Meet Elise Walker | Holistic mental health promoter, author, CBT Practitioner and Certified Auricular Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elise Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elise, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?    

“Humans are human and will do human things.” – W. Lisk

This statement resonates with my core values of compassion and not taking things personally. I value being heard, feeling precious, being accountable, and, most importantly, being understood and not having to live up to perfection. Not every choice we make is labeled “good or bad.” Sometimes, a choice is just a choice; it is neither. Yet, we tend to overthink as a defense mechanism and unfairly judge.
    People make mistakes, we make mistakes, and how we heal and resolve makes the difference. I am not saying there is no accountability; that is a huge part, but we can speak to each other from curiosity instead of judgment. The saying, “Humans are human and will do human things,” sets a good foundation for not taking things personally while encouraging healthy accountability, which, by design, allows a person to grow. Shame is paralyzing, healthy guilt is motivating, and to move forward, we must accept we are human.

Can you introduce your business to our readers? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others.

I have combined my passion for writing and graphic art with my behavioral health practice and have partially completed “The World Can Wait” book series. The first of the series, “The World Can Wait, So Talk To Me,” is available.

The series follows characters through their challenges and adventures in recovering from trauma. In book one, the character is a female named Sabrina; in book two, it is a group of men coping with grief and anger and feeling misunderstood. The design and format of the book are specifically dedicated to those who have ADHD, c-PTSD, or trauma-related cognition challenges and for others who like to have fun while they’re learning. 

For example, when someone is in the middle of a panic attack, and their amygdala is hijacking their prefrontal cortex, they can end up in a dorsal vagal response and/or fight-flight freeze fawn. Clear thinking is challenging. They may not be able to remember what page to turn to in a self-help book that is hundreds of pages long, so getting help can feel overwhelming. I was inspired to design a book that makes it easier to find help and validation, especially when a person is emotionally dysregulated or shame-spiraling. The book is described as childlike fun while learning about deep topics. Every page has full-color art and emotional support.

The biography on the back of the book “The World Can Wait, So Talk To Me…” says,

Elise Walker is a Cognitive Behavioral Health Practitioner and a Trauma-Informed Educator. She regularly earns ACCMEs from Harvard Medical School to stay updated with the latest practices. Her passion is distilling complicated topics into more accessible information that can be easily and quickly applied to life. 

Since the age of four, she has been an avid reader. As an adult, she continues that love of learning and has made it her goal to share it with others.
In 5th grade, Elise brought her books to school and made a library for her classroom. She created library punch cards and encouraged the other kids to check out her books and read them. As an adult, she is writing her own instead of sharing someone else’s books. One of her motivations to write, educate, and share is her love of the word “hope.” Without Elise realizing it, she began researching this book in 1990 while learning applied behavioral analytics. She saw children who needed assistance due to generational trauma. Looking at her peers, she saw many women struggling to be the “superwoman” without a “cape,” they needed emotional support and help with their pasts. She desired to help them build healthy families.
Her wish is that this book is a starting place for the people who need hope. Holding out for hope and a better life takes courage. Whether you are dealing with anxiety or dysregulation, Elise feels that turning to any page in this easy-to-digest book can give hope, support, or emotional regulation tools.
Gone are the days of loaning her large psychology textbooks
to the people she wants to help.
The “The World Can Wait…” series is the dream of the little girl who loved to read, brought to life by the woman who loves to help people learn and find hope.

Elise Walker has donated time and experience to non-profits such as the Community Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House, YOTO, and Casa De Los Ninos, and worked for many years with young adults and teens who were considered “at risk.” Many youth she has worked with have gone on to have college educations, successful careers, and happy families. She has attended every single one of their graduations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I like to keep in mind that most people visiting are not accustomed to the heat, and maybe in my age range (the 50s), and could have challenges doing massive hikes or physical activities. I would take my friends to the places that have inspired me my whole life.  Catalina State Park, where I would start the mild hike across the wash to the Romero Pools trail. I would stop about twenty minutes in, sit on the bench, and watch the sunset silently. 

Early in the morning during the cool part of the day, I would make sure to visit Sabino Canyon and ride the tram, learning about the area’s geology and animal life.

Next, we would drive to Phoenix and visit the Japanese Friendship Garden, hopefully on a full moon. We would enjoy watching the moon while lying in the peaceful surroundings of the garden, it is entrancing and dreamy. It is a beautiful place and the perfect time to recharge and start anew and practice the mindfulness that I encourage my clients to practice.

Our adventures would continue as we arrived at the Butterfly Garden in Phoenix, a favorite destination. When viewing the butterflies, we could see in person the story I use with clients; it illustrates the similarities of the metamorphosis between a human in change and a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

The illustration is as follows…We start as cute little caterpillars, doing our busy little things. Then, when it’s time and change is introduced to us (whether we want the change or it was forced upon us), we climb into our cocoon. It takes strenuous effort to build our cocoon and protect ourselves, building a wall that will eventually need to go away, but at the moment, it is imperative for our survival…then when the breeze arrives, and the sun is bright, we toil our way out of our cocoon. However, before we fly, our wings are still wet, we are susceptible to danger, and we need patience to wait for our wings to fully expand before we can take off and fly. That is the most challenging time to be patient when we are most fragile and vulnerable.
    But note the time in the story, the time that most people rush over, the cocoon part. While in a cocoon, the butterfly is vulnerable, uncomfortable, and hypersensitive to touch. Inside the cocoon, things are goopy and messy—much like life. We need to push through the change, be patient with ourselves, and know that while change is not easy, it is vital for survival.
    I sometimes encourage clients to visit the Butterfly Garden and journal about their feelings when they see the butterflies’ growth in real-time and compare it to their own. 

The next day after returning to Tucson, I would take them to the cozy and excellent venue of Dante’s Fire, which has an award-winning chef, Ken Foy. My guests would enjoy the comforting cuisine of Dante’s Fire brunch in a relaxed environment.
For a relaxing time, I would take them to Spa Daze for a massage.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

When we were little, our parents bought us the “good” crayons and books at the yearly Scholastic book fairs and displayed our art and writings on the fridge and in my dad’s workshop. They enjoyed reading to us from babyhood. My mom read us a large chapter book on summer vacations, and my dad used his voice to read to us in different characters that made us roar with laughter before sleep time. I encourage the parents I work with to read to their children regularly. My siblings are my cheerleaders and quiet strengths. 

My husband has been supportive of my artistic and academic endeavors. My joy of academia has never threatened him, and I wholeheartedly love him sharing in my writing adventure. He enjoys watching me creatively problem-solve, whether in the medical field or as an author. He looks forward to reading my next book, which is designed for men and concerns behavioral health.
Our intelligent and kind son shares my passion for writing about behavioral health. He writes articles and worksheets that I use with clients. 

My mentors are Dr. Michael Miles and Dr. Jorge Cochran.
From 2002 to 2019 the late Dr. Michael Miles encouraged me to bring awareness of behavioral endocrinology to the public in a format that would be user-friendly and quick reference so those who wanted emotional support did not have to wade through extensive medical journals. Instead, they could find relief quickly while having a quality of life.
My most influential mentor is Dr. Jorge Cochran, the gold standard for combining medical care, psychological care, and emotional support. Who, by example, showed me over twenty years how to dovetail those three modalities flawlessly. Providing complete and comprehensive health care to his patients is what I hope to imitate and provide to those I work with. May his retirement be as blessed as his career.

Website: www.azcrossroads.net and NGHL.org

Instagram: azcrossroads_elise

Other: My son and I have an app called ALOHA CARDS, which is available for Apple and Android devices. It is for behavioral health on the go. It uses DBT, CBT, and Chain Analysis and has space for note-taking and journaling. 

TikTok business account is @Owlandcat2023 

My book is available via Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes and Noble. Titled: The World Can Wait So Talk To Me by Elise Walker The book is about generational trauma, how to change so we don’t pass it on, and about guilt and shame. It has in-the-moment skills when experiencing emotional dysregulation or shame spirals and has helped many alter their parenting techniques for more positive outcomes. If they aren’t parents or their children are already adults, it supports the changes to make to heal relationships. 

Image Credits
Rachel Noble Images