Natasha Perlis, CPC, ACC
“Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you.”
— Rumi
For over twenty years, I worked at arts, academic, and social justice organizations in San Francisco and New York City. Then in 2018, the day-to-day exhausting reality of doing contentious political work forced me to take a pause. Somehow I had lost the thread of what I wanted for myself and how I could best contribute to the world. I realized I had to come home to myself, and my vocation would be to help others do the same.
Since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to the multifaceted concept of home. I grew up in very different parts of the country—the Midwest and Deep South in the 70s, New York City in the 80s, Western Massachusetts in the 90s. In each of these places, I felt both out of place and the sense of being grounded in sanctuary.
Ironically, my sense of home became most palpable in South India, where I lived during my junior year in college. I conducted fieldwork on interfaith worship, dance, and domestic ritual arts. It was the first time I lived alone. It was the first time someone called me “auntie.” It was the first time I felt part of something much larger than myself. The acceptance, generosity, hospitality, and depth of ritual I experienced there instilled in me a commitment to bring intentionality, gratitude, presence, and beauty into the everyday. It took me years after that to learn that home is self love, and self love is a dynamic practice.
I currently live in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts with my husband, my teenage twin daughters, and our dog, Orwell. I’m grateful to be here, close to nature and where our food comes from.
I graduated cum laude from Smith College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion and Theatre, with continuing studies at Harvard Divinity School. I received my coaching certification from Leadership That Works, and have an Associated Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coach Federation.