“If you find yourself constantly trying to prove your worth, you have already forgotten your value.” ~Unknown
Who We Are
In a world that values success, accomplishment, growth, development and advancement, we are enculturated to believe and behave as if our worth is in our doing; that our value is determined by what we produce, the gifts and skills we commodify, our labor and capacity of output, we have mastered the art of DOING human.
At The Nook, we are committed to holding space for people to experience the art of BEING human. We are committed to helping people find their worth in simply being. We are committed to walking with people as they discover the truth.
You are worthy of love not because of your doing. You are worthy of love simply because of your being.
Our vision, birthed from this truth, is to co-create communities where people know, at the core of their being, that they are enough. By offering Integrative Therapy, Body & Energy work, yoga and personalized retreats & ceremonies, while serving as sacred space holders, we support people in developing the skills and practices to live an embodied existence. By sharing this journey we experience healing not only as individuals but also as a collective.
The impact of believing that we are not enough is staggering. The affects of this are felt throughout the world and Rural Appalachia is no exception. The feeling of not enough-ness has lead to depression, substance abuse, mental health struggles, physical health conditions, unemployment, relationship problems, financial challenges and abuse. Facing high levels of stress, hopelessness, isolation, overwhelm, and powerlessness prevents us from being with all the experiences of our human existence; our birth rights of joy, abundance, gratitude, generosity and an abiding peace.
Though pain is unavoidable, we can develop skills to alleviate our suffering. Through somatic movement, honoring rites of passage, practicing receiving and learning to simply be, we can lower stress levels, get better sleep, decrease loneliness, improve attention, manage chronic pain, reduce anxiety,increase flexibility and mobility, and support the natural release of healthy hormones to holistically heal ourselves and our communities.
The western medical model and trendy pop-psychology leads us away from the commune, to focus on the individual, often pathologizing the mind and reinforcing the notion that humans are discardable. At The Nook, we honor ancient and indigenous wisdom and teachings that remind us of the importance of the community. We locate ourselves in the context of the larger whole and honor our interconnectedness. Instead of focusing solely on a lone inward journey which results in a harmful individualism, we reconnect, with Self and others, in community, with ceremony, ritual, story telling, song, dance and nature.
At the Nook we hold space for guests to connect mind(s), body(s) and heart(s) and hands while honoring the BEINGness of humanity. We co-create space where we learn to live an embodied existence, moving forward on a path of individual and collective healing and transformation.
Sacred Space Holders
About Michelle
Michelle Kucera-Jewell is a depth psychology practitioner, integrative somatic therapist, educator, and co-founder of The Nook. Her work bridges psyche, body, leadership, and lived experience, grounded in over twenty-five years of professional facilitation across corporate, nonprofit, wilderness, and community settings.
Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Washington and is completing her doctorate in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, specializing in Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices. Her doctoral research explores how archetypal wisdom informs women’s agency, relational integrity, and psychological transformation in contemporary life.
The heart of Michelle’s work is one-to-one depth-oriented healing. She offers integrative somatic therapy that weaves Jungian psychology, dreamwork, active imagination, eco-psychology, embodied awareness, and ritual process. Her approach is trauma-aware, relational, and attentive to the nervous system. Rather than focusing solely on symptom relief, she works at the level of meaning, pattern, and integration—supporting clients in reclaiming parts of themselves and encouraging authentic self-expression.
Michelle supports the process of individuation and works with individuals navigating life transitions, relational rupture, grief, identity shifts, spiritual emergence, and questions of purpose. She brings particular care to issues of power, patriarchy, embodiment, and relational accountability. Her style is direct, compassionate, and depth-centered, with an emphasis on sustained transformation rather than quick solutions.
Before fully committing to private practice and community healing work, Michelle served in leadership development roles at Apple and facilitated corporate team building and wilderness-based experiences. This background continues to inform her ability to work skillfully with individuals, teams, and complex relational systems.
She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500), Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist trained through the Himalayan Institute, sound healing practitioner, ceremonial cacao practitioner, Reiki practitioner, and Laughter Yoga leader. Across modalities, her work is grounded in the belief that worthiness is not earned through productivity or perfection, but inherent in being human.
Michelle teaches nationally, including offerings through the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute and The Jung Center, where she offers CEC’s for therapists focusing on depth psychology, dreamwork, somatic integration, ritual practice, and ethical retreat leadership.
“Michelle and Michael create a transformative, visionary, and unique experience that deepens the relationship to the self, while strengthening bonds among the community and connection with nature. They curate a multi-faceted, dynamic experience that engages the senses through plant spirit medicine, music, dance, visualization, and cultivating personal intentions. A natural environment is created that effectively allows people to release and heal. The result is a richer experience of life through meaningful connections within, to each other, earth, and cosmos. A leading-edge intelligence emerges from these ceremonies, whereby people are expressing the parts of themselves as a greater whole. Peace, passion, and clarity glows from all who leave this brief encounter. People are hungry to experience deeper meaning and make sense of a fast, technological, and politically confusing world. While no answers are given, a space is created for people to find deeper peace, resolve, and clarity from within. This is the deepest power a person and community can experience from the inside. These gatherings create the space for healing, empowerment, and thrive, across all races, beliefs, and backgrounds.”
— Caylin Rose Janet
About Michael
Michael Jewell is a licensed massage therapist, meditation guide, ceremonial practitioner, and co-steward of The Nook. With over twenty years of professional experience in therapeutic massage, he brings deep knowledge of the body and a steady, grounded presence to his work.
As co-founder of The Nook, Michael offers therapeutic massage that supports nervous system regulation, chronic tension release, injury recovery, and embodied restoration. His sessions are attentive and paced to each individual’s needs. Clients often describe his presence as calm, steady, and deeply grounding.
Michael’s training includes Yoga Calm, Yoga Behind Bars, Klemmer Facilitation, and certifications in Reiki, cupping therapy, and Laughter Yoga. He is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500) and ceremonial cacao practitioner. For the past eight years, he has co-facilitated domestic and international retreats with Michelle across the United States, Central and South America, and Asia, guiding meditation and ceremonial experiences with care and psychological steadiness.
Before dedicating himself fully to healing work, Michael spent close to two decades as a union laborer and heavy equipment operator. That lived experience informs his values of humility, consistency, and respect for honest work. It grounds his facilitation style in practicality and relational integrity.
Michael is also a glass artist who creates memorial pieces incorporating the ashes of people and animals who have transitioned. His artistic work reflects his reverence for life, grief, and continuity.
Our Shared Work
Together, Michelle and Michael steward The Nook in Pomeroy, Ohio, as a center for integrative healing rooted in depth, embodiment, and relational care. The Nook is home to Michelle’s private practice, Michael’s therapeutic massage work, and a range of workshops, educational offerings, and community gatherings.
They are also preparing to open The Nido, a land-based healing sanctuary on their fifth-generation family farmland in rural Appalachia. The Nido represents a long-term vision for place-based healing, retreat, and restoration grounded in stewardship and continuity. Rather than treating healing as an event, they are cultivating a space where depth work can unfold over time in relationship to land, lineage, and community.
Whether working locally at The Nook or facilitating retreats internationally, their shared approach emphasizes integration, accountability, and respect for place. They are committed to creating spaces where individuals can slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with their inherent worth and inner authority.