Deirdre Catlin of Imagine Creations transformational consulting spent most of her adult years serving in the military, first as a heavy aircraft pilot in the Unites States Air Force, and later as a pilot in the Air National Guard. Ever since she got a behind-the-scenes tour of an airplane during a grade school field trip, she dreamed of being a pilot. She later graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996, and she earned a master’s degree in business administration and management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University in 2005.
Catlin had always loved to travel and experience other cultures, and her years in the military provided the opportunity to see the world. She spent time in Russia, Iceland, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and other countries. While in France in 2000, she got some unexpected free time after the boom operator on her aircrew suffered an eye injury that prevented the crew from flying for two weeks. Catlin went sightseeing and immersed herself in European culture, and she found it remarkable how the French didn’t seem rushed and just enjoyed life. “In America, we sit down in a café, eat and leave, but in Europe, they spend hours eating one meal. I thought about what it would be like to be more in the flow of relaxation, and not feeling the need to be constantly on the go.”
Another introspective experience occurred in Nepal, where she encountered a homeless Nepalese man. “In our country, we project how people in some other countries live, but they’re probably happy, even happier than we are, and I thought about how can I see the spirit of the people,” she says. “While looking at that homeless man, I felt like I saw a twinkle in his eye, and I connected with him on a heart-centered level.”
A crossroad came in 2011 while in Hawaii. Catlin started feeling depressed and second-guessed her coping mechanisms. Her sister sent her a video of Gay and Katie Hendricks, the husband and wife authors, therapists and specialists in co-creative relationships.Inspired by the messages of love and respect in the video,Catlin went to one of their events, which opened the door to releasing stuck emotions that were weighing her down.
From there, Catlin trained and became certified in several life coaching and energy alleviation methods. She formed Imagine Creations in 2016 and practices a mending process that’s a culmination of her studies. She presents Restoration work in either two-day workshop formats, or two-hour sessions.
“Through this work, I discovered that childhood emotions can hold us back and keep us from becoming who we really are,” explains Catlin, who focuses on the transformative years of childhood, ages 1 to 7, when we’re most likely to take on limiting beliefs that aren’t true. “When we link energy clearing with life lessons of anger, fear, sadness and guilt, it helps us understand that although these emotions are seen as negative, they’re parts of a compass, reminding us of what is in alignment with ourselves.”
The two-day restoration workshops are available for individuals or groups up to five. Catlin also tailors individual two-hour consults to help folks with behaviors or habits they would like to change, such as relieving anxiousness for job interviews. She also works with families and their children. “I imagine if the parents are able to learn the techniques alongside their children, they will all be able to support each other during stressful times.”
Catlin specializes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to help veterans and women of trauma. She notes that emotional trauma can also occur right in the workplace. “We are far more sensitive to our environments like the workplace, where we spend most of our days. When we’re unaware of our sensitivities, we can let negative emotions of others trigger our own patterns of self-doubt, which can lead to our own suffering—even when it has nothing to do with us.”
To avoid taking on other people’s negative energy, Catlin emphasizes that clearing one’s own energy field daily is as important as brushing your teeth. She builds her work upon authenticity, fearlessness to love and show up in the world as one’s true self, and the freedom for people to be themselves. “I help people find relief in ways that’s not scary or hard,” she says, “and in doing that, I help open their creativity, which is what I think we’re here to express.”
Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.
Original article appears in the May Issue of Inland Northwest Natural Awakenings. https://inwawakenings.com
