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The Mind & PSYCH-K

Healing Journey of a Wellness Coach

work with coach cate ritter

Join me as I share my ever-evolving and transformative healing journey. I hope my experiences inspire you, make you laugh, expand your mind, and open your heart.

Meet Wellness Coach, Cate Ritter

Hi, I’m Cate Ritter. I’m a Wellness Coach focused on helping others remove obstacles to happiness and enjoyment by addressing root issues within the mind, body, and soul. Together, we transform old subconscious b.s. (belief systems), emotional baggage, and energy keeping you stressed and frustrated with your life. By clearing old energy, you open to new opportunities and unlock your true potential. As a result, you feel more connected to your soul/love/Source — the part of you that’s home to infinite love and healing.

Little Backstory

I’ll share the path that led me to where I am as a healing guide and the revelations that have helped me facilitate other’s healing worldwide. I find this important, as embracing commonality in one’s challenges can be a great source of healing. In addition, my experiences have deeply informed my practice and my empathy for those I work with. It’s a journey that’s taught me resilience, the importance of holistic care, and the profound impact of recognizing our shared challenges on the path to healing.

Cate’s Transformative Healing Journey

I grew up in a small lake town in the mountains of Northern California near Mt. Shasta. When people ask about my childhood, I describe it as a beautiful journey, though I haven’t always seen it that way. Like many, my upbringing had its challenges. I grew up with stress and pressure to get a full-ride college golf scholarship. From age 8 to 18, I competed in over 300 junior golf tournaments across California and the country. When I headed to college, I had 99 trophies and multiple scholarship offers from top universities.

Photo: Cate with her coaches at age 8 winning first place in Redding, CA golf tournament

Same (Subconscious) Programs, Same Problems

I ended up attending Hofstra University. The transition to Long Island was a big adjustment for my empathic, highly sensitive system. Although I secured a nearly full-ride golf scholarship and even won a Division One tournament, my health and well-being began deteriorating. My old pattern of working harder and doing more was ineffective, draining, and unsustainable.

Life Without Golf

Seeking a fresh start, I transferred to CSU, Chico, and continued to play golf on a scholarship, but my health continued to be a challenge. The weight gain from my freshman year resulted in painful plantar fasciitis that hindered my performance. After deciding to leave the golf team, I began taking care of myself and focusing on what I wanted. The problem was that I didn’t know how to change on a deeper level. I re-focused my over-achieving on school. During my first semester post-golf, I got a 4.0 while taking 19 credits, working two part-time jobs, volunteering as a tutor, and completing a 44-page thesis.

Farm-to-Table Chef Training

After finishing college early, I wanted to explore the world, so I followed my heart and booked a ticket to London, UK.  Luckily, I landed a job at a gastropub on the Suffolk coast, northeast of London. I lived above the pub for about a year and learned from a skilled chef. My days were filled with morning runs along the beautiful English countryside, followed by work that stretched late into the night. I’d spend time off taking notes and writing recipes. It was like going to culinary school and getting paid to do it. I loved the farm-to-table approach and was excited to expand my skills with this healthy connection.

young cate ritter wellness coach

The Beginning of a Wellness Coach

After my work visa expired, I traveled around the UK and Europe before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona. I found work at a high-end restaurant and volunteered at a permaculture garden. Eager to deepen my connection with my health and body, I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training. It was during this time that I found a Holistic Nutrition Program that perfectly aligned with my passion for wellness and culinary arts. In 2009, my journey culminated in the launch of my Wellness Coaching business. Before I knew it, I was a full-time nutritionist, offering services as a grocery and local food guide, cooking coach, and personal chef to a diverse clientele, including busy moms, affluent families, retired athletes, and even celebrities.

Is Life Better at The Beach? 

Within a few years, my husband got offered a job in Pebble Beach, CA. After frequenting golf tournaments in Pebble as a kid and spending several summers there, I fantasized about living in such a beautiful area. It seemed like a dream, so we sold our home and moved to the beach.

After moving to Pebble my health rapidly declined. My husband and I rented a home just off the scenic 17-Mile Drive, within walking distance of the beach. The day after moving in, I didn’t feel like myself. I felt fuzzy-headed, nauseous, and inflamed, and the symptoms kept coming. I wasn’t getting better, and it wasn’t due to a lack of trying.

About seven months later, workers fixing a roof leak said many previous tenants had left and even been hospitalized due to mold-related illnesses. Lab tests later confirmed the presence of toxic mold levels in our home. We terminated our lease and discarded any possessions that couldn’t be thoroughly cleaned. After moving three more times, we found another rental with black mold, leading us to move again and part with most of our belongings.

Wack-a-Mole Health Care

To restore my health, I consulted with various specialists. After undergoing thorough and costly testing, the doctors diagnosed me with a “genetic defect” that impaired my ability to detoxify mold. This meant that my immune system wasn’t responding correctly, allowing mold toxins (mycotoxins) to accumulate in my body, causing significant health issues. During this period, I was diagnosed with Mold Illness, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pathogenic infections, hormone imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and more.

Brain Rewiring Boost

Things took a turn for the worse when I lost my beloved golden retriever to cancer. Not long after, I was in a traumatic car accident amidst dense Bay Area traffic. The stress, sadness, and frustration I felt during this period were detrimental to my health. As doctors started discussing disability options, I began exploring other paths to wellness. I experimented with various modalities until I discovered the Dynamic Neural Retraining System. This method allowed me to start rewiring my brain towards a healthier state.

Inspiration to Make an Impact

After working remotely for Laird Superfood, a health food company founded by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, I was invited to Bend, Oregon, to create a cookbook with Laird’s Chef. Before I knew it, I was working as Product Development Director, and we were moving to the mountains. Although being in a corporate space wasn’t aligned with the life I wanted, I returned to Wellness Coaching and felt inspired to help people in a more meaningful way.

cate-ritter-amazon-jungle

The Call from Mother Ayahuasca

Before experiencing plant medicine, I had everything that should make me happy but something was missing. I felt stuck in old stories and blocked by feelings that I wasn’t “good enough.” This desire for drastic change sparked my dark night of the soul. A few months into my process, I watched a documentary with Deepak Chopra recommending Ayahuasca for various ailments. I’d never heard of this psychedelic brew, but I felt my soul WAKE UP. I decided to embrace this calling and set my intention to “lose my mind and find my soul.” And so my jungle journey began.

Welcome to the Jungle

In 2018, I immersed myself in a deep healing experience that transformed my perspective on health and life. I ventured to the Amazon jungle outside of Iquitos, Peru. My destination was a bumpy bus ride and an exotic boat ride deep into the rainforest. For a couple of weeks, I attended an intensive ayahuasca healing retreat within an indigenous community. My ceremonies were ineffable, painful, awakening, and beautiful. Mixed in with all of the emotions and lovely forms of purging, it was a psychedelic rollercoaster.

Space for a Break

It wasn’t just the ceremonies that were healing. I had space to go within. After being free from the never-ending stimulation and distractions of the modern world, I realized how depleted I was on all levels. For the first time in a decade, I didn’t have a to-do list to tackle. Relaxing was challenging. I was addicted to doing. Having time to go inward was immensely beneficial. The more I connected with myself, the more clarity, wisdom, and guidance flowed.

Beyond Self-Help With PSYCH-K 

Upon my return to Bend, I experienced a profound synchronicity while walking my dog. I saw an eagle and a condor flying together in a circle, a scene that mirrored PSYCH-K’s logo. This serendipitous event led me to train in PSYCH-K, a modality incredibly beneficial for overcoming limiting beliefs, releasing emotional baggage, and cultivating self-love. This was a turning point where everything began to align.

Shaman Initiation Training

Guided by my intuition, I felt compelled to return to the jungle. I decided to take an intensive two-month Shaman Training. This led me to embrace a significant life change: I packed a few suitcases and boxes, sold my car, and donated the rest. Upon returning to Peru, I spent three weeks volunteering at an Ayahuasca retreat and research center, followed by visits to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Eventually, I rented an apartment in the slums of Iquitos for a few weeks. Of all the things I’ve done, this was one of the MOST transformative. Living amongst others in a third-world country gives you perspective on what’s important.

Back to the Jungle, I Go

I was ready to return to the jungle when the time came. The journey involved a lengthy bus ride from Iquitos and a hike through mud into the heart of the rainforest. There, under the guidance of indigenous Shipibo Curanderos and alternative healers, I underwent my Shaman Initiation. This profound experience deepened my understanding of the healing powers of plant medicine, including plant diets, purgatives, protective baths, soplaying (energy cleansing and protection), Icaros (healing songs), and various other remedies. The rigorous training demanded adherence to a restrictive diet, periods of silence, fasting days, and more, all of which contributed significantly to my growth and understanding of healing practices.

shaman-training-amazon-jungle

Mosquitos, Chiggers & Parasites

The jungle is beautiful but can be a challenging place. With relentless mosquitos that bite through clothing, you’ve got to be on alert. Although I was luckier than my Shaman’s wife, who got Malaria, I got chiggers from my bed sheets on day one of my training. With their biting and itching, these minuscule pests quickly covered my body. Scratching caused them to spread and burrow deeper under my skin, making for an intensely uncomfortable experience.

Alongside the visible challenges, the jungle harbored even smaller, more insidious dangers like parasites. During my time there, I contracted three parasitic infections. Over half of our camp got sick, including our facilitators. Unable to retain food or water for five days, I experienced sharp pains in my kidneys, urinary tract, and heart. Consequently, my weight fell below my already low body fat, and my energy dropped.

After making the trek into town to see a doctor, I was instantly hooked up to an IV for hydration. My tests confirmed parasitic infections and blood in my stool. I already felt so weak and depleted from weeks of ceremonies, purgatives, fasting, restrictive meals, and plant medicinals that getting parasites was especially challenging.

Recovery & Realizations

With lots of rest, fluid, and papaya, I returned to the jungle. However, I knew that to complete my training; I needed to enjoy it. So I slowed down, laughed more, and made friends with the cockroaches in my room. This lesson was a crucial part of my healing journey. Like plants, some people grow best in the dark, while others grow best in the light. I was ready for some light.

When training ended, I declined an ayahuasca facilitator position. I realized I could support myself and others more when I enjoy life. Enjoying life brings you back into the present flow. We often think we’ll enjoy life after a particular outcome, such as when we achieve a health goal or a certain amount of money. This is how we get it backward, and our lack of self-love plays a significant role. Rather than enjoying life now, we postpone it until we feel worthy. In my experience, my SUCCESS in all areas of my life DEPENDS on my ENJOYMENT of life.

The Self-LOVE Secret

When you focus on what you enjoy, you live from a place of love instead of lack. Love can heal everything, and it all starts with self-love. You connect with joy when you love yourself, who you’re with, and what you do. The world needs more people who experience and spread love and joy. Although love is a powerful healer, you must eliminate the blocks preventing you from loving yourself and enjoying life. I’ve found my unique blend of modalities to do just that. Getting the gunk out allows you to connect more with your authentic self and the present. From this space, you can create an epic self-love story.

Integration = MAGIC

As I integrated my experiences, I realized that everything I went through happened for me to create the health and life I wanted. I don’t consider past experiences as “bad,” but “badass builders!” Even trauma has transformed into some of my greatest gifts. I was guided to do this work and make these realizations so I could best guide others on their healing journey. The coolest part of my story is that it was nine months from when I first went to the jungle to when I last left. I let the old stories, patterns, and parts of me die to birth a new way of living. My life continues to unfold in ways better than I could have imagined.

Synchronicities & Sound Therapy

When I returned to Oregon, I wanted to help others transform without having to take such drastic measures. My dad also passed away during this time, and he was very musical. He wrote songs, loved to sing, and played guitar and harmonica. As fate would have it, I was at the PSYCH-K Divine Integration Retreat when Biofield Tuning found me. My connections to sound therapy and my dad have expanded ever since.  

cate ritter psych k

The Gift & What This Means For YOU

I hope you see that I was the person who “tried everything” without getting the results I deserved. I ended up finding solutions by working with my subconscious mind. I naturally began to heal as I removed the limitations within my body, mind, and soul. I started enjoying my life more and creating a new relationship with myself that was based on love instead of lack. Now, I experience more signs, synchronicities, magic, and miracles than ever. 

Everything happens for a reason, and everything is connected. We’re all souls here sharing this crazy and wild human experience. We’re not meant to be perfect, and life is supposed to be messy. That’s what makes this adventure so fun, interesting, and exciting. There’s a lesson behind every symptom, pain, and challenge you experience. When you learn the lesson, you reach new levels of healing and enjoyment. When you see life from the perspective that everything is a lesson designed for us, the “problem” becomes the gift.

Although we live in a complex world, the solutions are simple. You CAN and deserve to heal and create the life you want. Your wellness is essential to healing others, this planet, and beyond. Join me in co-creating your beautiful healing journey. 

Let’s Work Together!