About

About me

Hi. I'm Eleanor (any pronouns), but you might know me as Lithium. I live in San Francisco and write poetry, an advice column, silly satire, and essays that I am compiling into a book. Showing up in the world with ethics and integrity is extremely important to me. I’m disabled and trans, and I have been practicing Zen Buddhism for most of my adult life.

I’ve held a variety of interesting careers including pizza maker, watchmaker, electronics repair technician, chief of operations of a startup, software engineer, nanny, and even a Zen Buddhist monk! I generally see myself as a capable and versatile individual, which you may see reflected in my work history. I like to sit with people one on one or in small groups and have direct, meaningful conversations. I have a compassionate heart and a sharp mind for learning how social and structural systems operate. Showing up for and engaging with people who need help is a vital part of how I live my life. After a terrible and enlightening experience with one of my chronic health conditions I realized that I didn’t want to go back to any of my old careers, but instead wanted to provide community care.

My health journey

If you're working with me in relationship to your illness or disability, you may be interested in a bit about my own journey with my health. If so, you can read about that here.

My training

No matter the programs and classes I take, my primary training will always be experiential. I have been through a variety of intense and difficult life circumstances that inform how I show up for other people and how I live my life. This includes periods of unstable (or total lack of) housing, mental illness, disability, and being transgender. Living on the margins is an extreme experience, and for many of us, it never stops. These experiences have taught me empathy, how to connect with others under a variety of circumstances, and how to navigate various systems, even when the cards are stacked against me.

I am currently training as a mental health and wellness coach in a National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) certified course. Once this training is complete I will be eligible to sit for the NBHWC certification in early 2025. I also actively work as a crisis responder for a crisis hotline that exclusively serves people with marginalized identites.

I have completed Mental Health First Aid training and I am certified to teach the Right Use of Power program. I have been practicing Zen Buddhism, in all its facets, for over a decade. I am not a Buddhist teacher, but my extensive training in mindfulness and compassion does inform my approach. Early last year, I co-founded a practice group for transgender people interested in Buddhist meditation practice. We lead weekly in person meetings, which help build community and create connections among people with a contemplative practice in a trans friendly environment. All the work that goes into this has been a great source of training (and joy) for me as well.