About me

Todd and Erin in Burien, WA

Childhood and Early Adulthood

I grew up focusing on piano performance, swimming, and reading in Sacramento, CA. While I had a wonderful childhood, it was also an extremely challenging one. This is because my parents divorced when I was a teenager; prior to the divorce, I wasn’t always safe at home. Growing up, my mental health and grades suffered. I was able to get medication and therapy, which was a blessing, and, with other supports, learned to love life again.

My first intended career was to be a high school teacher, but then I went to graduate school because I loved studying literature. While I had intended for graduate school to be a detour, I fell in love with academia. Only when my mental illness developed did I realize I should teach high school, because the process of becoming a professor can be intense.

However, I left even high school teaching, ultimately, in order to write and help students who struggle like I had.

My study of literature – I have two MA’s in literature – enhanced my ability to empathize with people who suffer. I have an extensive background in trauma theory and psychology in literature, which I studied as a graduate student and Fulbright scholar. This does not make me a mental health professional, but it does mean that I understand suffering and have studied it closely. I am here for you.

My Life Today

I am an author of two books with a third forthcoming (expected to publish in 2024) and a passionate people-connector in Burien, Washington. I live with my husband, Todd, and our cat, Costco (who crawled into the engine bay of our car at a Costco parking lot to escape the cold, rainy weather).

My desire to help others comes from my own personal experience of suffering, paired with the overwhelming joy of learning to thrive again. I want to share that joy with others by helping them find their own joy in living.

Thanks for reading about me! If you think we would be a good fit, have any questions, email me:

erinmichael@seahurstlearns.com