I live in Trondheim, a city founded by Norwegian Vikings in 997. Nestled in the sub-arctic region along the Trondheimsfjord, my home is surrounded by mountains to the east toward Sweden and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. While Norwegian Vikings traveled to Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, my own journeys have taken me to Angola, France, and Russia. These travels have allowed me to experience diverse cultures in-depth, revealing that whether people live in war-torn areas or more peaceful parts of the world, we share similar fundamental needs, existential concerns, and longings. This sense of shared humanity has convinced me that if we are to thrive as a species/planet we need to be in this together. Many times, I have seen that when we unite, we become incredibly powerful in constructive ways. This gives me hope and is a major reason for the work I do.

In Russia's North Caucasus, I worked as a peace builder, organizing dialogues between Chechens and Russians. Through this experience, I discovered my passion for transformational work, particularly the extraordinary power of "vulnerability transformation," which allows people to let go of masks and defenses and experience a deep sense of belonging (“inter-being”). This can lead to a remarkably swift shift from suspicion, distrust, and antagonism to shared humanity, compassion, and trust. Inspired by the power and potential of this work, I obtained a PhD in social and community psychology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where I focused on the power of "vulnerability transformation."

Having discovered the transformational potential of belonging & inter-being, it led me on a quest to share this knowledge and expertise in academic circles around the world - including at the University of Exeter, University of Sopron, and Cambridge University.  I studied and gave talks on transformation processes, organizations as vehicles for personal growth, self-organized organizations, and magical and mythical thinking in contemporary Western societies. 

Over the past 20 years, as a guide, coach, facilitator, and university teacher, I have had the privilege of creating transformational spaces for groups and individuals. My work has become focused on the development of a new approach to personal growth, health, and flourishing - integrating science-based frameworks and models from contemporary psychology with nature-based practices and wisdom traditions. Increasingly, empirical evidence clearly supports that the integration of these approaches has the potential for unprecedented transformation - both individual and collective.

In my practice, I do this work in group settings and one-on-one sessions, informed and supported by nature-based, imaginative, and awareness practices. I support people in discovering who they truly are and what they are here to do so that they may find their way to live a unique, authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling life.

I have deep gratitude for the inspiration and learning I’ve received from the following people: 

Nelson Mandela

Olivier Urbain

Dacher Keltner

Loch Kelly

Scott Barry Kaufman

Corey Keyes

John Verveake

Ian McGillCrist

Darcia Narvarez

Four Arrows

Rick Hanson

Sharon Blackie

Bill Plotkin

Frederick Laloux

Robert Kegan