Hi! I’m Cecilie
Spreading the science of well-being lights me up!
I’m a positive psychology practitioner and certified yoga teacher. I apply my expertise in the science of well-being, stress-reduction, yoga, and trauma-informed mind and body practices to help people boost their well-being. I offer 1:1 sessions, workshop facilitation, and retreats. I can teach you evidence-based strategies and tools to nurture your mind-body wellness, reduce stress, regulate your nervous system, ignite your strengths, and build resilience.
Scroll to learn more about my expertise & credentials, my story, values, & some fun facts about me!
My Expertise
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Positive Psychology
I hold a Master Degree in Applied Positive Psychology.
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of well-being & human flourishing on individual-, group-, and organizational level.
Positive psychology has helped me tremendously in my own life. It feels very meaningful to me to share these powerful tools and strategies with my clients through 1:1 well-being counseling and positive psychology workshops.
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Yoga & Mindfulness
I hold several yoga teacher certifications and mindfulness trainings.
Yoga is a set of mental, physical, and spiritual practices with roots that goes back 5 thousand years to Indian traditions. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgement.
I was drawn to yoga 12+ years ago when I experienced amazing benefits of practicing on my mental health. I was inspired to pursue yoga teacher trainings so I could offer these powerful practices to other people.
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Trauma-Informed Practices
I have completed a teacher training in trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness.
I am committed to offer all my services with a trauma-informed approach and making my services accessible to individuals with different backgrounds and experiences.
Credentials
Education
• Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP), University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology, New York University (New York, New York)
Trainings & Certifications
• 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at SHAKTIBARRE (New York, New York)
• Trauma-informed yoga teacher training with Exhale to Inhale (New York, New York)
• Yin and restorative yoga teacher training at SHAKTIBARRE (New York, New York)
• Eight-week Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT, developed at Stanford University) with Joshua Steinfeldt (Remotely)
• Meditation training with Cory Muscara at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Six-week yoga teaching mentorship with Shauny Lamba at SHAKTIBARRE (New York, New York)
My Story
I grew up just outside of Oslo, Norway. I've always been a social scientist at heart and have been curious about other people and cultures my whole life. During my teenage years, someone very close to me experienced serious mental health challenges, which further strengthened my interested in psychology. I started to take psychology electives in high school. I wanted to understand mental health so I could help others and also understand myself better. My interest in psychology developed into a passion and I soon became determined to go to university for psychology.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to study abroad and live in a big city. During my gap year after high school, worked hard on improving my English skills and I applied to universities in the two big cities I knew of: New York and London. One of the happiest moments of my life was when I was accepted to my absolute first choice - NYU! In August 2013, I moved to New York to pursue a Bachelors of Science degree in Applied Psychology at NYU.
During my senior year in college, I enrolled in the popular course "The Science of Happiness" with Dan Lerner and Alan Schlecther. The strategies and mindsets I took away from this class changed my life for the better. Positive psychology focuses on nurturing well-being and strengths, and this perspective really resonated with me. After graduating college, I started working as a teacher assistant / recitation facilitator for the class. I taught undergraduate students about positive psychology and well-being theory, research, and practice. I also guided them through weekly evidence-based positive psychology interventions. I felt a strong calling to continue my psychology education with a focus on positive psychology.
Outside of my studies, I practiced yoga consistently. I experienced powerful benefits on my physical and mental well-being from doing yoga. It was exciting to me that the research papers I read during my studies provided scientific evidence of the benefits of yoga and mindfulness practice. I wanted to share these powerful practices with other people as their teacher. Therefore, I decided to pursue yoga teacher trainings in vinyasa, trauma-informed yoga, yin, and restorative yoga. I taught yoga in the city and volunteered as a teacher for the NGO Exhale to Inhale which provides trauma-informed yoga classes to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
In 2018, I was accepted to the Master in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at University of Pennsylvania. During my master degree, I immersed myself in the scientific study of the factors that allows individuals, groups, and organizations to thrive, learning from the pioneers in the field. My capstone project was on self-permission, exploring how we need to let go of guilt and give ourself permission to attend to our well-being and health in intentional ways.
In April 2020, I very suddenly had to move back to Oslo, due to the covid 19 pandemic. As it was for many people, the pandemic was a challenging time for me. I utilized all the strategies from positive psychology to take care of myself and those around me during a difficult time period. I worked a remote corporate day job in UX research for a few years while providing yoga and well-being services on the side. At the beginning of 2024, I was laid off from this corporate job due to a challenging time in the tech industry. This was just the kick in the but that I needed to re-align with what I truly care about and fully focus on my work as a positive psychology counselor and yoga teacher.
Currently, I love my work as a well-being practitioner. It gives me so much meaning to support other people on their well-being journeys!
Thank you for being here :)
Some Fun Facts About Me
• I’m obsessed with dark chocolate and enjoy chocolate pretty much every day!
• I have 2 younger sisters and I’m frequently told that I’m giving “big sister energy.”
• One of the most “Norwegian” things about me, is probably that I’ve been skiing my whole life. As soon as I could walk, my parents put cross-country skis on my feet!
• I love big city vibes! I lived in New York for almost 7 years, from age 20 to 27. I feel like New York made me who I am today, and I still consider myself a New Yorker.
• I’m a very curious person, and I’m all about having new experiences and trying new things, whether that is trying out a new group fitness class format, food I haven’t tasted before, or traveling and exploring a new culture.
• To me, there’s nothing more comforting that a cup of tea, and I enjoy my tea all day, every day!
My Values
• As a provider of well-being resources and services, I believe in an individualized approach. I pull from my expertise in positive psychology, yoga, and trauma-informed techniques to facilitate a unique experience for each individual or team that I work with.
• I believe in a relaxed and relatable counseling style. I’m all about deep listening and forming authentic connections with the people I work with.
• I value learning. I’m committed to be a life-long learner and stay up to date on the newest research in my fields of expertise.
• I value inclusivity and accessibility. As a straight cis white woman, I resolve to acknowledge my privileges and limitations. I am committed to learning from individuals with different identities and lived experiences than my own (including you), so that I can provide the most supportive care possible.
