WE STUDY BELONGINGNESS.

“There is no separation between our Life vs. Death perspective and our bigotry. Learning a death positive view IS a radical confrontation with our biases, and a very strong medicine. In my view it is even the MOST radical confrontation and the strongest medicine. Death awareness is surely a profound and necessary piece for environmental sustainability. That should be obvious.”

— Jeanne Denney

Staff

Nandita Batheja, Co-director

Nandita (she/they) is a facilitator, somatics practitioner, and artist who works across sectors, advocating for liberation and creative being. She is particularly honored to collaborate with YES! World and Circles International to support collective healing and conflict transformation. Nandita has a M.S. in conflict resolution and is also a certified Core Energetics practitioner; her work aims to integrate the teachings of somatic psychotherapy with the field of peacebuilding, to ultimately reduce violence and create symbiosis amongst our many earth ecologies (human and non-human). In addition to co-directorship, Nandita is a teacher and whole-life-doula with SoULL.

Lizhen wang, Co-director

LiZhen (they/them) is a counselor and facilitator who draws inspiration from the Daoist-Buddhist spiritual traditions of her ancestors, as well as the wisdom of astrology and the natural world. They work with individuals, communities and organizations to help them connect to their soul’s calling. Experiencing her mother’s death was one of the greatest spiritual revelations of LiZhen’s life. It has opened them to the incredible richness of a life that includes, not avoids, death. For LiZhen, it is an honor to have been a student and to now serve SoULL as a teacher and co-director.

Michelle Levanti, Assistant

Michelle resides in Racine, Wisconsin, which is where SoULL was first established. She has been assisting SoULL’s administration since 2020. As a student, she has completed Years 1 and 2 of SoULL’s training program. In addition to her work with SoULL, Michelle is Operations Manager for a local tree care company, and she is a mother and an active grandmother.

Board

Jeanne Denney

Jeanne is the founder of SoULL, and has created most of its original curriculum. She is a transpersonal and somatic psychotherapist, an educator, and author of The Effects of Compassionate Presence on the Dying. Jeanne has spent years at bedsides with the elderly and dying and in the chair as a somatic therapist. She has contributed pioneering ideas to both Body Psychotherapy and Death Education, teaches in somatic institutes internationally and the Art of Dying Institute, which she helped found.

Barbara Pettibone, LCSW

Barbara is a licensed clinical social worker in practice for over 45 years in inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities and is currently working as a therapist online. She is also a student of Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Barbara came to SoULL in 2020, graduated as a whole life doula.

Billee Wolf

Billee Wolff, RN is a retired nurse, birth and postpartum doula, and childbirth educator living in Northern New Jersey. After her husband died Billee discovered that the needs of those in grief were very similar to those of new mothers and families. SoULL’s integrative approach helped Billee connect her long experience offering non-judgmental and supportive care at birth to other major life transitions as well. Since completing year one in 2023 Billee has volunteered as a SoULL Wisdom Circle Member and a member of the board, and is a Year 1 teacher in training.

Dan Sullivan

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