about

my name is dr. amy j howton. i am a healer, facilitator, story weaver, and writer. my work over the past twenty-five years has focused in the areas of trauma, racial + gender justice, spiritual leadership, community building, and organizational leadership development. 

the natural world has been my most enduring classroom, grounding my practice in living systems, systems thinking, and emergent theory. i have taught at the university-level and practiced in various contexts including higher education, community-based nonprofits, faith-based institutions with experience working with individuals, organizations, and in network-building. communities of practice as a model for transformative change have been a focus of my research and practice throughout my work and i continue to believe in the power of bringing people together through intentional cycles of action and reflection.

my most important training has been life and my own healing. with thanks to the lessons learned through occupying this white, female body, i draw on the wisdom gained from a life of unlearning Whiteness and the balancing of healthy Feminine and Masculine energies. i’ve been privileged to have been in personal study and apprenticeship with elders, guides, shamans, healers, and spiritual leaders from various wisdom traditions and lineages. i hold an MA in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a doctorate in Ecological Counseling. i am a licensed professional counselor in the state of Ohio, experienced in participatory action research, human-centered design, and trained in the Art of Hosting. i continue to focus study in the Christian contemplative and mystical traditions and somatic healing of trauma.

elders + lineages

Margaret Wheatley and Jerry Granellli as a senior student in the Warrior for the Human Spirit training (2017-2021)

Quanita Roberson and Tenneson Woolf as an apprentice in Fire and Water (2019-present)

Fr. Richard Rohr, Barbara Holmes, James Finley, Brian MacLaren and Mirabai Starr as a student in the Center for Action and Contemplation’s Living School (2021-present)