About Us

Jill Shames graduated with her MSW from Boston University with a specialization in Health Care in 1983. As a Clinical Social Worker, she has “had the backs” of folks of all ages and stages dealing with medical challenges both in the hospital and out in the community. She is also a professionally trained Rape Crisis Counselor and an Advanced Black Belt Instructor of Shorin-ryu Karate. Little wonder that, when she discovered the Feminist (now the Empowerment) Self- Defense community, she dove right. She has been an ESD practitioner and internationally recognized trainer for over 35 years. Jill’s Therapeutic Tool Box includes Internal Family Systems (IFS) as well as mind-body resilience and recovery techniques. Her somatic work is rooted in traditional Martial Arts & holistic self-defense and powered by the most current and empirically sound psychophysiology and neuroplasticity knowledge she can find. In addition to her work with people challenged by chronic dizziness, Jill works with neurodiverse kids and teens and both children and adults touched by cancer. She also volunteers on the Psychotrauma Team of Israel’s United Hatzalah rescue organization both in Israel and abroad. Along the way, Jill has managed to enjoy four-plus decades with her husband/life-partner despite raising four incredible, independent human beings each making their mark on the world in their own unique and powerful way. She loves music, learning new stuff, detective fiction, dogs, cats, coffee and chocolate--- not necessarily in that order.