I am Parker, the Founder of Playing with Power and I've spent decades on my own healing path, grounded in a simple belief that the people who've truly embodied what they learn and teach make the safest, most powerful guides. That belief is why I do this work, and it's what I bring into the space with you. The most meaningful healing work I've done has been with those who both study and follow their own healing practice, even and especially when no one is looking.

I came to somatic advocacy through several passages. One was years spent as a community-based victim advocate. Another was my time in restorative justice leadership. And underneath both was my own path through trauma and healing, which I don't separate from my professional life. They are the holistic, honest ground I stand upon. Over time, it became clear how much the body holds that words alone can't reach.

I'm trained in NeuroAffective Touch Therapy (NATouch), and I hold an MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, focused on psychoactive pharmaceutical investigation. I pioneered somatic advocacy, a model of community-based, relational, trauma-responsive care built on the belief that consent, safety and connection are the preconditions for transformative healing. My ongoing research on touch, biomarkers, and the C-tactile afferent system lives on the Research page, if you want to go deeper into the evidence behind this work.

Outside of my work, I'm devoted to my own embodiment practice, discovering my own sovereignty, and learning to play with power. I live in the mountains of Colorado, and most days you can find me at my river rock on the Arkansas River.