Susan Sanford is a certified life coach, shamanic practitioner, ordained minister, and grief recovery specialist based in Northern California. She came to this work after an injury ended a much-loved career as a sound effects recordist and editor for films. The specialties she offers as professional services have played key roles in her own healing and life restructuring. Susan is grateful to offer these resources to others, and her highly trained ear now works in concert with compassion and keen intuition in service to you.

Susan’s mission is to teach people skills and facilitate processes that enable them to live meaningful lives with clear hearts and open minds—tools that are truly effective in meeting the considerable challenges of modern life.

Susan’s passion is facilitating the creation and manifestation of great ideas and aspirations – as defined by you. So it could be anything from clutter clearing your home or office to becoming an astronaut. Susan is truly an “idea person” who quickly perceives options, relationships, and connections between widely disparate things. She reads, and frequently attends workshops, classes, and trainings so she can be a clearinghouse of options for clients.

Backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains

A life-long interest in spiritual growth began with her Methodist upbringing and led her to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for 20 years, then to Unitarian Universalism. She has maintained a personal meditation practice for many years and in more recent years began the practice of shamanic journeying and her shamanic apprenticeship.

Susan is still "an active child" who loves to walk, swim, do yoga, backpack, dance, sing, play guitar, travel, and spend time with family, friends, and other interesting people. A native Californian, she has lived in the state all her life except for time in Puerto Rico and New Zealand.

Susan began college as a music major, then earned degrees in Biology and Natural History from UC Santa Cruz and also attended the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She worked in retail and did audio books, radio, and film sound before starting Serene Spirit.

Certifications, Trainings, Memberships

Certified Empowerment Coach, Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching
Ordained Minister, Circle of the Sacred Earth
Graduate, Authentic Happiness Coaching Program
Sedona Method Facilitator Training, Sedona Training Associates
Grief Recovery Specialist, Grief Recovery Institute
Member, International Coach Federation
Member, Society of Shamanic Practitioners