Kate Flore is an occupational therapist, educator, and Gestalt facilitator. She believes that we are all an instrument of healing – first for ourselves, and then for others and that healing is best done within a supportive community container. She began her profession researching population health disparities at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland and the Altarum Institute in Washington DC. She has a master’s degree in public health, a clinical license in occupational therapy and is on faculty at the Esalen Institute.
After a decade of competitive cycling coupled with a high stress job and lots of desk work, Kate realized that her body had taken the shape of her occupations – her feet off the ground and head forward – limiting movement and self-expression.
In her recovery from an injury that left her left arm and hand without function, a combination of movement therapies (yoga, pilates, Gyrotonic), bodywork (Rolf Structural Integration and the Feldenkrais Method) and learning therapeutic touch began to re-integrate her limb. Being part of the Esalen community re-integrated her spirit. During her training at Esalen, Kate discovered the power of group Gestalt relational process, “Open Seat”, to integrate bodywork and support personal agency. Blending these modalities, she has dedicated her teachings and clinical practice to helping others find ease in body, movement, and spirit. She brings these practices to vulnerable populations including our correctional system, people with terminal illness, and children with severe disabilities. She serves on boards for Vision Walkers Collective and Compassionate Care ALS.
As co-founder and educator for TensegrityU, Kate is committed to helping support practitioners develop the eyes, hands, body mechanics, presence and professionalism needed to deliver effective holistic and client-centered work.
Kate has trained in Gyrotonic and Pilates and in the Feldenkrais Method with Harriet Goslins, Russell Delman, Jeff Haller, and Raz Ori, and Gestalt Relational Process with Dorothy Charles and Christine Price. She is a student of anatomist and dissection teacher Gil Hedley. She lives and practices in Nevada City, CA and at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA.
