More On Joy. . .

Joy* grew up in southern California and the San Francisco Bay area. She attended San Diego State University where she studied film and English. She then moved to Berkeley, California, where she managed a retail business and studied to become an ordained minister. The striving pace of these hectic years eventually led to a state of total exhaustion, which took her years from which to recover. Experiencing her own physical challenges increased her insight into the psycho-spiritual aspects of “crisis” experiences.

A few years later, through her work on a film about story-tellers she met an Iroquois elder, Paula Underwood Spencer, who became her mentor and friend. She began immersing herself
in Native American wisdom and practices, ultimately receiving the blessing of Paula to share what she had learned with others. A turning point in this intensive healing time for Joy was when one of the film editors turned to her and said, seemingly out of the blue, “You are a healer, what are you doing here?” The truth of this called Joy’s soul forward, and she knew then it was time
to leave the film industry and delve more deeply into the healing arts.

Joy spent five years leading co-counseling classes, working extensively with couples and supporting individuals dealing with a variety of unexplainable maladies. Initially she was a reluctant healer, working with just a few clients who were unable to fully recover through western medicine. Soon, through word-of-mouth, many others sought her counsel and support. She noticed that her own healing was greatly facilitated by helping others, verifying to her that she was on the right path. Crisis = Opportunity was a staple belief as she successfully traversed seemingly treacherous terrain with many folks.

During this period, Joy also created a well-received one-woman show that evolved from her unexpected livelihood as a Parking Enforcement Officer: Confessions of a Meter Maid: A Chalker’s Guide to Consciousness. Ironically, the repetitive stress injuries she sustained from marking cars from a moving vehicle ultimately led Joy to immerse herself in her ultimate gift: hands-on healing. During her recovery, she resonated deeply with Pilates and Breema® bodywork. After becoming certified in each, she enjoyed a thriving practice in Santa Cruz, California for six years.

Passionate about supporting people in conscious healing and embodiment, Joy incorporated many modalities into her practice, including Reflexology, Neuro-Muscular Repatterning, Emotional Freedom Technique, Flower Essences, the Enneagram, the conscious relationship work of Gay and Katie Hendricks, ancient indigenous wisdom, and healing with whole foods.

Sole-to-Soul Wellness was born in 2006, when Joy left Santa Cruz for an extended journey to Baja California. The rugged spaciousness of the landscape and the slower pace of life opened her heart and hands to new realms of healing possibility. Immediately after crossing the border, she found herself touching the feet of Mexicanos and Americans alike, exploring the mysterious and powerful connection between soles and the soul. This profound experience gave her the courage to reframe her life’s work.

Joy relocated to Ashland, Oregon after her Baja sojourn, where she met her beloved partner, Thunder. Their lovely home, where she welcomes clients into her spacious healing sanctuary, overlooks the peaceful mountains of the Rogue Valley.

* Joy’s birth name is Karen Joyce Hosey. She embraced the Joy aspect of her name after relocating to Ashland. She still answers to Karen, Karen Joy, Hozer and other delightful identity incarnations.