About Us
Mixing together the mastery of art with the therapy of recreation to create a beautiful space for growth.
Personal suffering can be the catalyst to change.
Jodi Bean and Erica DeMeester have transformed their professional passion and personal hardship into a platform for growth with mindful self-compassion. Learn more about their background and education.
They are your new favorite mentors and guides that you just haven't met yet.
JODI BEAN | Owner & Guide
Certified MSC Teacher, Artist, and Musician.
Jodi received her BA in Art History and has studied art all around the world. She lived in China for 7 years where she was able to study Chinese watercolor and calligraphy and jewelry design. She studied the art of kintsugi (gold fused pottery) in Japan in a small town outside of Kyoto. Her main medium is Encaustic which is an ancient art form of painting with wax.
You can also find her striking up her fiddle with her bluegrass band or playing in the local symphony. She has taught art and music in the Sammamish, Washington community for over 14 years.
Becoming a certified MSC teacher has made it possible to help others find greater peace and more joy in their lives through mindful self-compassion. She brings her love of the arts into her methodology to create fun and unique ways of understanding what true self-compassion can do.
ERICA DEMEESTER | Owner & Guide
Certified MSC Teacher, Recreation Therapist, Wilderness First Responder
Erica received her Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist certification (CTRS) after receiving a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Recreation Therapy. She is also a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and obtained her training at the National Outdoor Leadership School. She worked as a recreation therapist and a wilderness guide for youth at a tech addiction treatment center for several years. Her leadership skillset and training enable her to stabilize clients experiencing emotional distress and physical trauma in the wilderness.
Adding Mindful Self-Compassion training to her toolkit enables her to journey with her clients into a different kind of wilderness. Through MSC, she discovered the beauty and reassurance of practicing self-compassion as she navigated her own personal loss.
Co-founder of Learning To Be, Erica plans to guide adults and teens through their own experiences of grief, trauma, and day-to-day challenges with mindful self-compassion.
There are other options than falling in line with expectations and going through the motions.
We all have suffered in different ways.
As a recreation therapist, I lead youth groups into the wilderness as part of a tech addiction treatment program. I loved working with young adults. I loved doing group therapy and having individual conversations with my clients. I knew I was good at giving empathy and kindness to others because it was always a part of my job.
The tables turned, when I received self-compassion after attending an intensive MSC Course. At that moment, I felt that same level of care and love for myself that I have always given to my clients; I was blown away. That compassion has always been available to me, and I had no idea. It was the first time I accessed it for myself. It felt amazing and so reassuring.
My husband and I have unsuccessfully, always wanted kids. This has been hard. Before I knew about Mindful Self-Compassion, I didn't know how to manage my grief and frustration surrounding our infertility. It has been a long and constantly changing process. The MSC resources allowed me to hold that experience and suffering in a more tender and compassionate way. It has been helpful for me to acknowledge that this is hard. It's okay that it's hard.
As humans, we all have different experiences. We all have suffered in different ways. These techniques and tools aren't just a nice or trendy thing to do. It continues to help and sustains me in ways I didn't know were possible. It can do the same thing for you too.
-Erica DeMeester, Owner, and Guide at Learning To Be
CONTACT US
425-736-7751
hello@learningtobe.com
21201 Northeast 50th St.
Redmond, WA 98053