Meet Zoe Vlastos | Group Facilitator & Natured-based Psychotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zoe Vlastos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zoe, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I love this question! I’ve actually been thinking a lot about emotional risk recently. I see going to therapy as taking a risk because when we do something different, when we create change, we are risking what we know for what we do not yet know. A lot of us have fear around the unknown – the dark, uncertainty, not knowing what’s going to happen next. It’s such a brave thing to choose to step into the unknown. As a therapist, this is one of the risks I see people taking every day – moving towards knowing themselves more deeply, and being truly seen and known.

This ties into something I’ve been thinking a lot about in my own life of late: that it sometimes feels risky to show up as our most authentic selves in the relationships where we feel closest to others because when we do so we are taking the risk of possibly being rejected. Of course, we gain so much when we take this risk because we build trust with ourselves and others by creating true connection. However, at times that risk of rejection can feel too scary unless we are able to support ourselves in the process. To me it feels similar to when I take a calculated risk adventuring in the mountains; I create a sense of feeling safe enough so that I can challenge myself just outside of my comfort zone which leads to experiencing growth. When we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones into our growth zones (but not into our panic zone where we might get too overwhelmed to be with and integrate the experience), we build trust with ourselves because we show ourselves that we can do something different than we’ve done before. It’s one of the most beautiful things we can do, especially in relationships. When we support ourselves to take the risk of bringing our true selves into relationships with others, we create that magical place of authentic connection.

I also think a lot about how risky it is to not face into change. Change is always happening; paradoxically it is the only constant in life. If we don’t get on board with the change that is happening right now, we risk causing ourselves a lot of suffering by trying to control things into staying the same when that is not what naturally wants to happen. I notice for myself and for my clients that it can be such a challenging thing to sit between these two risks: on one hand it feels risky to step into the unknown of change and on the other hand it feels risky to stay stuck in what we have always known and always done which often is no longer serving us. What might we be missing out on if we stay in what we have always known, in the certainty of trying to control things to be what we think they should be? The question becomes: is it more risky to stay in the known or to step into the wildly beautiful unknowns of change?

I don’t think that there is a simple answer to that question which is why I love thinking about it and discussing it with others so much!

What should our readers know about your business?
The name for my business – SolVida – says a lot about what sets me apart from others. The name first came to me on a sunny July afternoon while interviewing my own authentic – or essential – self. When I was asked, “what is your essence name?” I didn’t even think about my answer, immediately blurting out “SolVida!” It fits perfectly. The Spanish words ties me to the time I spent living in Argentina as a young adult. In Spanish, Sol means ‘sun’ and Vida means ‘life.’ Zoe also means life in Greek. When I’m my best self I embody my name, feeling full of a sunshine energy that is vivacious and excited about all life has to offer – the challenges and joys, the pain and beauty. It makes me think of how whether we’re ready for it or not, the sun rises each day to shine light onto all that is the human experience. Sun on life. SunLife. SolVida.

So, that’s how my business’ name found me, however it’s also where the seed of my business took root because the word ‘SolVida’ really captures what my business is all about. SolVida is all about shining light onto our lives so that we can really be with and look at what IS – what is happening and what is true right now, in this moment. Like many of us, I’ve had times in my life where I needed to block out certain truths or emotions in order to survive. I now have a profound appreciation for being able to be with the entire spectrum of human emotion and experience. What a gift to get to experience it all. It’s this energy of warm curiosity that I bring to my life and my work.

The idea for my business has been slowly developing, long before the name SolVida popped into my awareness that afternoon. Ever since I can remember, I’ve dreamed about and created ways to support people. Even as a child and teen my favorite thing was to create gatherings where people could come together to connect and play – tea parties, dances in the barn, fort building in the woods. During my university studies I founded a Concert for a Cause which created awareness for and benefitted a local non-profit each semester while also bringing people together to celebrate creativity. As the covid-19 pandemic arrived, I co-created a women’s group that continues to meet weekly and is one of the most important connection-spaces in my life. Since starting my business, my unstoppable drive to create rich spaces of support and connection for people has manifested as a SoulWild Retreat and a SoulFire Backpacking Adventure trip in the rocky mountains. For me, every individual or couples session is an opportunity to create a space of support for my clients. All of this is to say that the work I get to do through SolVida has always been a part of my life, just now I get to bring it into the world through my business.

Currently my work through SolVida is so many things! Because I have such an expansive love for life, I often find it challenging to focus my energy in just one direction. I love working with adolescents and young adults, yet I also enjoy working with people throughout the lifespan. I am passionate to the deep core of my bones about supporting people with body image struggles and in eating disorder recovery; I want everyone to have the opportunity to create a joyful experience in their bodies. In my heart and soul I am a wilderness therapist, yet I also integrate somatic and emotion-focused therapy, EMDR and trauma healing, inner parts work and many other modalities into my therapeutic style. Overall, I am committed to meeting people exactly where they are at. I see my clients as the experts of their lives and that they know themselves best. I see my job as holding a compassionate and curious space for them to be with what is happening and explore the blocks getting in the way of creating what they really want in their lives.

Right now, I am extremely excited to be developing a unique Nature-based Eating Disorder Recovery program. It’s still in the seedling phase, but what I do know is that I have a lot of energy moving towards this 8-12 session series designed to support reconnection to the body and create individualized recovery paths through explorations in nature. It will blend my years of experience with eating disorder advocacy, research, and treatment with my deep belief in the healing and holding capacity of nature. It’s going to be truly transformative!

In a few weeks I will be taking myself on a four-day retreat to connect with the soul of my business, which is something I did when I started my business. Now, a year and a half later, I’m taking the time to reassess what SolVida wants to be and to bring into the world. I’ll be developing programs, dreaming about future retreats, considering my challenging relationship with marketing, and tapping into my own intuition and knowing through time in nature. I’ll also be connecting to what brings me joy because I believe that my best work flows through me when I’m connected to joyousness. It will also be a space of stepping into the unknown; I don’t know exactly what will come through SolVida next and I’m excited to find out!

If you’d like to stay up-to-date on SolVida’s upcoming offers as we evolve, you can sign up for my occasional newsletter (at the bottom of my website page). As you’ve probably gathered, I’m all about connection, therefore I’d love to have you be a part of the aliveness!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmmm…what a fun and challenging question! It’s challenging because there are so many fun things to do along the front range and in Colorado. I love a good challenge though, so here we go! We’d start with visiting the Boulder Farmers Market and walking Pearl Street because both are such good places to engage with amazing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences. We’d munch on pastries and sip iced tea or coffee while enjoying the bright colors and fun people watching. Then we might hang out by Boulder Creek or do some tubing in the cool water (obviously, I’m assuming it’s summer!). Maybe we’d go for a hike in the Flatirons. We would definitely get Sweet Cow ice cream! The next day we’d pack up for a road trip through Colorado because I’d want to share the joy of my favorite places across the state. We’d visit the San Juan mountains and Durango, spend some time with the wildflowers in Crested Butte, and visit Rocky Mountain National Park. At some point we’d do a quick backpacking trip to get some time away from technology, find a mountain lake to jump into, and gaze at the stars!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I could probably write a lengthy book on all the people and experiences that have supported me in becoming who I am today and in creating my business. That’s a lot so here are the current top four (four is my favorite number!):

Julie Colwell and the Evolutionary Power Institute – Julie’s framework for understanding the human experience through embodiment, consciousness, neuroscience, and emotions informs a lot of the work I do. She brings so much play and aliveness into places that can sometimes feel scary, dark, or overly serious. She’s transformed the way I see the world, for which I am so grateful! I truly wish that everyone could experience one of her workshops or classes!

My women’s circle, or Goddess Circle, – this place of mutual co-creative support is one of the most inspiring things in my life. Getting to connect with these phenomenal women each week and deepen our relationships is everything my soul hopes to bring into the rest of my life. I truly don’t know where I would be without this space where we each choose to belong again and again.

My family – my parents and three siblings have always been extremely supportive of my dreams and, as family does, challenged me to become more and more of who I really am. I know that I am extremely fortunate to have such a strong bond of support with these people who I love so much.

My husband, Carl, – he is 1000% my rock, consistently and persistently supporting my dreams in all ways as well as reminding me of the importance of play, adventure, and not taking life too seriously. His love and the relationship we’ve created has changed my life in the best of ways!

Website: https://www.solvidatherapy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoevlastos/

Image Credits
Elizabeth Woods-Darby, Teya Cranson.