children.
What attracted you to the program? How did you come
to make the decision to enroll?
In 2002 I read a couple of books on clutter clearing and
Feng Shui. With some simple practices in my home I experienced
instant and profound changes in my life. Through a variety
of circumstances it became clear that I was being led to
a new life path, so I began looking for a Feng Shui teacher
and program. I learned about The Golden Gate School while
attending a Karen Kingston workshop in the Bay Area in the
summer of 2003. In the last 5 minutes of the three day workshop
I had a conversation with a recent graduate. She told me
about her experiences and I knew I’d found the school
I’d been looking for.
What changed in your life during the program?
During the year I was involved in the program there were
many major changes in my life. I began transitioning out
of my teaching career at the same time that I began practicing
Feng Shui and developing my new business. There were also
many changes in my personal life as I did the necessary
internal work to develop my intuition and intuitive abilities.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your participation
with GGSFS?
The most rewarding aspect of my participation as a student
at the school was the introduction to my new way of life.
I appreciate the global approach to the work, the introduction
to the classical tradition; and the appreciation for the
depth of the practice, both personally and professionally.
Of course the relationships with friends and colleagues
are also very significant.
Tell us about your practice “what
services do you offer & to whom?"
My consultations integrate classical Feng Shui analysis
with dowsing, which relates to locating and harmonizing
geopathic stress, as well draining human imprinted fields.
As I have been refining my Feng Shui skills I have also
been strengthening my ability to work with subtle energy
fields and access intuitive information through dowsing
and other intuitive channels. It has been exciting and rewarding
to develop these abilities and learn to integrate them into
my own unique approach to harmonizing environments.
In the beginning my consultations were predominately residential.
Over the past year and a half I have expanded into more
work with small businesses, schools and healing centers.
From the very beginning I have had the long term goal of
working for large healing centers, hospitals, and end-of-life
residences. In line with that goal I recently began to consult
in large retirement communities and memory care facilities.
I am finding this new work to be incredibly inspiring and
rewarding.
I believe it is really important to collaborate with other
professionals. From a practical point of view, it is important
to be able to refer trusted professionals to my clients.
I also depend on relationships with compatible businesses
for my own referrals. From a larger perspective, I want
to collaborate with and support the work of inspired people,
and so I continually seek those people and develop those
relationships. I am a member of a local Design/Build collective.
I have also connected personally with other local businesses
that do good work and offer compatible services. These include
several realtors, a green architectural firm, a sustainable
home design center, a personal moving service, an assisted
living service, and a life coach. These relationships have
been very rewarding. I have found that it takes time to
build regular referrals from these contacts, and I am learning
how to educate them about what I do and better help them
communicate my services to their clients.
Do you offer public events? If so, what, where and
for whom are they?
I teach evening and weekend workshops and classes on a variety
of topics, including Feng Shui, dowsing and energy work.
I currently teach from a beautiful space in a healing center
located on the edge of a wetland sanctuary. I advertise
my classes through my web site and email flyers.
I am sometimes invited to teach through other organizations
or give presentations on Feng Shui to local groups.
One of my current teaching goals is to create simple power
point presentations for local groups and “target audiences,”
such as realtors. I am in the process now of creating a
power point presentation on Feng Shui for offices and work
spaces. I’m interested in offering lunch hour presentations
for people who work in large high rise towers, in order
to give them tools for making their spaces healthier.
What is your experience with and impressions of
the feng shui community at large?
My strongest impression of the Feng Shui community came
with the opportunity to attend the two International Conferences
held in California in the summers of 2003 and 2004. This
was during the time I was taking the program and beginning
my work. These events provided a good sense of the worldwide
professional community and helped to provide the necessary
confidence and vision to create my own business.
Describe your success as it relates to the Golden Gate School
of Feng Shui.
My experiences with the Golden Gate School provided an excellent
foundation for my practice. I also received good exposure
to the broader base of knowledge, meaning a basis of resources
and contacts to pursue in developing my breadth of understanding
and experience.
In what specific ways does GGSFS show up in your life today?
For example, are you supported by former classmates?
I have a few close friends through the course. They provide
important support to me, although we live at a distance.
There is also the possibility of collaboration down the
road as we continue to expand our practices. Because of
my distance I haven’t been directly involved much
in the school. I have appreciated the opportunity to travel
periodically for workshops.
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling
in the program?
I always recommend the program whenever I have the opportunity,
for all the reasons I mentioned above.
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