I have covered a lot of ground since, and I am still learning and working at being the best version of myself in parenting and in life...I relax now into this imperfection!
Clara Roulev
About Me.
I am an American, born in Romania, and currently living in Germany with my husband and our two wonderful kiddos, a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. Being a military family, a new adventure is always around the corner because we are never in the same place for too long. This brings its challenges and it requires us to constantly expend beyond our comfort zone, and also gifts us with amazing opportunities to explore the world and meet wonderful humans on our path.
My Credentials
M.A. in Human Resource Management | 24 Months | Webster University |
Yoga Teacher Training | 200 Hours | Urban Breath Yoga Studio |
Certified Peaceful Parenting Coach | 9 Months Intensive | Dr. Laura Markham, AHAParenting.com |
Positive Neuroplasticity Training | 18 Hours | Dr. Rick Hanson |
Integrative Somatics Trauma Therapy | 60 Hours | The Embody Lab |
A Comprehensive Course In Interpersonal Neurobiology | 12 Weeks | Dr. Dan Siegel |
Mind Body Coach Training | 120 Hours | The Embody Lab |
Trauma Conference: The Body Keeps the Score-Trauma Healing Through the Senses | 2 days | Bessel van der Kolk, MD |
Certified Playful Parenting Leader | N/A | Dr. Lawrence Cohen |
Advanced Vagal Toning | N/A | The Shift Network - Dr. Arielle Schwartz |
Certification in Children's Mental Health Fundamentals | In Progress | Institute of Child Psychology |
Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive, Guided Meditation: A Masterclass | In Progress | Jack Kornfield |
Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga | In Progress | Dr. Arielle Schwartz, Dr. Steven Porges, Deb Dana/ The Embody Lab |
Somatic Attachment Therapy | In Progress | The Embody Lab |
MY STORY
From Heartbreak to Healing
We waited to grow our family, and when we did, our journey into parenthood began with an agonizing loss that broke us open and became our catalyst for rebirth. In 2013, our first child, Sophie, was stillborn at 21 weeks.
With heartfelt reverence, I can say that Sophie’s precious, short gift of life shattered the walls of the world as we knew it. Her passing broke the chains of our conditioning and propelled us forward—to become the parents we want to be and that our children deserve, and to grow into more compassionate humans.
The Struggle
Beneath the Surface
As a first-time mom, I was determined to parent consciously and stay rooted in mindfulness. And yet, my child’s resistance would trigger me deeply. I’d find myself yelling, then falling into a cycle of shame and self-doubt.
Despite reading all the books and listening to all the talks, the tools I loved felt out of reach when I was overwhelmed or triggered by shadows from the past. I wasn’t broken—I was protecting. My brain had wired itself to survive.
And I realized: I had the power to rewire.
The Turning Point
A transformational shift came when I discovered The Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids Workbook by Dr. Laura Markham. With gentle guidance, I began to shine light on my emotional triggers and conditioned patterns. Slowly, I noticed shifts. I was reconnecting to my inner peace, mothering with more presence and intention.
But eventually, I hit a deeper truth: I couldn’t think my way out of these patterns. I had to feel my way through them.
The Missing Piece: Coming Home to My Body
This is when my somatic journey truly began.
I started to notice the armoring in my body—tight shoulders, shallow breath, clenched jaw. These were the imprints of old survival strategies. I didn’t need to fight them. I needed to befriend them.
Through movement, breath, touch, and grounding, I found space inside myself. Over time and with repetition—300 times for muscle memory, 3,000 for embodiment—I softened. I became more playful. More confident. More whole. I was learning to parent not just with tools, but with my presence.
My Teachers and Influences
I’ve trained directly with Dr. Laura Markham and Dr. Lawrence Cohen, and have studied with leading voices in neuroscience and child development, including Dr. Rick Hanson, Dr. Dan Siegel, and Mona Delahooke.
My journey into somatic work has been shaped by the transformative guidance of the Embody Lab faculty—a constellation of wise teachers in the fields of trauma healing, parts work, and embodied attachment. Through their teachings, I became a somatic coach and deepened my understanding of how the body holds—and heals—our lived experience.
I’ve continued to expand my understanding of trauma, nervous system regulation, and attachment through the work of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Peter Levine, Deb Dana, Stephen Porges, and Gordon Neufeld. I’m currently studying NeuroAffective Touch® and Polyvagal-Informed Yoga, and I’m continually reminded that safe, attuned touch is one of the most powerful tools for healing and connection.
The teachings of Jack Kornfield have also shaped me deeply, especially his approach to interactive meditation, which helps ground my work in compassion and presence.
And before all of this—there was yoga. Meditation. Self-inquiry. Compassion practice. These were my first teachers, and they laid the sacred ground for everything that followed.
Still Becoming
This work is ongoing. I’m still parenting, still learning, still healing. I’m still navigating military life, raising two spirited children, and balancing my own growth with the sacred work of supporting others.
No matter the role I’m in, I’m guided by an open heart—to reflect people’s goodness back to them, help them reconnect to their truth, and remind them they are never alone.
No amount of meditation, yoga, diet, and reflection will make all of our problems go away, but we can transform our difficulties into our practice until little by little they guide us on our way.
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Jack Kornfield
My hope is that
in our journey together, you find understanding, acceptance, compassion, connection, safety, hope, and tools to bring more peace. more presence, more connection, and more love in your home, in your relationship with yourself, your children, and the world.
In gratitude,
Clara