About the Facilitator

Who am I?

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Hi, I’m Genny — emotional intelligence educator, author, and the creator of The EQ School.

I’ve spent much of my adult life completely enthralled by personal growth, human behavior, relationships, and what helps people become more fully themselves. Over the years, I’ve gathered ideas and tools from education, psychology, design, attachment theory, emotional intelligence, and lived experience and combined them into the work I now teach through The EQ School.

I’m also the author of The Wisdom of Feeling: Finding Clarity, Courage, and Connection Through Emotional Intelligence (Penguin Random House), a book about developing emotional intelligence and building a more connected relationship with yourself and others.

I started my career as an educator and hold a BS in Education and an MA in Literature. I also completed an intensive postgraduate program in Design Leadership, where I probably learned more about people, systems, collaboration, and myself than anywhere else. Since then, I’ve continued collecting an ever-growing list of trainings and interests — from coaching and EFT to emotional intelligence and somatic approaches — because I genuinely love learning and understanding people.

I’m passionate about increasing the importance and fluency of emotional intelligence in our society and communities. I believe that the better we understand ourselves, relate to our emotions, and develop emotional literacy, the richer our lives become in every aspect.

Some other random stuff:

  • I live in Portland, Oregon and could totally be a character on Portlandia (where's the life coach episode?) Feminist, vegetarian, mason jars, dumpster diver, brunch enthusiast...all of the above.

  • I'm good at parallel parking. I once parallel-parked a mini-bus full of 16 year olds (first try!) into a tiny space on a crowded street in downtown Martha's Vineyard in the height of summer traffic, and received a standing ovation from the TEENAGERS. It was one of my prouder moments.

  • I've lived in England, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden for awhile, but Swedish culture is my favorite (shhh)! Fika, anyone?

  • I once pooped my pants while training for a marathon. Not one of my prouder moments, but hey, shit happens. 

  • The focus of my English masters was twentieth century African American fiction because of my life long love for Toni Morrison’s work.

  • I play volleyball on a team called So Spandextra, and I love playing team sports, though I don’t care to watch professional ones much!

  • I care a lot about social justice, my wonderful dog, the health of our planet, and I friggin' love the outdoors (I’m an avid backpacker in the summer here in the PNW).

  • I sleep with my socks on. I’ve been told that makes me an alien.

  • I've also been told my strengths are my strong sense of empathy, being brave & action-oriented, and knowing how to make my sister laugh.