Walking Our Talk
Deb DeMarche Carusone
Executive Director
As an ICF-Certified Life Coach, Deb came to WOT with a background in both life coaching for individuals and facilitating mind-body skills groups. After watching the magic that happens in Circle, Deb is convinced that WOT Circles and similar group models are exactly what our communities, nation and the world need more than ever. Among so many benefits, Circles bring a sense of safety and community and authentic connection that is so lacking in so many parts of our lives. This is possible because of the structure of the Circles and the Agreements, which are the backbone and safety net of Circles. Deb is thankful to be part of such a wonderful and necessary organization, especially during these challenging times.
When Deb is not working as a coach and facilitator, she loves spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, taking and sharing pics of new and favorite things, and generally treating life as a learning adventure, as best she can.
Deb is also a WOT Circle Facilitator.
Contact Deb regarding the following:
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Scholarship Needs
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Becoming a Facilitator
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Hosting a Circle Near You
e-mail Deb
Rebecca McFarland
Finance Manager
Rebecca is a self-employed Rodan+Fields Skincare Consultant and small business consultant, fitness enthusiast, and mother of 2 grown children. She joined her first WOT circle in 2019, did the facilitator training that summer, and became a facilitator last fall. Rebecca also assists with WOT's the admin team.
After almost 30 years of supporting people who owned their own business, she became a consultant, creating fulfilling work to support other business owners as they implement sound organizational and financial operations.
In her spare time, Rebecca can be found reveling in the outdoors while gardening, cycling, hiking, skiing, or paddling. She shares her overflowing heart with grace and grit.
Rebecca is also a WOT Circle Facilitator.
Marthe Bourdon
Administrator
Bio Coming Soon
Augusta Rose
Communications Manager
Augusta has been a passionate documentary photographer + short documentary producer for over 15 years. Her overarching mission is to provide her subjects with an experience that fosters a deeper sense of non-judgmental self-awareness.
In addition to her photography business, Augusta is honored to bring visibility to Walking Our Talk, which has been a source of many joyful friendships as well as professional connections for her.
Meet Our Team
Staff
Board Members
Mary Campbell
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Hosting a Fundraiser
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Major Giving
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Board Membership
Mary Campbell is the founder of Walking Our Talk. She is a woman’s empowerment and intimacy coach, ordained inter-spiritual minister, counselor, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming book: The Pleasure Playbook: 13 Invitations for Awakening Joy. Mary also offers women sensuality workshops and retreats locally and around the world and works privately with individuals and couples wishing to deepen their heart and body connection.
Katherine Tighe
Kat moved to the Berkshires 4 years ago from Maryland to be closer to family. She lives in Egremont and did her first circle in 2017 at her sister’s suggestion.
She was blown away by how much it increased her level of connection to other women in the Berkshires and also how the WOT project helped her realize a major life goal. She joined the board this year because of how much she believes in the power of WOT.
Ellen Ring
Ellen Ring sits on the board of Walking Our Talk after a career in retail and is currently semi-retired from her antique jewelry business.
These days much of her energy is directed toward greater connection which she has found through sitting in many WOT circles. Her wish is to help heal the world for women, children, animals, and all who feel alienated and excluded.
Marie-Claude Giroux
Marie-Claude Giroux is an Artist, Teacher, Musician, Author, Curator and CreativeLife Coach and Co-Owner of the Thompson Giroux Gallery in Chatham, NY.
"It is my intention to dispel the myth that creativity lies only in the exceptional and the genius. It is my belief that creativity is a birthright for all humans."
Marie-Claude is also a WOT Circle Facilitator.
Susie Dyer
After raising two sons in Seattle, Susie credits WOT with her decision to move to the Berkshires full time. There is nothing that brings Susie more joy than sharing the space which she now calls “home”... a culmination of her WOT projects, fully realized with the support of ever so many WOT sisters!
Susie studied Economics and Government at Sweet Briar College (1991) and Business at Harvard (1997). She has 20 years of active leadership all over the country. In the Berkshires, Susie has enjoyed serving as a Mentor for Sisters For Peace, hosting special events for WOT, Multicultural Bridge & Walnut Woods, volunteering with the Egremont Garden Club, and more!
On WOT’s Board, Susie is involved with the Development Committee. She will also support Community Relations & Events. She is interested in both “outreach” -- to increase the diversity of our sisterhood, starting with an alliance with Multicultural Bridge -- as well as “inreach” -- creating more fellowship opportunities for WOT sisters, facilitating diversity training for our leaders, etc. Susie feels passionate about keeping WOT circles safe, and remains available to assist sisters with special needs or concerns.
Facilitators
Sudha Carolyn Lundeen
Sudha Carolyn Lundeen has been working in the Healing Arts for over 30 years as RN, Meditation & Stress Management Specialist, Mentor, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coach, Holistic Health Nurse, Workshop leader, Yoga Teacher Trainer and Yoga Therapist. She works with clients privately as well as in group settings. Her personal experiences with healing combined with 10 years in clinical nursing (Rehab, Recovery Room, and Oncology Nursing) lends a sensitivity and broad knowledge base that is described as welcoming, humorous and healing.
Courtney Gilardi
Bio Coming Soon
Arti Roots Ross
Arti Roots Ross is a visionary, adventurer, and multi-dimensional massage and yoga professional as well as an ordained Interspiritual community minister. She is passionately launching her new retreat center Chrysalis Springs, bringing her wisdom and 35 years of experience right here in the Berkshires, practicing and teaching massage, energy healing, and yoga, as senior faculty and former Dean of Kripalu School of Massage, owner of Muddy Angel Healing Arts, Founder/ director of Optimal Wellness Lifestyle Strategies and as a community “Minister without Walls”
Arti considers Walking Our Talk to be a powerful and integral part of growing and strengthening the spiritual community in the Berkshires. She joined WOT circles in 2012 and has initiated and facilitated our Pittsfield circles for many years. Arti is so grateful and honored to hold space for the beautiful women of our county in this way.
Jaimee Christinat
Bio Coming Soon
Jill Fleming
Bio Coming Soon
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Silke Fuchshofen
Silke Fuchshofen moved to the US in 1995, with her husband and two young children. She has been an avid meditator for 30 or so years, loves to swim, studied classic homeopathy at the New England School of Homeopathy and received training in organic agriculture.
After 10 years as an organic inspector, Silke decided in 2019 to cut down on travel and now works for her own organic consulting business. Silke participated in her first WOT circle in spring 2019, immediately decided to become a facilitator and trained during that summer.
Maia Conty
Maia Conty is co-founder of Walking Our Talk: A Women’s Creation Circle and the Generosity Economy Circle.
She is a Master Life Coach & Mediator, Social Change Agent, and Evolutionary Economist. Her work focuses on creating containers for healthy community change. Through her life coaching practice and mediation services she supports individuals and couples in maximizing their potential to serve the Greater Good.
Donna Rainone
Bio Coming Soon
Janis Bowersox
Janis Bowersox MBA, Certified Life Coach, yoga teacher, entrepreneur, author and mother, joined her first WOT circle in 2015 and will serve on our Board of Directors this year. She has worked for several non-profits in housing and education, as well as in the private sector where she started her own business. Since stepping away from paid employment in 2014, she’s volunteered with refugees in Greece and vulnerable children in India. Here she is in the Ganges River.
Maja Pisljar
A social worker from Slovenia who worked with disadvantaged youths, immigrants and people with special needs in her homeland of Slovenia, as well as the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and the United States, Maja moved to the Berkshires, in Western Massachusetts, in 2017, and lived there for 2 years.
Among all the people, places, opportunities that she got to experience during this time, WOT was definitely the most enriching, life-changing and supportive, with a long-lasting impact. WOT has connected her to amazing, heart-centered and open minded women, deepened her sense of community and shown her what belonging to a certain place and community actually means.
Maja is also a Certified Forest Therapy Guide and a member of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides. She currently works as a social worker in the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Slovenia.
Maja's joy and purpose is to hold space for people to deepen their connection to our authentic selves, each other and nature, as well. When not sitting in circles,
you can find Maja wandering in the woods and connecting with spirits of nature, planning trips around the world, learning leathercrafting, moving with the cyclical rhythms of nature, dancing between masculine and feminine and studying
this beautiful thing called life.