Mershona Parshall, LCSW, LISW, ATR-BC
Licensed Independent Social Worker; Licensed Independent Social Worker; Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Cottonwood AZ
Just like a tree, in order for our branches to reach into the upper realms of the sky, we need to have a solid foundation through our roots. Growth happens in both directions and requires the added nurturance of soil, water and sunlight. Non-ordinary states of consciousness can bring us into the underground of our own unresolved patterns/trauma or take us soaring into other worlds. I strongly believe that it is important to integrate all the parts of the Self, from the roots to the highest branch, and beyond, in order to be balanced. Beautiful states of being such as kindness, compassion, peace, wholeness are achieved through the struggle or uncomfortable moments when we face self imposed limitations, past trauma, hurt, fear, and cultural conditioning to awaken to our most essential, original, authentic Self. Our life journey can then unfold with freedom to live in the flow from our core, the heart. My work is about providing a safe and supportive container for compassionate process.
I am an independently licensed social worker with an additional master’s degree in expressive arts/art therapy. Over the years I have worked in numerous clinical settings in the mental health field. Presently, I am in private practice in Northern Arizona.
I was called to the Peruvian Amazon in 2007 for personal reasons and found the Shipibo Konibo Tribe (or they found me). In 2009 I worked with the Coshicox (Shipibo Konibo Council) in Pucallpa, Peru for two years as their international coordinator. Then in 2011, I began the non-profit, Shipibo Joi, in reciprocal response to the beautiful healing and awakening the Shipibo Konibo had facilitated in me. Since then Shipibo Joi has collaborated, initiated and supported many projects in alliance with the Shipibo Konibo.
In 2016, Shipibo Joi began offering a yearly cultural immersion journey called Amazon Awakening to raise funds for projects and to educate, heal, and grow international advocates for the Amazon jungle and her indigenous caretakers. It has been a gift for me personally, and as a therapist, to walk with this plant wisdom, to engage in the true meaning of reciprocity, and to share this journey with others. Recently, I am interested in the impact of colonization on industrialized Westerners and indigenous culture. It is my hope that we can evolve towards a more respectful and sustainable future for all beings.