About Willow & Root
More Than Therapy: Willow & Root — A Holistic Haven for Personal Growth, Creative Expression, and Alternative Healing
We are growing a dream, forging a path, and creating community along the way.
Willow & Root will be a nonprofit community space creativity, holistic mental health care, and compassionate support — for both the living and the transitioning — come together to tend every stage of life. From birth to death, and all the sacred, messy moments in between, we honor it all.
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Empower Our Vision for a Holistic Take on Grief Therapy through GoFundMe
So I am currently and intentionally building my wheelhouse and educational pedigree to promote a holistic companion to traditional therapy that I hope gives those who find traditional therapy inaccessible or not as desired an ethically guided and empirically supported resource, while also providing an outlet to support those already in therapy and wanting to add to it in an APA-guided, but holistic and proactive way. And we are in motion now to launch this dream, but it's going to take more than just me to launch this project and make it a success. So if you're willing to join me, I will jump the hoops and do the work, and I will most definitely bring you along for the ride as we write the books, take the classes, host events and classes, and welcome our first clients. Who knows, you might be one of them.
Help us journey beyond the ordinary by supporting Mama Wolf's in becoming a brick-and-mortar sanctuary for artists, healers, and the community. Our mission is to foster a space where artists and healers can grow, and individuals exploring their unique paths—whether Pagan, occult, traditional, or otherwise—can find connection and support. We aim to provide access to a human-centered healing environment, where traditional practices are elevated through creativity and collaboration. From our living Apothecary to our artists-in-residence, art therapy opportunities, group gatherings, and personalized alternative care, our goal is to offer an accessible, holistic approach to mind, body, and spirit. With your help, we will create a unique shopping experience that serves our local Pagan, occult, Indigenous, and holistic communities.
Meet The "Dream Team"
A Work in Progress: Building Our Dream Team and a Community Rooted in Healing
We are actively curating a sustainable team of creative, ethical, and compassionate individuals—practitioners, artists, healers, caretakers, and visionaries—all driven by a shared purpose: to help you reclaim ownership of your healing journey. Whether your path leads you through artistic expression, hands in the earth, sweat on your brow, or simply resting in the safety of a quiet space with an empathetic, educated ear to listen, we are here to hold that space with you.
At Willow & Root, we are not just building a team—we are nurturing a living community and support system that strives to sustain itself while also creating diverse opportunities for clients, guests, and visitors to find solace, purpose, passion, joy, comfort, and peace along the way.
Our primary mission is to show, through action and example, how art, nature, and holistic healing practices can provide profound support for those navigating grief, trauma, CPTSD/PTSD, and other mental health challenges—especially for those who have found that traditional therapy either overlooks their experiences or is simply unequipped to hold the depth of their pain and transformation.
This is not just a workplace—it’s a calling. A collaboration between practitioners and community members, where everyone is invested in each other’s success, healing, and growth. Together, we are shaping a sanctuary where both healers and those seeking healing can thrive.
Services
A Work in Progress: Developing a Living Community and Support System That Sustains Itself While Creating Opportunities for Clients and Visitors to Find Solace, Purpose, Passion, Joy, Comfort, and Peace.
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Our Primary Mission is to demonstrate how art and traditional holistic healing methods can offer meaningful support to those navigating grief, trauma, CPTSD/PTSD, and other mental health challenges — especially when traditional therapy either overlooks their needs or simply isn’t equipped to address them.
Our Gallery
Community Art Space & Galley
A Creative Sanctuary: Kilns, Portrait Studio, Classes, and Therapeutic Opportunities
Our space will be home to fully equipped kilns, a portrait studio, and a variety of classes and therapy-centered creative workshops, blending artistic expression with holistic healing. This is not just a studio — it’s a living, breathing creative sanctuary where art becomes both a tool for self-discovery and a means of financial empowerment.
We will open our doors to the greater community, welcoming visitors to experience exhibitions, markets, and showcases featuring the incredible talents of our clients and resident artists. This provides an important platform for creators to shine, profit from their work, and build confidence in their creative voices — all while fostering deeper connections between the healing community and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Through these efforts, we hope to demystify the healing power of creative expression, while also breaking down barriers between art, therapy, and everyday life. Whether someone joins us for a pottery class, an open mic night, a grief-focused art therapy session, or just to browse and support local artists, every visit helps strengthen the bridge between healing, creativity, and community growth.
Our Metaphysical General Store
Tools for Healing: A Living Apothecary & Metaphysical Market
Healing is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Part of reclaiming your health—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—is having access to tools and spaces that nourish you in every sense. For those walking holistic or alternative healing paths, having intentional, thoughtfully curated tools and spaces to gather is essential.
The Living Apothecary & Garden Harvest
Guests and clients are invited to wander through our Living Apothecary & Fresh Garden Harvest, where they can select seasonal herbs, plants, and remedies cultivated right on-site. Whether you’re crafting your own remedies, brewing healing teas, or seeking ingredients for sacred rituals, this space connects you directly to the earth’s natural medicine.
The Traditional Apothecary
Inside, our Traditional Apothecary offers a lovingly stocked collection of:
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Handcrafted soaps, balms, salves, and body care infused with natural ingredients
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Tinctures, oils, and custom herbal blends for wellness and ritual support
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Loose herbs for teas, spellwork, or holistic healing practices
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A Delightful & Insightful Tea Collection curated for both comfort and spiritual exploration
The Tea House & Bakery
No healing journey is complete without nourishment—body and soul. Our Tea House & Bakery offers a cozy space to sit, sip, and savor the moment. Guests can enjoy:
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Artisan teas blended with intention, from calming herbal infusions to energizing elixirs
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Freshly baked goods made with love, including seasonal breads, pastries, and treats
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Seasonal herbal offerings straight from our garden, featured in rotating menu specials
This space serves as more than a café—it’s a sanctuary for rest, conversation, and quiet reflection. Whether you’re journaling after a healing session, connecting with fellow seekers, or simply pausing to ground yourself, the Tea House is a space where time slows and the senses awaken.
Metaphysical Market & Tools for the Modern Mystic
In addition to herbal and edible offerings, our market supports spiritual seekers and holistic healers with:
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Sound Therapy Tools: Singing bowls, chimes, and drums for vibrational healing
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Metaphysical Essentials: Incense, resins, crystals, candles, and altar tools
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On-Site Practitioners: Tarot readers, psychics, and spiritual advisors available for walk-in or scheduled sessions
We also host regular metaphysical fairs and community events, bringing together local artisans, holistic healers, and spiritual practitioners to foster connection, education, and mutual support.
For the nontraditional practitioner—whether witch, rootworker, energy worker, or curious soul—we strive to offer tools and materials that honor diverse spiritual paths and evolving practices.
This isn’t just a store or a café—it’s a living, breathing sanctuary, where every product, plant, and practitioner contributes to our shared mission: making healing accessible, empowering people to reconnect with ancient wisdom, and fostering personal healing that ripples into collective transformation.
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Our Non For Profit Board Members
A Not-for-Profit Vision: Creating Space and Support for Practitioners to Thrive Outside the Insurance System — While Providing Clients with the Care, Access, and Compassion They Deserve.
Our mission goes beyond healing — we are building a sustainable, supportive community where holistic practitioners can earn a living wage without compromising their values, and where clients can receive the care they need, regardless of their financial situation.
Through our nonprofit model, we level the playing field — offsetting costs through our Gallery, Metaphysical General Store, Retreat Spaces, Campgrounds, and our proposed Cremation Garden & Forest.
This is, and will always be, a work in progress, with countless moving parts and a vision that grows alongside the needs of those we serve. Our Dream Team will be more than just staff — they will be active participants, invested in the success of both our community and the wider community around us.
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Our Primary Mission is to demonstrate how art and traditional holistic healing methods can offer meaningful support to those navigating grief, trauma, CPTSD/PTSD, and other mental health challenges — especially when traditional therapy either overlooks their needs or simply isn’t equipped to address them.
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Micro-House Village Retreat &
Alternative Campground
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The Birth of Willow & Root: A Sanctuary Born from Necessity
In my own personal journey to heal and seek refuge—a place where my thoughts could untangle themselves and my spirit could breathe—I searched desperately for a solitary retreat. I longed for somewhere I could wander forest trails, reconnect with the earth beneath my feet, and let nature hold me in quiet understanding. I wanted space where I could simply exist, away from the noise and demands of the world, without the constant intrusion of other people.
But that space didn’t exist—not in the way I needed it to. And so, I tried to build it for myself in bits and pieces, fashioning moments of solace where I could, though never quite successfully. This longing, this unmet need, became the seed that grew into Willow & Root. What started as the whisper of a book idea evolved into a vision for a living community—a place that could hold space for both communal healing and deeply personal solitude.
At Willow & Root, guests will have access to year-round, four-season tiny homes thoughtfully designed to accommodate personal retreats, yoga practice, and quiet reflection. Each home will offer optional food delivery services and access to holistic support from our team of practitioners, tailored to meet individual needs. Whether someone seeks complete solitude or a supportive community, Willow & Root provides the flexibility to choose.
This dream grew alongside our commitment to creating homesteading spaces, building trails meant for wandering meditation, and offering truly inclusive campgrounds. Our campgrounds will be intentionally crafted to welcome not just traditional campers, but also the nomads—those living full-time or part-time in their vans, buses, or unconventional RVs—who are so often turned away elsewhere.
At its heart, Willow & Root is more than a retreat center; it is a refuge born from lived experience—a sanctuary for those who, like me, crave a gentler, more accepting corner of the world where healing can unfold on its own terms.
Cremation Garden & Memorial
Willow & Root — the name itself is a reflection of our purpose: healing, magic, and death entwined. The willow we hold sacred is the weeping willow, its graceful branches bending low to the earth, embodying the weight of grief and the beauty found in release. Willows have long been symbols of mourning, yet they are also resilient, their roots drinking deeply from the earth, always seeking water, always finding a way to thrive even in sorrow.
And then there is the root—a tribute to those who came before us, the ancestors whose lives, loves, and lessons nourish the ground we now walk. They are the unseen foundation beneath our feet, holding us steady when grief threatens to break us apart. In this way, Willow & Root is both sanctuary and memorial, a living bridge between what was, what is, and what will be.
This is the heart of our work: honoring the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, while offering a space where healing can take root, and remembrance can blossom into something enduring, something beautiful.
So, how did we arrive at the idea of a memorial cremation garden?
At the core of Willow & Root is a profound understanding: healing isn’t just about mending the wounds we can see—it’s about holding space for the grief, the loss, the trauma, the sorrow that we so often push aside. Our work embraces the weight of these experiences, and at the center of all of it is the universal truth that grief and death touch every single life.
We wanted to offer something different—a place where saying goodbye could feel sacred and personal, not sterile or disconnected like so many traditional graveyards. Our vision is to create a memorial garden that honors the natural cycle of life, where ashes return gently to the earth, and remembrance feels organic, alive, and woven into the very landscape.
In this space, small LED flicker candles will be placed as quiet beacons of remembrance, each representing a life honored and remembered. For those who wish, nameplates can be installed alongside these lights, creating a constellation of memory along the garden paths. But memorials won’t be limited to plaques and markers—we want to offer something more meaningful, more personal.
Families and loved ones will have the option to contribute to the land itself, memorializing names through acts of creation and care. A bench placed along a favorite trail, a footbridge crossing a gentle creek, or even something as whimsical and heartfelt as a hen house dedicated to a chicken lover, or a shelter for feral cats in memory of an animal advocate. Every gesture, every memorial becomes a living tribute, a reminder that love endures through the care we continue to give.
This garden, in its essence, represents our belief that death is not an ending, but a transformation—a return to earth, to air, to spirit. Through our death doula services and other grief support offerings, we hold this garden as the final, gentle embrace of our work: tending to the living as they release their dead, holding space for memory, and celebrating the beauty found in the delicate threshold between life and death.
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Special Events & Occasions
Like I said, Willow & Root will be here for all aspects of its community — a home for healing and a home for celebration. A space where grief and joy walk hand in hand, where we honor what was, embrace what is, and welcome what’s yet to come.
Just as we hold space for farewells, we also make room for beginnings. Weddings, handfastings, vow renewals, and milestone celebrations all have a place here — beneath the open sky, under the sheltering arms of ancient trees, surrounded by the very earth and life we work so hard to honor. Love and joy deserve sacred ground just as much as grief and remembrance.
Here, the land itself is part of the story. Every step along our woodland trails, every bench carved with care, every stone placed to mark a memory — all of it speaks to the truth that life and death are never separate. They are part of the same sacred dance. The earth, in her quiet wisdom, holds the memories of those who came before and offers fertile ground for all that’s yet to grow.
Weddings and celebrations here become more than just moments in time; they become woven into the very fabric of this place. Vows exchanged beneath the willows, laughter echoing through the gardens, and hands clasped in joy beside the same waters that once carried someone’s tears. This is the beauty of living close to the earth — every celebration feeds the soil, every farewell nurtures the roots, and the land itself remembers.
At Willow & Root, we are not afraid to embrace the whole of life — birth and death, loss and love, endings and beginnings. This is not just a retreat or a sanctuary, but a living, breathing testament to the fullness of life.
It will stand as a gentle reminder that life is not a straight path, but a winding trail — one where sorrow may darken the skies, but beauty always waits just around the bend. Here, every sunrise brings the promise of possibility, and every sunset reminds us to rest, reflect, and begin again.
There is more to come — and it is wonderful.
The Land We Seek
Land and Legacy: The Heart of Willow & Root’s Future
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At the core of the Copper Penny Van Quest is a deeply personal mission — to live, work, and promote both myself as Mama Wolf and to introduce the world to Willow & Root, all while saving toward a larger dream: securing a substantial piece of land on the ocean. This land will become the permanent home for our community, providing a sanctuary where healing meets the sea and sky, where our clients and visitors can experience the profound healing power of both forest and tide.
We are seeking a minimum of nine acres, though our true vision reaches closer to twelve or thirteen acres, giving us the space to partner with local forest services and the tribal community to steward the land with respect and intention. This isn’t just about ownership — it’s about active caretaking and working collaboratively to preserve, protect, and honor the land’s spirit and history.
Honoring Indigenous Roots
Acknowledging and honoring the Indigenous community tied to the land is not just important — it’s essential. Willow & Root’s foundation is built on the belief that healing happens through connection: to the earth, to history, to ancestors, and to the wisdom carried forward by Indigenous healers, artists, and knowledge keepers. I’ve had the profound privilege of learning from elders, friends, and teachers across various communities and families. Their kindness, guidance, and willingness to share traditional teachings not only enhanced my personal healing journey but opened my eyes to the gaps, erasures, and distortions within our mainstream understanding of history and wellness.
Willow & Root aims to bridge those gaps — not by speaking over Indigenous voices, but by making space for them within our community. From collaborating with Indigenous artists and craftspeople, to hosting healing ceremonies, to inviting cultural educators to share their wisdom, we intend to build this space with respect and reciprocity at its heart.
A Trust, Not Just a Title
The land itself will be held in trust for the mission, ensuring that it can never be sold off or developed for anything outside of our core purpose. It will be a living legacy, protected for future generations of healers, seekers, artists, and those in need of sanctuary. Through this trust, we honor not only the land’s original caretakers, but also the ongoing story of healing and renewal that Willow & Root exists to offer.