We Help Smart People Build Systems for Thriving
Because burnout isn't a personal failure. It's a signal that something is out of alignment for you.
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Mindful Passions is a trauma-aware, identity-affirming, neurodivergent-savvy coaching practice for people who live outside the default settings.
We work with:
gifted kids who are now grown up
helpers who are secretly struggling
folks creating relationships and lives that don’t fit a standard mold
high-achievers who are finally asking: at what cost?
Why We Exist, and What We're Creating
Our Mission
To Help People Reclaim Their Capacity, Their Rhythm, and Their Power
We help brilliant humans unlearn burnout culture and reconnect with what actually works for them.
That includes better boundaries, steadier habits, nurtured nervous systems, and stronger self-trust.
We do this through coaching that’s client-led, body-aware, neurodivergent-affirming, and deeply practical.
We’re here to support change that’s real, sustainable, and rooted in who you already are, not who you’re told to be.
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Our Vision
A World Where Wellness Doesn't Require Disappearing Parts of Yourself
We envision a future where health and wellness are built on agency, not authority.
Where differences in individuals aren't barriers to well-being, they're part of what makes it more precise, more powerful, and more personal.
We believe real change happens at the intersection of science, intuition, and no-B.S. practicality -- not in one-size-fits-all advice.
That's why we coach, speak, and build in ways that reflect how messy, meaningful, and nonlinear health really is.
What We Actually Live By
These aren’t just ideas. They’re how we work, coach, and show up.
Empowerment Through Authenticity
We don’t fix people. We help you reclaim who you are — without apology or performance.
Human Compassion
This is a no-shame zone. We hold space without hierarchy or superiority — ever.
Innovative + Ancestral Well-Being
Science, ritual, harm reduction, habit design — we integrate what works, not what’s trendy.
Integrity + Transparency
We say what’s in scope. We name what’s not. We don’t play pretend with people’s lives.
Resilience + Growth
You get to break down and rebuild. We meet setbacks with structure, not shame.
Science-Informed Practice
We use what’s research-backed and what’s real-world functional. If it’s both? Even better.
Holistic Thinking
Mind, body, nervous system, relationships, timing, trauma. All connected. Always.
Open-Mindedness
We don’t gate-keep well-being. If it works and honors consent, it belongs here.
Client-Led Engagement
You set the pace. You choose the path. We offer structure, support, and reflection — not control.
If you’re looking for high-integrity, human-first, radically unshaming coaching — this is what it looks like underneath the hood.
How We practice what we preach
Code of Ethics
At Mindful Passions, we don’t just talk about integrity, safety, and care — we build our entire practice on it.
Our Code of Ethics guides how we show up with clients, collaborators, and community. It reflects the lived values of trauma-aware, kink-aware, sex-positive, and anti-oppressive care.
What that means for you:
Your experience is respected, your boundaries are honored.
We don’t make assumptions — we ask, we listen, we check in.
Everything we offer is rooted in consent, transparency, and shared power.
Our Method
The Mindful Passions Approach
This isn't mindset coaching.
This isn't a new morning routine.
It's trauma-aware, science-informed, deeply personalized support for people who feel too much, do too much, and want more out of life than just survival.
The Mindful Passions Approach is designed for humans who don't fit inside the usual frameworks, and who are, frankly, done trying to.
Each client journey is unique, but our process is built around three essential pillars:
🧭 Pattern Mapping
Find the leaks before you try to fix the system.
We uncover what’s draining your time, energy, and capacity — including inherited patterns, invisible labor, boundary breaches, and internalized pressure.
🌿 Nervous System Strategy
Because self-trust lives in your body, not just your brain.
We support your physiology — sleep, habits, supplements, cannabis routines — using a plan that works with your nervous system, not against it.
🧶 Relational Rewiring
You don’t have to keep performing safety to stay connected.
We explore the power dynamics, scripts, and beliefs shaping your relationships — with others, and with yourself.
Tools We Might Use
- Habit + energy mapping
- Cannabis titration + tracking (non-clinical)
- Supplement education (non-clinical)
- Values-based decision frameworks
- Relationship boundary mapping
- Scripts for ENM, consent, self-advocacy
- Burnout prevention planning
- Identity-integrated ritual building
You don't need to become someone else to feel better.
You need a method that works with you are and who you are becoming.
That's what the Mindful Passions Approach is built for.
What We Guarantee — And What We Ask in Return
We don’t promise breakthroughs in 30 days or transformations on a timeline.
We guarantee a process that’s thoughtful, tailored, and rooted in real partnership — the kind of experience we’ve valued ourselves when we were on the client side.
Here’s What You Can Count On:
A Proven Process
You’ll work within a structured, evidence-informed coaching framework that’s built to create clarity, build momentum, and support lasting change.Personalized Support
We don’t use templates or scripts. We adapt to your goals, your pace, and your context — including your identity, lived experience, and constraints.Accountability & Partnership
You won’t do this alone. We’re here to support, troubleshoot, and walk with you — especially when things get messy.
Here’s What We Ask in Return:
Commit to the Work
Insight without action doesn’t create change. Your engagement is the engine of your progress.Show Up for Yourself
We’ll bring the tools, the process, and the support. You bring the willingness to use them.Stay Open to Growth
Discomfort is part of the process. We’ll be honest with you, challenge you when needed, and stay with you through it.
And If You're Doing the Work But Still Stuck?
We’ll stay with you. We’ll adjust your strategy, revisit the goals, and make sure you’re not just supported — but respected and empowered.
This is a real partnership. We bring our full investment — and we ask you to bring yours. That’s where change lives.
We guarantee a process that’s thoughtful, tailored, and rooted in real partnership — the kind of experience we’ve valued ourselves when we were on the client side.
Here’s What You Can Count On:
A Proven Process
You’ll work within a structured, evidence-informed coaching framework that’s built to create clarity, build momentum, and support lasting change.Personalized Support
We don’t use templates or scripts. We adapt to your goals, your pace, and your context — including your identity, lived experience, and constraints.Accountability & Partnership
You won’t do this alone. We’re here to support, troubleshoot, and walk with you — especially when things get messy.
Here’s What We Ask in Return:
Commit to the Work
Insight without action doesn’t create change. Your engagement is the engine of your progress.Show Up for Yourself
We’ll bring the tools, the process, and the support. You bring the willingness to use them.Stay Open to Growth
Discomfort is part of the process. We’ll be honest with you, challenge you when needed, and stay with you through it.
And If You're Doing the Work But Still Stuck?
We’ll stay with you. We’ll adjust your strategy, revisit the goals, and make sure you’re not just supported — but respected and empowered.
This is a real partnership. We bring our full investment — and we ask you to bring yours. That’s where change lives.
Hi, I’m Caress.
(Yes, like a verb. And yes, really.)
I’m a certified health coach, ex-software engineer, and neurodivergent systems thinker who helps people unlearn burnout, rebuild capacity, and remember who they are.
I built this practice because the support I needed didn’t exist — so I made it.
What That Actually Means
I used to build backend systems for tech companies. Now I build systems for people trying to survive late-stage capitalism with their integrity intact.
I’m certified in cannabis science, power exchange dynamics, ancestral health, supplement education, ENM coaching, and behavior change — because most lives aren’t simple.
I coach from a trauma-aware, kink-affirming, ENM-savvy, harm-reduction lens. That’s not branding — it’s baseline safety.
I don’t believe in “bouncing back.” I believe in building something better from what broke
I used to build backend systems for tech companies. Now I build systems for people trying to survive late-stage capitalism with their integrity intact.
I’m certified in cannabis science, power exchange dynamics, ancestral health, supplement education, ENM coaching, and behavior change — because most lives aren’t simple.
I coach from a trauma-aware, kink-affirming, ENM-savvy, harm-reduction lens. That’s not branding — it’s baseline safety.
I don’t believe in “bouncing back.” I believe in building something better from what broke
The Vibe
My work is nerdy, grounded, and deeply practical — with just enough bite to hold you accountable to your own becoming.
Clients come to me when:
They’re too burned out to keep up the performance, but too self-aware to check out completely
Their relationships don’t fit a template, and they’re tired of pretending they do
They’re done settling for “high-functioning” when what they actually want is full capacity
My work is nerdy, grounded, and deeply practical — with just enough bite to hold you accountable to your own becoming.
Clients come to me when:
They’re too burned out to keep up the performance, but too self-aware to check out completely
Their relationships don’t fit a template, and they’re tired of pretending they do
They’re done settling for “high-functioning” when what they actually want is full capacity
You don't have to do this alone. And you definitely don't have to do it by pretending to be someone you're not.
I'll meet you at the edge of what's not working, and we'll build something that does.
What I'm Trained In + How I Use It
You don't need someone with all the answers. You need someone trained to ask the right questions, hold complexity and help you build something that actually works in YOUR life.
That's what these credentials are for, service, not status.
Health + Habit Change
Primal Health Coach
Certified Habit Coach
Certified Dietary Supplement Specialist
What that means for you:
We can untangle your habits, build sustainable rhythms, and explore supplements — all from a lens that honors both your body and your bandwidth.
Primal Health Coach
Certified Habit Coach
Certified Dietary Supplement Specialist
What that means for you:
We can untangle your habits, build sustainable rhythms, and explore supplements — all from a lens that honors both your body and your bandwidth.
ECS Education + Coaching
Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor
What that means for you:
You’ll get evidence-based education and coaching around cannabis use — dosage, titration, delivery methods — without judgment or hype.
Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor
What that means for you:
You’ll get evidence-based education and coaching around cannabis use — dosage, titration, delivery methods — without judgment or hype.
Systems Thinking for Real Life
BSc in Software Engineering
10+ years designing technical systems before shifting to human ones
What that means for you:
I don’t just talk about boundaries or burnout — I look at why the system keeps breaking in the first place.
I bring engineering logic to emotional complexity, helping you:
Untangle patterns
Identify energy leaks
Design routines that are actually sustainable (not just aspirational)
BSc in Software Engineering
10+ years designing technical systems before shifting to human ones
What that means for you:
I don’t just talk about boundaries or burnout — I look at why the system keeps breaking in the first place.
I bring engineering logic to emotional complexity, helping you:
Untangle patterns
Identify energy leaks
Design routines that are actually sustainable (not just aspirational)
Relationships + Power Dynamics
Certified Ethical Non-Monogamy Coach (Sexual Health Alliance)
BDSM Educator (Power Exchange Focus)
What that means for you:
We can talk about kink, polyamory, jealousy, boundaries, roles, power — and you won’t need to sanitize any of it.
Certified Ethical Non-Monogamy Coach (Sexual Health Alliance)
BDSM Educator (Power Exchange Focus)
What that means for you:
We can talk about kink, polyamory, jealousy, boundaries, roles, power — and you won’t need to sanitize any of it.
Mental Health Resilience & Self-Care
Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor
Trained in motivational interviewing and trauma-aware coaching
Certified Professional Life Coach
What that means for you:
I’m not a therapist — and I don’t try to be.
What I do offer is a structured, compassionate space to build habits and practices that help prevent burnout, overwhelm, and mental health episodes before they spiral.
We focus on:
Emotional regulation tools that fit your life
Building capacity so you’re not always operating at the edge
Shame-free strategies for when you’re sliding toward shutdown, not just when you’re in it
I support your nervous system with real structure — and help you recognize the difference between “I’m fr okay” and “I’m running on fumes.”
Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor
Trained in motivational interviewing and trauma-aware coaching
Certified Professional Life Coach
What that means for you:
I’m not a therapist — and I don’t try to be.
What I do offer is a structured, compassionate space to build habits and practices that help prevent burnout, overwhelm, and mental health episodes before they spiral.
We focus on:
Emotional regulation tools that fit your life
Building capacity so you’re not always operating at the edge
Shame-free strategies for when you’re sliding toward shutdown, not just when you’re in it
I support your nervous system with real structure — and help you recognize the difference between “I’m fr okay” and “I’m running on fumes.”
What I Don’t Do On Purpose
This isn't a stack of certifications. It's a toolkit designed for complexity and built for people who don't fit in neat little boxes.
I don’t diagnose. I don’t prescribe. I don’t therapize.
That’s not my lane — and I’m not here to fake it.
What I do is offer coaching, education, and structure.
I help you name what’s not working, build what might, and practice what helps — without shame or pressure.
If something comes up that’s outside my scope, I’ll tell you — and help you find a trusted referral if you need one.
Read our full Scope & Competencies by Certification Document (PDF) here.
What Clients Say After Working Together
Sometimes progress begins before the work even starts.
This is what it means to be reached, not rushed. To feel seen just from the introduction of a guide means the content is built from lived experience, not just theory.
Greetings, Caress, I am so grateful you have created this guide. I have not gotten past the introduction, but I just wanted to pause, acknowledge and express my gratitude for your gift here. It is so on time and much needed in my life.
-- Empress Modupe Olufunmi Jacobs
This is what it means to be reached, not rushed. To feel seen just from the introduction of a guide means the content is built from lived experience, not just theory.
Greetings, Caress, I am so grateful you have created this guide. I have not gotten past the introduction, but I just wanted to pause, acknowledge and express my gratitude for your gift here. It is so on time and much needed in my life.
-- Empress Modupe Olufunmi Jacobs
This is what self-trust sounds like in real time.
This message came from a client on the other side of a lifelong fear: fear of standing out, taking up space, and disrupting norms on purpose.
We didn’t goal-set our way here. We built enough internal safety for truth to land without apology.
Hey Caress, I just wanted to share something with you. I've officially gotten to THAT place-- the one I never thought I could reach, and honestly, I didn't realize how much more there was beyond it. I just had this moment where I realized I'm done being afraid of being an innovator, a trendsetter, or the person people stare at. That's my duty in this world: to push, to prod, to ask questions, and to stay curious. Right now, I don't have any goals beyond being unafraid and determined to disrupt on purpose. I felt like I needed to share that with you because your support and affirmation have been a big part of this journey. Just wanted you to know.
-- J.T., giving an update five years after working together
This message came from a client on the other side of a lifelong fear: fear of standing out, taking up space, and disrupting norms on purpose.
We didn’t goal-set our way here. We built enough internal safety for truth to land without apology.
Hey Caress, I just wanted to share something with you. I've officially gotten to THAT place-- the one I never thought I could reach, and honestly, I didn't realize how much more there was beyond it. I just had this moment where I realized I'm done being afraid of being an innovator, a trendsetter, or the person people stare at. That's my duty in this world: to push, to prod, to ask questions, and to stay curious. Right now, I don't have any goals beyond being unafraid and determined to disrupt on purpose. I felt like I needed to share that with you because your support and affirmation have been a big part of this journey. Just wanted you to know.
-- J.T., giving an update five years after working together
This isn’t surface-level wellness. It’s root-level repair.
Eric came in as a partner trying to hold a family together under stress. What shifted wasn’t just communication, it was responsibility, emotional safety, and clarity about who the problem actually isn’t.
This is what it looks like when coaching helps people show up differently, not just “do better.”
Caress has been transformational as our family's Holistic Wellness Coach, and we're thankful to have worked with her for over two years. Her experience and expertise guided us through very challenging problems (that I caused!) I've recommended her to at least five couples and families grappling with common issues faced in long-term relationships.
One of the many brilliant gems she gave us: "You are not the problem, and he's not the problem. You are a team, and you've got a problem to solve, together." It's a beautiful reframe that helped us to move out of our defensive stances and into difficult and necessary conversations. And, it allowed me to do the repairs on our relationship.
I have, and will continue to recommend Caress to anyone who's struggling in their relationships or self care.
-- Eric Santamaria, Burnout Coach
Eric came in as a partner trying to hold a family together under stress. What shifted wasn’t just communication, it was responsibility, emotional safety, and clarity about who the problem actually isn’t.
This is what it looks like when coaching helps people show up differently, not just “do better.”
Caress has been transformational as our family's Holistic Wellness Coach, and we're thankful to have worked with her for over two years. Her experience and expertise guided us through very challenging problems (that I caused!) I've recommended her to at least five couples and families grappling with common issues faced in long-term relationships.
One of the many brilliant gems she gave us: "You are not the problem, and he's not the problem. You are a team, and you've got a problem to solve, together." It's a beautiful reframe that helped us to move out of our defensive stances and into difficult and necessary conversations. And, it allowed me to do the repairs on our relationship.
I have, and will continue to recommend Caress to anyone who's struggling in their relationships or self care.
-- Eric Santamaria, Burnout Coach
How This Practice Works
Mindful Passions International LLC
Trauma-aware coaching. Virtual practice. Clear boundaries.
Location + Format
We’re based in Washington and work entirely online with clients around the world.
Sessions are hosted on secure, encrypted platforms.
Most of our coaching offers include both live sessions and asynchronous support — because life doesn’t always fit on a calendar.
We’re based in Washington and work entirely online with clients around the world.
Sessions are hosted on secure, encrypted platforms.
Most of our coaching offers include both live sessions and asynchronous support — because life doesn’t always fit on a calendar.
Scope of Practice
This is coaching, not therapy.
That means:
No diagnosis
No treatment plans
No pretending to be what we’re not
We support mental health through habit change, nervous system care, identity integration, and emotional scaffolding — all within clearly defined limits. If something comes up that’s outside scope, we’ll name it and refer out.
This is coaching, not therapy.
That means:
No diagnosis
No treatment plans
No pretending to be what we’re not
We support mental health through habit change, nervous system care, identity integration, and emotional scaffolding — all within clearly defined limits. If something comes up that’s outside scope, we’ll name it and refer out.
Privacy + Confidentiality
What you share is yours — and it stays that way.
I hold your story with the same care I bring to the coaching itself: grounded, confidential, and consent-driven.
That means:
Your information is never sold, shared, or disclosed without your permission
Sessions are private, encrypted, and protected
You decide what’s safe to say — and when
If something legally or ethically requires disclosure (e.g. immediate risk of harm), I’ll tell you clearly and directly
This is a practice built for people with layered lives, complex identities, and good reasons to be cautious.
Your trust is earned — and never taken for granted.
What you share is yours — and it stays that way.
I hold your story with the same care I bring to the coaching itself: grounded, confidential, and consent-driven.
That means:
Your information is never sold, shared, or disclosed without your permission
Sessions are private, encrypted, and protected
You decide what’s safe to say — and when
If something legally or ethically requires disclosure (e.g. immediate risk of harm), I’ll tell you clearly and directly
This is a practice built for people with layered lives, complex identities, and good reasons to be cautious.
Your trust is earned — and never taken for granted.
Our Approach
We work through a harm-reduction lens that honors consent, complexity, and lived experience.
That includes cannabis coaching, supplement education, ENM and kink-affirming support, and systems that meet your actual bandwidth.
No shame. No wellness perfectionism. No bypassing.
We work through a harm-reduction lens that honors consent, complexity, and lived experience.
That includes cannabis coaching, supplement education, ENM and kink-affirming support, and systems that meet your actual bandwidth.
No shame. No wellness perfectionism. No bypassing.
Communication + Boundaries
Inquiries are answered within 1–2 business days (Mon–Fri)
We don’t offer emergency care or crisis response
If you’re in crisis, please contact a licensed provider or your local support line. We’ll be here when it’s time for integration.
Inquiries are answered within 1–2 business days (Mon–Fri)
We don’t offer emergency care or crisis response
If you’re in crisis, please contact a licensed provider or your local support line. We’ll be here when it’s time for integration.
Let's Talk About It
Still have questions after all this? That’s a sign — not a problem.
You’ve just scrolled through an entire page full of nuance, transparency, and truth. If something’s still unclear — or if your nervous system needs a voice, not more words — let’s talk.
I offer short Welcome Calls to help you get clarity, ask questions, and see if this work fits where you are right now.
No pressure. No pitch. Just connection.
This is the best next step if you’re wondering about fit, scope, availability, or what coaching could look like for you specifically.
PMB 1106
Seattle, WA 98121
United States
