Thank you for visiting Virtuous Archetypal Exploration & Healing!
My personal mission is: To Create Joy and Balance in my life by seeking Healing & Growth.
My professional mission is: To Create space and provide services for those seeking to find healing and growth.
I believe life is an opportunity to continually seek healing and growth leading to greater joy, balance, and new opportunities of all kinds. All one must do is choose to meet the challenge. This is not an adventure for the weak. It takes great vulnerability, honesty, sincerity, and commitment. Healing and growing is not a linear process. And, it does require that you continually find your way back to the path. The cumulative effect of meeting yourself on the path is experienced over time and leads to a more rewarding and fulfilling life.
The question is... At what point will you begin and how will you stay connected to your Journey Within?
Introduction & History:
Greetings!
If you do not already know, my name is Donald Nicely. I am sharing this brief biography for those seeking help to understand the type of person I am, as well as the experience and training I have that allows me to feel confident in my ability to help guide others on a path of healing and growth. I realize my honesty might turn some of you away. At the same time, in my personal journey, I have found the greatest support and encouragement came from those who were honest about their own experiences.
I grew up the youngest of four children in a single-parent household. My father was absent until a brief time in my adult life. For generations my family was plagued with addictions, physical and psychological abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional trauma. Those traumas, co-dependent behaviors, and faulty coping mechanisms were passed down from generation to generation. As a child, I was largely a loner. I was either picked on or ignored by my family and peers. I dropped out of high school drop-out and started developing addictions to cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol in my early adolescence.
Through a variety of experiences, I obtained my GED at the age of 25 and enrolled in a community college (Cincinnati State) shortly after my 26th birthday. I have been on a path of healing and growth, and assisting others to do the same ever since. It has not all been pretty. There has been a lot of success and failure. I have been through 2 divorces, struggled financially due to poor choices and inadequate money management skills, and I have passed on some unhealthy behaviors to my children.
Education, Training, & Certifications:
I obtained my BA in Human Development (Social Work) and my MA in Conflict Resolution from Antioch University Midwest in Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA. I have a 500 Level Yoga Certification and Thai Yoga Massage Certification from the Cincinnati Yoga School (Lotus Yoga Temple) in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. I was trained as a facilitator for The Virtues Project in Seattle, Washington, USA and I sat in a weekly men's group with The Mankind Project for more than a decade. I did my initiation weekend with The Mankind Project in Bedford, Indiana, USA. Additionally, I have completed hundreds of hours of supplemental training while working in social services.
Professional Experience:
I spent over twenty years working in social services with diverse populations, including directing multi-million dollar programs and facilities including, but not limited to, 125-bed halfway house, group homes for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, transitional housing and work programs for homeless veterans, and directed programs for the YMCA. I have supervised clinical teams and been responsible for all aspects of managing facilities and programming. As a Special Projects Director I led a multi-disciplinary team of more than 15 members to create a comprehensive curriculum.
I have planned, created materials for, and led diverse personal development workshops for a variety of groups and provided services to multiple coaching clients. I have taught yoga and performed Thai Yoga Massage (including internationally), assisted with Yoga Teacher Trainings, and was the lead co-founder of a non-profit organization. In addition, I have drafted business plans, started Social Enterprise Ventures, and have owned and operated 2 unrelated successful businesses.