About Me

Facilitator: Erin Tajime Castelan

I am passionate about peaceful meaningful communication.

I enjoy discovering and teaching techniques for calm interactions, authentic relating, ways of “getting someone’s world” in order to facilitate reaching common ground and better understandings.

In 1998, my upset over the tragic Columbine school shooting incident in Colorado, led me to want to help disgruntled people feel heard, connected and understood. I wanted to help make a profound difference in people lives.

I wanted to help people feel less marginalized and misunderstood or rejected; to minimize unhappiness from lack of inclusion. My hope was if all people had tools to connect better, fewer would be so terribly unhappy and fewer disgruntled people would lash out in retaliatory violence aiming to kill others. It is a troubling public statement of overwhelming unchecked distress,

I got trained in and volunteered as a community mediator in order to help make a positive impact for those lacking in the knowledge and abilities to settle conflicts and differences well on their own.

I entered into mediation as a way to help others live satisfying inspired empowered lives; to help decrease retaliatory violence in our society.

For over forty-five years; I have delighted in studying Behavior Sciences, Psychology, Marshall Rosenberg’s teaching of Non-Violent Communication, the Quaker’s Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP) and Selwa Said’s Effective Communication.

After discovering Laura Davis’ fabulous book on reconciliation titled: “I Thought We Would Never Speak Again”. I was so thrilled with her outlook and perspective I took writing classes with her as a writing coach.

Most recently since mid 2019, I participated in many weekend workshops and a year long training with The Circling Institute, in Berkeley, CA, as well as delightful Relational Games and other offers with Authentic Relating in Austin, TX.

I trained in mediation, grief counseling, somatic principles, and other healing arts, and explored and experienced many different psychological processes, along with body-mind connections, Buddhism, meditation, and embodied movement and dance.

I have served as a Grief Counselor, Mediator, Mural Artist, Art Teacher, Writer, Performance Artist, and Massage Therapist. I practice Yoga and meditation and am very fond of Buddhist principles, and live by a motto; “First do not harm”.

I am dedicated to compassion and forgiveness as tools for inspired health, healing dis-ease, mending relationships and living nonviolently.

Due to my own experience shifting emotional suffering and physical pain in miraculous ways by addressing deeper feelings and conflicts; I feel drawn to help others.

I am passionate about the value and benefits that come from slowing down a conversation to learn what is happening to cause an upset and what is motivating each party.

I love helping people really hear and discover aspects about another person and themselves they may not already know – especially in response to new information.

Through my compassionate approach I help people discover heart-felt connections, with themselves and each other. Which leads to experiencing the freedom and enjoyment of being better understood and more fulling seeing and understanding themselves and another.

I assist clients in living a liberated uplifted empowered lives that arise from learning and practicing exploring effective communication skills.

On my free time I am either painting, writing, enjoying a redwood forest, on a drive to the coast, or on an easy flat bike ride at the Baylands.

Blessings.

May your path show you previous unknown information that uplifts your outlook and encourages deeper exploration and acceptance of our humanity.