Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
How much are sessions, and how do I pay?
All session prices are listed in the Booking section
Payment is due on the day of your session and can be made via:
-Venmo: @sevanmercy
-Cash or check (in-person only)
-Through Acuity's Scheduler
You are responsible for your full fee unless otherwise arranged.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Yes, because of my own benefit from sliding scales and experiences, I offer sliding-scale spots for committed, long-term clients who experience genuine financial need, with limited income and no access to generational wealth.
Sliding scale is not intended for those who have access to financial stability, such as those with savings, investments, property ownership, regular vacations, or other material privileges.
Alexis J Cunningfolk, creator of The Green Bottle sliding-scale model, says this: “If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship.
If you're unsure where you fall on the spectrum, I’m happy to talk it through with you. Mutual respect and honesty are the foundation of this offering.
Why can’t I book one session at a time?
I desire to work with folks who are committed to the process, and this means more than one session. The work I do takes time to take root, for us to develop rapport, and for you to develop new neural pathways and disrupt outdated patterns. Though benefit is received with one session, the real gold happens over time, incrementally. After a good chunk of time together, then most clients resort to a once a month maintenance check-in.
What is your refund policy?
Any sessions that have already been used are not eligible for refund. If you’ve purchased a package and decide to end our work together with remaining sessions, I can refund you for those unused sessions.
What’s your scheduling and cancellation policy?
Both of us will do our best to honor scheduled sessions.
That said, I live with two autoimmune conditions and am a parent. There may be rare occasions when I need to cancel last-minute. In that spirit, I extend the same flexibility to you- there’s no penalty for late cancellations.
My priority is to show up with presence and full capacity. I appreciate your patience and understanding. If my rescheduling needs don’t work for you, I completely respect your decision not to continue.
If there are repeated last-minute cancellations on your end, we may check in together to reassess your current capacity and desire for this work.
Do you offer sessions virtually or in person?
All sessions are currently offered online via Zoom. This allows for flexible scheduling and accessibility across time zones. For people in Milwaukee, WI, I do offer home visits depending on the circumstances. For Sound Healing, the location will be at your home or location of the private group sound bath.
What’s the difference between Relational and Transformational Coaching?
There’s overlap, and sometimes we draw on both. Relational Coaching focuses more specifically on how you relate; with others, with your own emotions, with patterns of closeness or distance. Transformational Coaching holds broader life transitions and identity shifts.
FAQs- For Sound Baths
What should I bring?
Please bring anything that will help you feel comfortable resting on the floor (for groups) for about an hour. If it’s a 1:1 private session, I’ll provide a cushioned mat. This might include:
A yoga mat or padded surface
Blanket or shawl
Eye pillow or scarf
Pillow or bolster for under your head or knees
Water bottle
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable, layered clothing that allows you to fully relax. You may want to dress warmly, as the body can cool down when deeply relaxed.
Do I need any experience with meditation or sound healing?
Not at all. These sessions are open to everyone, regardless of experience. You simply show up and receive.
What might I feel during a sound bath?
Everyone responds differently. Some people feel deep relaxation, spaciousness, or even fall asleep. Others experience emotional release, visual imagery, bodily sensations, or subtle energy shifts. All responses are valid. There’s no “right” way to receive sound, as whatever happens is what your body needs.
The ideal brainwave state for sound baths is a blend of alpha and theta waves, which are associated with relaxation, deep meditation, and creativity. Sound baths use instruments like singing bowls and gongs to entrain brainwaves, shifting them from the typically active beta state to these more relaxed states.
Is this suitable for people who are pregnant?
Yes, generally sound baths are safe and supportive for pregnancy, though it’s important to listen to your own body and bring enough pillows and such to be comfortable. Please let me know ahead of time if you’re pregnant so we can discuss how to make it comfortable for you.
Can sound baths affect people with trauma, anxiety, or PTSD?
Sound can bring up emotions or activate the nervous system, especially in sensitive individuals. If you have a history of trauma, please feel free to reach out beforehand to share anything you’d like me to be aware of. I hold space gently and nonjudgmentally and can help you find ways to feel safe and resourced throughout the session.
Is this a private or group offering?
I offer both. You can book a 1:1 sound session for personalized support, or join a public group sound bath. Let me know which you’d prefer.
How long is the session?
Most sound baths last between 60–75 minutes, including a short welcome and closing. Private sessions may be customized in length and format.
FAQs – Ancestral Lineage Healing
Do I need to know my ancestry or family history to do this work?
No. This work is accessible to everyone, regardless of how much you know about your lineage. The process is relational and intuitive, based on direct connection with your ancestors in spirit, beyond memory, records, or DNA tests. Though, any information and knowledge you bring to the session will support the process.
Is this religious or cultural appropriation?
No. Every culture in the world has roots of ancestral veneration and relationship. Many of us have lost touch with this reality. This specific modality was developed by Dr. Daniel Foor of Ancestral Medicine. It’s held with cultural humility, discernment, and respect for diverse ancestral traditions, without dogma or any religious affiliation. I aim to support you in reconnecting with your own ancestral roots and practices in ways that are ethical and reverent.
What happens in a session?
We usually begin with one ancestral line and follow it through to a place of wellness before beginning another. This allows for deeper healing and relationship building with each lineage. You’ll be led through a step-by-step process to assess the wellness of a line, connect with a lineage guide, and begin or continue healing. We’ll use prayer, dialogue, intuition, and guided reflection to support a safe and clear connection. After the four foundational lines are ancestralized, we can move onto secondary lineages, harmonizing lineages, and investigating deeper, broader cultural themes. It’s important to name that I am not channeling your Ancestors, nor doing any of the work for you. This is you connecting with your people, and your Well Ancestors doing the heavy lifting.
What if I’m new to ritual or spirituality?
You don’t have to believe in anything specific or come from a spiritual background. Ritual is simply about connection and intention. You’ll be guided by your Well Ancestors, and through that process get in touch with your intuition and communication. If you’d like, we can book a spiritual mentorship session to get you started with some intuition and ritual-safety basics, though it is not necessary.
How many sessions will I need?
This depends on your intention and how much healing a lineage may need. Some lines are more resourced than others. Generally, one lineage may take 2–5 sessions to fully heal, though meaningful shifts can happen right away. We’ll move at a pace that feels grounded and doable for you and your people.
What might I feel during or after a session?
You may feel calm, emotional, spacious, energized, tired, or simply curious. This work is gentle but deep, and it often continues to unfold after the session ends. Integration may include dreams, synchronicities, shifts in your relationships, or a stronger sense of rootedness and support.
Is this safe for people with trauma or mental health challenges?
Yes, and it’s best if you’re feeling mentally and emotionally stable and resourced. For example, it could potentially be activating if you’re in a state of so-called psychosis, so we would want to wait until you reach a level of groundedness. If you have specific concerns, I welcome you to reach out beforehand so I can better support your needs.
How is this different from other forms of ancestor work?
Many modern ancestor practices focus on honoring or venerating the dead as they are. In this work, we first assess the wellness of each lineage and focus on healing unwell or burdened patterns before building a more active relationship. The emphasis is on repair, trust, and long-term connection with the wise and well ancestors.
Do I need special tools or ritual items?
No special tools are required. That said, you’re welcome to gather candles, photos, sacred objects, or anything that helps you feel connected. All that’s needed is your openness and presence.
FAQs – Transformational Coaching
What happens in a session?
Each session is spacious and guided by what’s most alive for you. It may involve you sharing your story, and me pausing you to reflect on themes and beliefs I hear you speaking on. We may include somatic inquiry, inner parts work, energetic attunement, ritual, or intuitive reflection. The focus is on honoring what’s unfolding and helping you feel more grounded, clear, and connected.
How is this different from therapy or life coaching?
While this work can feel therapeutic, it’s not therapy- which often aims to diagnose and implement a treatment plan, nor is it life-coaching which is goal-oriented and often more mentally / cognitively focused. This is present, attuned, nonjudgemental, and trusts your emergent wisdom.
What might I feel after a session?
People often report feeling clearer, more resourced, and more connected to their inner truth, a sense of self-acceptance, a feeling of being “allowed to just be.” Sometimes the process stirs emotions or insights that take time to unfold. I’ll offer integration support and suggestions if needed.
How long are the sessions and how often should I book?
Sessions are typically 60 minutes. This is best when approached with consistency and commitment, so I would recommend starting with 3 sessions. Frequency depends on your needs- some people come weekly or biweekly for a period, others drop in as needed. We can co-create a rhythm that feels supportive for you.
What do your clients say about working with you?
Many clients say they feel comforted, deeply seen, and gently expanded in my presence. They often describe our work as a space where they reconnect with their own wisdom and a frequency of possibility, especially when things feel unclear or tender, or they feel misunderstood and unseen.
FAQs – Relational Coaching
Who is this for?
This is for anyone wanting to heal or deepen how they relate with partners, family, friends, community, or themselves. For individuals and couples/partners.
What happens in a session?
Each session is a co-created space. We might explore present-moment feelings, relational dynamics, body-based cues, or core beliefs. I draw from somatic therapy, attachment theory, parts work, and nervous system regulation, all woven with a spirit of deep listening, unshaming curiosity, and care.
Do I need to be in a relationship to do this work?
Nope. This work is just as powerful if you're single, healing from past relationships, or wanting to explore your relational template. All relationships- romantic, platonic, familial, ancestral, spiritual- can be part of the conversation.
Is this the same as couples therapy?
Not exactly. I don’t offer couples work in the traditional therapy sense, but I do support people in unpacking relationship dynamics; whether you’re preparing for, in, or moving through partnership.
What tools or frameworks do you use?
I draw from somatic therapy, trauma-informed coaching, Internal Family Systems, nervous system work, animism, and anti-supremacy frameworks. Sessions are experiential, not prescriptive. Meaning we focus on what’s happening with you in the moment, not just concepts or advice.
What might I feel after a session?
You might feel clearer, more spacious, emotionally stirred, relieved, or more connected to your truth. Sometimes old patterns start to shift. I’ll offer grounding support and suggestions for integration if helpful.
What do your clients say about this work?
Clients often describe my presence as calming, nonjudgmental, and gently expansive. They say our work helps them feel more connected to their own wisdom- body and mind, have a better sense of boundaries and how to choose them, gain more understanding of their own inner workings and their partners or children, more choiceful in their responses, and more capable of intimacy- on their own terms.