Rev. Christie Bates (She/Her/Hers)

I lived in Alabama for the first 18 years, then Tennessee from my college years until recently, when I moved to Mississippi to be available to my first grandchild. The road I've traveled personally has always included two lanes of spirituality and psychology. It's been a lifelong study in how to help myself and others overcome unnecessary suffering. I use highly effective skills for addressing many aspects of the human condition.
Contemplative study in secular, Christian, and Buddhist settings culminated in Ordination as a Dharmacharya of the Embracing Simplicity Contemplative Order founded by Venerable Pannavati and Venerable Pannadipa of Heartwood Refuge and Retreat Center.
I have offered both "lanes" of practice in residential treatment for those addressing trauma symptoms and co-occurring issues, as well as in religious retreat settings, professional workshops, and individual spiritual direction when requested. You have free access to my most recent creative projects, which have been the the "Deep South Dharma" podcast (on most major platforms) and writing at acharyachristinebates.medium.com - I also offer meditation training that is freely available to all through deepsouthdharma.org

My work is devoted to uprooting the causes of suffering. People engaged in that work, whether clients, colleagues or teachers, are my favorite people to spend time with. I especially value Brainspotting as a form of contemplative trauma care. Also, as a practitioner guided by research, I am Intuitive Eating-educated and a HAES advocate. Your body is your vehicle for awakening, not an object to be shaped according to the prevailing bias of the day.

In addition to hearing from you about your needs, I sometimes offer some introduction to Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems therapy, or a meditation practice that could be useful to you. At the end of that first session, I often hear things like, "Well, now I'm excited. This is the most hopeful I've felt in a long time!"

I encountered suffering early in life and yet had a sense that it didn't have to be that way. My experiences of healing both freed and inspired me to gain skill in helping others heal themselves.