Giggling Gurus Coaching, Teaching, and Wholeness.
Giggling Gurus is for those navigating change, recovery, personal growth, and questions of meaning—especially when pushing harder or trying to fix oneself no longer feels supportive. This work offers a more present, compassionate, and authentic approach to meeting yourself, your relationships, and the world.
At Giggling Gurus, wisdom doesn’t sit on a pedestal—it walks with you, laughs easily, and meets you exactly where you are.
This work is depth-oriented coaching and teaching for integration, healing, and wholeness—grounded in lived experience and embodied practice rather than escaping or bypassing the realities of being alive. It supports a way of meeting life that values presence, relationship, and honest engagement over effort or performance.
My approach draws from a wide range of contemplative and psychological traditions—Indigenous knowledge, Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism, depth psychology, and modern spiritual psychology—woven together in a grounded, human, and practical way. Rather than following a single lineage or belief system, I work relationally and collaboratively, honoring the path, culture, and wisdom tradition that resonates most with you.
Whether your journey is rooted in mindfulness, myth and meaning, ancestral healing, recovery, embodiment, or spiritual inquiry, our work is customized to meet you where you are now—and to support where you feel called to grow next.
The “giggle” points to something subtle but powerful: the moment awareness softens. In many traditions, it’s known as non-forcing—the quiet smile that appears when we stop struggling against ourselves. It’s the recognition that healing unfolds not through domination or perfection, but through presence, curiosity, and trust in what is already alive within us.
Held in this spirit, Giggling Gurus offers a grounded, gently playful space for one-on-one work, group workshops, and public speaking, supporting people navigating anxiety, addiction recovery, grief, attachment patterns, identity shifts, and major life transitions—especially those who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or quietly searching for meaning and stability.
Healing doesn’t begin by fixing what’s broken—it begins by listening to what’s been unheard.
My name is Spencer. I’m an empowerment coach and a PhD student in East–West Psychology, Philosophy, and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies—but more importantly, I’m someone who has learned these teachings by living them.
My path into this work was shaped by years of addiction, anxiety, loss, and a deep sense of disconnection from myself and from life. What ultimately changed me was not learning how to “fix” what felt broken but discovering how to listen to what had been pushed aside—parts of myself shaped by pain, story, ancestry, and longing that simply wanted to be seen and welcomed back.
Through my own healing journey, I came to understand that real transformation doesn’t come from force or perfection. It emerges through presence, relationship, and compassion—by reconnecting with what is alive within us, and with the communities and worlds we belong to. This way of healing is gentle but powerful, grounded in lived experience, and rooted in the belief that wholeness is not something we earn, but something we remember together.
Who am I?
I carry both European and Indigenous ancestry. On my father’s side, my roots are with the Stó:lō, Squamish, and Coast Salish peoples of British Columbia - I have now engaged with the lands and communities where many of my family members continue to live and work, as I continue to honor, connect, and heal with my ancestors. On my mother’s side, I am of Austrian and German descent. Tabor, Austria, is the birthplace of my Great-Grandparents.
This lineage informs how I understand healing—not as an individual achievement, but as something relational, communal, and intergenerational. My work lives in the conversation between Indigenous ways of knowing, rooted in land and relationship, and Western depth psychology, which often centers the individual mind.
Lineage & Perspective
My work is shaped by a living weave of Indigenous knowledge, contemplative traditions, depth psychology, and spiritual philosophy. Rather than following a single lineage, I draw from teachers and traditions that honor wholeness, presence, and the ongoing journey of becoming—always grounded in lived experience.
From Indigenous thinkers such as Eduardo Duran, Gregory Cajete, and Leroy Little Bear, I have learned that healing is relational—inseparable from land, ancestry, community, story, and responsibility to the whole. These perspectives remind us that well-being is not an individual achievement, but a collective and ecological process.
Depth and East–West psychology inform my understanding of the inner world through figures such as Carl Jung, whose work illuminates the role of symbols, shadow, and individuation, and Sri Aurobindo, whose integrative vision embraces both human life and spiritual unfolding. The clarity and freedom-oriented inquiry of Jiddu Krishnamurti continues to ground this work in direct experience rather than belief.
Contemplative traditions such as Buddhism and Daoism are reflected through the influence of Thich Nhat Hanh and Alan Watts, alongside modern teachers like Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, and Wayne Dyer, who translated timeless wisdom into accessible language for everyday life.
My understanding of myth, meaning, and transformation is further shaped by Joseph Campbell, whose work highlights the universal patterns of human becoming, and Stanislav Grof, whose contributions expanded how we understand trauma, consciousness, and spiritual emergence. Teachings from Don Miguel Ruiz also inform my work, offering grounded practices for awareness, integrity, and personal freedom.
Together, these influences support an approach that is embodied rather than abstract, experiential rather than dogmatic—honoring ancient wisdom while remaining practical, compassionate, and responsive to the unique path each person walks.
These influences aren’t beliefs I ask you to adopt—they’re examples of resources we can draw from together, in service of your healing, clarity, and becoming.
Influences
🌿 One-on-One Coaching and Teaching
Personalized, relational support tailored to where you are right now. Our work meets you in your lived experience—integrating psychological insight, contemplative practice, and embodied awareness in a way that aligns with your values, culture, and chosen wisdom path.
🔥 Workshops & Group Experiences
Experiential, grounded offerings for communities, organizations, and retreat spaces. These sessions blend presence, storytelling, reflection, and practice—creating spaces for healing, connection, and shared meaning.
🎤 Speaking & Teaching Engagements
Engaging talks for conferences, recovery spaces, universities, schools, and community gatherings. Topics include healing and wholeness, addiction recovery, Indigenous wisdom, consciousness, and integrative approaches to transformation—offered with depth, clarity, and warmth.
Work With ME
This work is for people who are ready to meet themselves—and their path—with more honesty, gentleness, and curiosity, especially during times of change, recovery, or deep questioning.
You may be letting go of substances or coping patterns that once helped you survive but no longer reflect who you’re becoming. You may be untangling yourself from relationships that blurred your boundaries, or moving through grief, loss, and life transitions that ask for new ways of understanding yourself and the world.
This space also welcomes those seeking a grounded spiritual life—one that honors the body, emotions, history, and lived experience rather than bypassing them. It is for educators, helpers, and community members, particularly those supporting Indigenous youth or communities, who are drawn toward healing and empowerment that is relational, respectful, and rooted in place.
It is also for students and scholars exploring Indigenous wisdom, contemplative traditions, depth psychology, and East–West approaches within academic settings—those seeking mentorship, tutoring, or guidance as they navigate complex ideas, integrate theory with lived experience, or find their own voice within these traditions.
Above all, this work is for anyone who senses that healing, learning, and becoming are not about striving to be someone else—but about remembering, reclaiming, and gently returning to what is already alive and meaningful within.
Who This Is For
If you find yourself reflected in any of this, you don’t need to arrive with certainty or a clear plan. This work begins exactly where you are—often in the questions, the uncertainty, or the quiet sense that something is ready to shift.
Spencer also facilitates community-based workshops and retreats focused on trauma, grief, and healing within Indigenous and relational contexts.
If this resonates, you’re welcome to reach out.
We can begin with a simple conversation to see whether working together feels supportive.
Curiosity is enough.