Today we’d like to introduce you to Trina Merz.
Trina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was dead set on being a designer, and I did that. And I did the thing. I went to art school, I was on set with famous photographers and models and designing for luxury brands before I’d even graduated with my BFA. I was getting jobs classmates dreamed of, but all the while the demand of working at that level while being in school full time set me on a fast track for existential crisis’ and burnout. There was also a lot that came up for me working around insecurity working in a freelance industry. There wasn’t any space to have an off day, and there wasn’t any guarantee there’d be a next project. I really struggled to enjoy my life when things weren’t crazy busy because I was wondering if I’d ever work again. If people would ever hire me again. Did I do something ‘wrong’ on the last job. Was it all over. I was so tender, any little touch felt like a shove because I had so much unresolved emotional baggage from my childhood bubbling at the surface.
When I finally started to do the inner work, I had no idea I’d end up facilitating it. Slowly, I began to take on design jobs with more structure, to create space to find myself outside of work. I had a rigorous yoga practice, I was taking pottery and woodworking classes, I was painting and reading. I started taking trainings that interested me, with no plan or premonition of it being a career. I became a reiki master teacher, I got my yoga teacher accreditation, after working with a breathwork practitioner for a few years, I impulsively signed up with my facilitators teachers for a training, a compassionate listening training, then a hypnotherapy training, and now I’ve done so many trainings I couldn’t name them all. In a sneaky way, I feel like this work pulled me in. I blinked and my design career was in the review mirror.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
A major struggle along the way has been that what I’m doing now doesn’t have a singular proven path. There isn’t a clear way forward. With design, it felt like do this and then that. Having a holistic healing practice has felt like a winding road with lots of forks and it’s hard to know what’s next without trusting your intuition compass.
As you know, we’re big fans of Breathe In Transformation. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
What should we know?
I’ve centered my work around supporting women struggling with burnout, anxiety, overwhelm, and old patterns keeping them stuck in “grind mode” so they can feel present and at ease in their own life again. Having had the experience of losing myself in a career I loved, I’ve focused there, but I have also helped clear phobias, negative self thought and people pleasing loops, compulsive behaviors [like binge eating and acne picking], and more.
What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for?
I specialize in somatic healing and circular breathwork. I’m use a blending of evidence-based and holistic modalities to get to the root of what a clients been experiencing. Fast. Not just manage the symptoms. Having clients leave with real, lasting shifts from the work we do together is a point of pride for me. Whether they come for a single session to clear a fear of public speaking, or jump into my 6 month program to work through a host of pain points in their life.
What sets you apart from others?
I’ve lived through a lot of the struggles clients come to me with. I lived with an activated nervous system for many years. Decades even. I see old versions of myself in every client that comes to my practice and watching them break free from the weights that have been keeping them small has been… I don’t have words for it. Fulfilling, amazing, entrancing, liberating… none are quite right but I know I tear up when I think about the work I get to do in the world.
I also work with clients a bit differently than most practitioners. I see clients in a 2hr session. I expect to get things moving and cleared and I take the time and space to use the appropriate tools and modalities for what arises in a session. This isn’t a 50- talk therapy appointment. This isn’t a scripted process. It’s individually formulated for the individual in front of me.
What are you most proud of, brand-wise?
I consistently have clients tell me that they feel safe to share things they’ve found hard to open up about in the past. That’s huge for me. And I believe that trust and safety plays a big role in how fast and effective this work can be for people.
What do you want readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc.?
That the work I do is 1:1, it’s meeting you where you are. Right now. There’s a plethora of prerecorded, one size fits most, on-demand self help programs out there and this isn’t one of them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t know that I believe in luck. Not sure I don’t believe in it. But intention has played a huge role.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://breatheintransformation.com/
- Instagram: @breatheintransformation
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/14b2cosLcwKHDcbezv6CRR?si=07f5f26679674592
