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Breakthrough Stories Breathe and reflect…while you hear the truths of some remarkable human beings, and the profound work we’ve done together. “Joanna Intara has a rare depth of perception of humans that includes the subtleties of lineage and karma to a most astounding degree. She is committed and skillful in helping people become free of these karmas, so they might express more fully their innate creativity – beyond the confines of trauma and limitation. She is one in a million.” STUART SOVATSKY, PH.D. Director, Sovatsky Therapy Center, Moscow, Russia and San Francisco, CA “It’s been 9 months since the She Rises Retreat and I am still basking in the restorative and healing effects of the power of the feminine. Being in the presence of some amazing women who all shared the same vision, enthusiasm and openness to also explore, was nothing less than transformative. The gentle flow of the weekend, and the beautiful location, were just what I needed to escape the busy ‘working-mother’ pace I was used to. Joanna so carefully and thoughtfully weaved a myriad of activities, rituals and ceremonies that drew me in, mesmerized me and challenged me to tap into parts of myself that had been left dusty, dormant and undiscovered. I left the retreat with more aliveness, more self-awareness and a greater sense of motivation that is still being fueled by these wonderful women! Joanna has such a gift for showing us how to listen to the voice within, how to see with a new perspective, and most importantly she encourages us to accept and love ourselves for who we are — just as we are. I feel so blessed to be a part of this journey of waking women.” L.P. San Rafael It’s amazing how Grace brought Joanna and me together; connecting so deeply, and without even having met me in person. By simply looking at my picture and birth-date she gave me deep, concise and helpful guidance. Since then, letting go of resistances in all forms is easier. During 2016 Satsang season with Mooji, there were instances where I could feel her words guiding me. With Mooji showering his Grace and love every moment and Joanna’s love, this time has been absolutely flowing for me (where it could have been painful for someone else). Her loving-ness, openness, and genuine will to assist are pure and immense. If she has come to your life, you must ready for something, simply listen to her words in your heart.” With Deep Gratitude, – SHIVANI GALA www.anekaanta.com “Dear Joanna, It would be impossible to express how profoundly transformative our experience with you was. Though we came to you as a couple with a few problems to address, you took us far beyond mere repair to new depths of joy and intimacy in our relationship. Your unique blend of widely divergent disciplines and perspectives, combined with your very natural warmth and insightfulness created a safe, healing and productive space for us every week (even on occasion over the phone). As we go through the many chapters of our life together, we’ll continue to think of you with great fondness and gratitude. Lots of love.” E & J Charlottesville, VA “In a nutshell, we ♥ Joanna and can’t recommend her enough! Before Joanna, we had spent time on our own trying to dissect difficulties in our relationship. Then, 4 months after we got married, our best friends got divorced and we saw other friends struggling in their relationships. We agreed it was critical to make time and space for building strength in our relationship and prevent what we saw happening with our friends from happening to us. After we started working with Joanna, it wasn’t very long before she had shown us an even deeper level our relationship that we didn’t even know was there. It was really hard work and it was, ultimately, very empowering and very rewarding. She drew us toward our most intimate fears, and then gave us a safe place to confront them. She was graceful at addressing each of us as individuals and us as a couple. Joanna gave us insights and tools that allowed us to work at that level with her and on our own. We are so happy to have taken the time to invest in our relationship and we feel so lucky to have had Joanna as our mentor and guide. Every day we utilize the skills that she taught us. We feel very strong, happy and fulfilled in our relationship because of our time with Joanna.” P & P San Francisco, CA “Joanna is one of the most insightful, wise women I know. She can see patterns clearly and is great at helping one map their way to creating the life they want. Rigorous honesty, deep compassion and honest self appraisal are qualities Joanna possesses. I truly appreciate the growth work we’ve done together.” KASSIE WELCH www.DreamHomeOwnership.com “The last 10 to 12 years I’ve been going through a huge transformational journey with my own personal growth work, cycle-breaking, and breaking down the barriers of what I thought was. Through that time, Joanna has been an amazing support to me. She is a gentle spirit, and her wisdom is fierce and beautiful. There have been many times over the years that I have come up against a place that is really stuck: the floor has fallen out from underneath me, and I’ve been unable to see how to really go forward. And the reflection Joanna is able to provide for me in those times is absolutely amazing. Her grace, groundedness, love, and compassion for what IS, is reassuring on so many levels. Joanna has helped me to really see that I can find the way through on my own, with some gentle reassurance and maybe some reflection and mirroring. Ultimately, she is holding space for what I already know. I would absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend Joanna and the work that she does and the space that she holds. I have felt safe with Joanna, I feel held, I feel seen. I am so grateful for the presence that she’s had in my personal journey and that she will have in your journey as well.” LARA SODERGREN Sebastapol, CA “I can give rave reviews about working with Joanna Intara. She touches into the sacred with the same depth that she tracks your story and then delivers you out the other side. I love this woman! First Class Lady…” CAROLINE MUIR www.divine-feminine.com “In 2007 an intuitive told me that in 2 years I would meet a woman who would be worth her weight in gold. She was 3 years off. You’ve helped me unearth the dangerously dehydrated baby gasping sprouts of my own spiritual compass. For me in this life, that is priceless. Thank you for so gracefully handling and seeing the intensity, crises, fragility, and drama for what it really was. Now, I have loads of work, financial uncertainty, and trial and error as I design a non-conformist life according to my own terms and priorities – while actively working to reveal what value I can give to others. Not to mention combating my ego along the way. I’m scared shitless, so I’m on the right path. You are a potent healer and a brilliant spiritual guide. The breadth and depth of your wisdom, the size of your heart, and the creativity in your flexible toolbox are a fierce combination. You’ve opened my consciousness to universal principles and ancient teachings that I was oblivious to or didn’t know to apply. I feel so blessed. Thank God there is no turning back now.” JORDAN QUEIOR www.offbeatnomad.com “Just five months ago, I was at the edge of a really big transition. I was faced with making a big decision about where my life was going. That included a lot of fear and limitations that I placed on myself… it included finances… it included stepping into my power. And I honestly don’t think I could have done it (and be where I am right now) if it wasn’t for Joanna! It felt like I was standing at the edge of a board about to do a bungee jump and Joanna was just there, totally with me, holding my hand… We jumped together, and it was so scary and so terrifying! And then crossed this threshold. I literally managed to step into my power, and have been making really conscious choices ever since. I want to thank Joanna from the bottom of my heart: her work and fierce compassion, coupled with gentleness and a huge heart, have made me more of who I am and who I am becoming.” MADELINE WOBER www.mybrilliantself.com “What an invaluable investment of my time and energy! I’m so grateful to Joanna for offering this retreat – I had been hungry for an opportunity to focus on my soul’s work and commune with like-minded women (without having to go to a far off land to accomplish such a task). These three days of inspiring, challenging, and rejuvenating exercises and ceremonies brought some of my deepest held longings and yearnings to the surface. The process of sharing such sacred parts of myself with other women created a momentum in me that is still going strong a year later – as I continue to discover new ways to be at peace. The connections I made with the other women in the retreat have born a web of supportive sisterhood that only grows stronger with each passing day. Joanna provides a safe, sacred space for incredible transformations to occur, and what’s more, she offers steady, unwavering support, topics, and ruminations that encourage the awakening process to continue… I wish such an experience for all women on the planet.” JULIA FRANCIS “Rumi tells us it is not our job to seek for love but to seek the boundaries we have built against it. Joanna Intara is a magical paradox. Her deeply compassionate gaze and thoughtful loving attention could easily fool you into thinking that her loving maternal presence lacks sharp cutting spiritual insight – and a fierce determination to take men, women, and couples through the darkest and most terrifying aspects of themselves and their love relationships. As in all great leaders, it is within this paradox that her true brilliance is revealed. Warmly and generously creating a space of loving trust, yet never holding back when it comes to staring right into the scariest places and saying “yes, bring it” – she is a trustable visionary to help us all see the places in which we have built boundaries to love.” WENDY K. YALOM www.wendykyalom.com “Joanna is gifted. She is present. She listens. She hears my words. She has a knack for choosing which words to follow, and together we follow where they lead. And the trauma process has it’s positive transformative way with me.” DAVID LEVINGSTON www.themissingexperience.com “When I first started working with Joanna, I suffered from fairly severe anxiety and depression stemming from both sensory integration problems and a difficult childhood. I’d attempted to self-medicate by overusing drugs and alcohol and developing unhealthy, co-dependent relationships with women, but this (naturally) made matters much worse for me and perpetuated the cycle of unhappiness. I was questioning my path in life and felt very lost and confused. After about a month and a half of intensive work with Joanna, both in a support group and in private sessions, I’m less worried, less self-doubting, and more genuinely alive and present. I’ve regained the satisfaction with my career path that drove me to select it in the first place, developed a strategy for addressing the unhealthy emotional dynamics I’ve been involved in, and feel deeply aware of my sensory environment and capable of dealing with the challenges it throws at me. By learning how to break my emotional problems down to their physical manifestations and devote attention to them via a regular meditative practice, I have gained an incredibly potent and liberating tool in my quest for mental stability. Joanna has a knack for quickly and intuitively getting to the heart of one’s spiritual and emotional ailments, and bringing those who work with her to a place of awareness and self-acceptance – thus setting the stage for positive change and transformation. I would highly recommend her as a guide if you are interested in making these kinds of changes in your life and – more importantly – in your perspective towards life!” R.S. Irvine, CA “I’ve known Joanna for many years. I trust her and her considerable skills implicitly. She is a gift to those of us who seek a fuller life. If you have the opportunity to work with her, do so. You will not regret your decision.” RICHARD GEGGIE www.growingupeasier.org “Recently, I had a chance to experience Joanna’s work at a 3-day retreat that I was running, where for a short time I became her student. In that brief time, she helped me uncover and begin to heal a pain point that was really having a difficult effect on my life. She did it with gentleness, with love, in a very subtle way, and so quickly. She was able to help me really get to the core of the issue – and get some real insights into how I could start to heal it. The healing began immediately and it happened fairly quickly. I was so impressed with her ability, and I really believe she has a special gift. All of us face times of pain in our lives. If you’re facing that now (and especially if it’s been an ongoing issue), consider taking her Cycle Breaker program. You will find that you come out of it a different person and you’ll be able to rebuild a happy, joyful and energy-filled life. I highly recommend Joanna – she’s the real deal!” JANIS PETTIT www.smallbusiness-bigresults.com “In being guided through difficult waters with Joanna, I have gratitude for the fact that she has restored my confidence in being who I really am. After being encouraged to address issues of burnout, my solution was to join her group for women. One aspect of being part of a Joanna’s group is validating the fact that we need not travel alone: the power to inspect your innermost feelings, while giving those feelings a voice creates a moment to feel like someone has your back. Joanna is generous about everyone having their say, and is subtle in moving things along. The gift that she has for attending and nurturing the feminine aspect of humanity is soft spoken, beautiful and quite inviting. I began to reconnect to my true self and I now use my voice to ask for support with my responsibilities, which allows me the opportunity to refill my vessel, and offset burnout.” JOYCE BURKS-FITZHUGH www.njoyzen.com “Joanna, Once again I am thinking of you with a grateful heart. I am amazed at the changes within myself that I have experienced through my own process of introspection and work. I could never have taken this journey without you by my side – as a guide, witness, mirror to my struggle and hope. Thank you for your gentleness, your patience. I continue to wonder at the gift of myself which you supported me to find over the last several years. This deeper connection with my soul, my spirit, has led me to a wonderful relationship and a future marriage–what a joy! I am grateful that you never ceased to care for me nor challenge me to find, and create, the life my heart desires. I feel very blessed to have the skills, the patience and the openness that has grown from my time with you. Namaste.” JENNY GIRARD MALLEY M.A. Theology – Certified Spiritual Director “Joanna embodies a consistent positive, inspiring presence which was an invitation to my mind, body, and spirit. It is always a gift to meet another ‘soul traveler’ with the same commitment to everyone’s highest and best. She goes beyond the ‘foo foo’ spirituality that most people reach, and is purposeful in supporting others’ awakening. The gift she offers, “Awakened Courage Mini Course” contains a compelling outline for practice for developing spiritual self awareness. These techniques are arriving at a time where the paradigm-shift, human condition, and need for true guidance and leadership are being experienced on all continents – and all of humanity is awakening to the need for actualization, karmic repair, and personal responsibility. Joanna Intara offers an enlightened path conversation that will guide her clients and fellow practitioners in taking responsibility for the spiritual self – along with the self that exists only in the physical world. Congratulations, Joanna, on a fine contribution to the spiritual realm: speaking for the soul is a noble and necessary endeavor.” PENINA POLOKOFF Editor-Author of Hero Woman, Enlightenment Devotee www.pennysworld.com “I have known and worked with Joanna for over 10 years. In that time I have come to know her as a gifted and insightful counselor and healer. Her clients benefit greatly from her keen intuition, highly evolved empathic ability and the dedication that she brings to her work. I have referred many clients to her in the past and they have all reported being deeply satisfied with the results they have enjoyed in working with Joanna. I wholeheartedly recommend Joanna Intara to anyone seeking lasting healing and a better quality of life.” JEFF WRIGHT Psychotherapist, Red Road Counseling www.redroadcounseling.com “Dearest Joanna, Thank you for loving me. Thank you for the wisdom that pours forth from you to all. Your wisdom pours out to the plants, animals, sky, the Earth itself… a conscious, brave Being walking Heart-fully in creation… your impact reverberating through the lives of so-so-so many, emanating healing through those you touch and have touched out to everyone they touch and have touched, each one a little more fierce, gentle, true and deep. You are the rarest of beings on this Earth…an embodiment of fierce love and wisdom in action. Thank you for your Fierce Love and Wisdom. Your Fierce Love and Wisdom literally saved my life from the scourge of my conditioning. How could I adequately repay your kindness to me, for the irrepressible fortitude of your courageous heart to love me with anything I have ever needed from the tenderest words to unyielding ferocity. It’s too great to measure, how you have blessed me. What is the measure of my life restored from living a hell to this ever-expanding fulfillment? Thank you Joanna from the bottom of my heart.” NAVARRO I. Irvine, CA “I just want to thank you for the remarkable and transformational journey we’ve been on – you really have a gift. When I think about talking to someone on grief, it’s not just about someone who knows the five steps of grief, but someone, a great therapist, who really walks with you right in the middle of it.” LINDSEY HOLTAWAY www.lindseyholtaway.com “My husband and I started working with Joanna regarding issues with the struggles in our marriage. The communication between us was not good and we struggled with challenges of daily life, and my pain issues. Joanna was able to set us on a new path with her gentle nature and very knowledgeable interventions. She made us feel safe and comfortable, therefore we were able to open up and share more of ourselves. Joanna offers excellent support and great suggestions on how to improve yourself and deepen your relationships and she is genuine and experienced as well on spirituality. Through this work, my relationship with my husband has really improved. He has become more open minded and accepting of me, others, daily life in general, and much more able to share in groups. I attribute this to the level of comfort there is in working with Joanna. My husband George and I highly recommend Joanna to others because she is very experienced, knowledgeable, gentle, effective, caring and spiritually inspiring. We think that others will greatly benefit from working with her because she not only listens, but is an active part of the work which is holistic and fresh (not just talking around challenges).” ALICIA AND GEORGE CHREBTOW “My healing session with Joanna was amazing and enlightening as she really understands exactly what her clients need. Not only did she empower me to shift my perspective of my inner-self, but her work gave rebirth to positive energy in my body, and a new feeling of liveliness, calmness which provided relief from the various psychological symptoms I’ve been going through. I am highly grateful to Joanna for being such integrated part of my life and recommend her, as she is a wonderful healer, with such a pure soul, which makes her a truly inspirational mentor.“ KHADIJA RAFI Pakistan

Stephen has changed my life and has helped me become a better person. He listened to exactly what I wanted to get out of the sessions and make the process fun and enlightening. I also learned skills to keep improving on my own. Thank you!

Mark is smart, calm (and calming), compassionate, and an excellent communicator who provides very helpful guidance and advice.

Words could never do my experience justice. Nick is thoughtful, kind and  skilled. He is a fantastic therapist.  I know you will leave his office happier after you've spoken to him...I highly recommend him!

Phuong’s extensive training in trauma treatment, somatic approaches and family therapy is combined with her discerning clinical intuition and her gentle, yet powerful delivery. I have personally witnessed her ability to reconnect couples, untangle painful family issues and help individuals in their quest for health and vitality. As a trainer of therapists, Phuong really models for other therapists how to be a compassionate and effective agent of change for their clients.