Current Role

Dr. Jo L is the founder of TulaSoul Sanctuary, a women’s wellness and embodiment practice devoted to helping women reconnect with their bodies, reclaim their voices, and trust their own wisdom. A former clinical psychologist, she now works as an embodiment educator, author, yoga and meditation teacher, and speaker, integrating her background in psychology with trauma-informed somatic practices, mindfulness, movement, and Eastern wisdom.

She is the creator of Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™, her signature methodology for women’s wellbeing and transformation. Through individualized work, women’s circles, workshops, retreats, and writing, Dr. Jo explores embodiment, body image, boundaries, the sister wound, and women’s empowerment.

An award-winning poet and passionate advocate for women, Dr. Jo believes healing should be accessible, embodied, and rooted in both personal and collective change. She was named Alignable’s Best Local Business Person in 2023 and 2025.

Career Path

At age twelve, Dr. Jo knew she wanted to become a psychologist. Fascinated by the human psyche and deeply curious about why people think, feel, and behave as they do, she felt an early calling to help others heal.

After earning her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Jo worked in the University of Minnesota’s Child Psychiatry Department as a Research Coordinator and Therapist before continuing her clinical work in outpatient settings. She later opened a private psychology practice specializing in trauma, where she worked with a diverse clientele through individual, couples, family, and group therapy.

After approximately thirteen years as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Jo began envisioning a different way of helping women—one that extended beyond traditional talk therapy and more fully included the body. She pursued extensive training in yoga, meditation, mindfulness, coaching, and mind-body practices, completing more than 1,000 hours of yoga teacher training.

That evolution led to the creation of TulaSoul Sanctuary and ultimately her signature methodology, Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™. Today, Dr. Jo draws upon her clinical background, extensive education, lived experience, and embodiment practices to help women reconnect with their bodies, reclaim their voices, strengthen boundaries, and trust their own wisdom.

The name TulaSoul reflects the philosophy at the heart of her work: Tula means “balance” in Sanskrit, “wind” in Finnish, and “poem” in Filipino—three meanings that beautifully reflect balance, movement, and creative expression.

Professional Organizations

Dr. Jo is a member of the International Coaching Federation, MN Chapter; the Yoga Alliance (RYT-500, YACEP) https://my.yogaalliance.org/people/jo-l-e-ryt-200; the Yoga Specialists, whose goal is to spread the joy, healing, and power of yoga to as many people as possible, through an environment of accessibility, inclusivity, and respect; and the Yoga Service Council, which aims to make yoga and mindfulness community-centered, culturally-sensitive, and inclusive for all. Dr. Jo is also a member of the following organizations: Business Leaders' Mastermind, EmpowerWomen.Org, SoulWork, The Coven, and is a board member for the DEIJB Committee of the MN Chapter of the International Coaching Federation, and at Twin Cities Well Connected Professionals.

Dr. Jo strongly advocates for social justice and volunteers for Humanize My Hoodie, https://www.humanizemyhoodie.com/, a Minneapolis-based organization that works toward racial equality by educating, uplifting communities, and promoting BIPOC art and artists. She is an ambassador for the Eating Disorders Coalition, which pushes bills forward to Congress for research, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders.

Question

What problems does your business solve for your customers/clients?

Jo's Answer

TulaSoul does not approach women as problems to be fixed. I help women who have become disconnected from their bodies, voices, needs, and inner knowing through years of conditioning, trauma, caregiving, body shame, or simply learning to put everyone else first.

Through my Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™ methodology, I help women reconnect with their bodies, strengthen their boundaries, trust their own wisdom, celebrate their unique identities, use their voices boldly, and unapologetically take up space.

Ultimately, the work is about helping women stop abandoning themselves in order to belong—and come home to themselves instead.

Follow-Up Question

How do women find you and enter your work? Is yoga the lead into your services?

Jo's Answer

Women come to TulaSoul through many different doors. Some discover me through my writing, social media, speaking, books, women’s circles, workshops, retreats, or yoga and meditation. Others come specifically seeking support with embodiment, boundaries, burnout, body image, self-trust, or reclaiming their voice.

Yoga can certainly be an entry point, but it is no longer the entry point. My work is highly individualized and integrates elements of my Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™ methodology based on each woman's needs.

Some women primarily want conversation and reflection. Others benefit from somatic practices, movement, meditation, breathwork, or mindfulness. Some attend circles or retreats before choosing to work with me individually, while others begin one-to-one and later join the larger TulaSoul community.

There is no prescribed path.

Women may enter through different doors, but the invitation is the same: to come home to themselves.

Follow-up Question

What exactly is Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™?

Jo's Answer

Empowered · Embodied · Enlightened™ (EEE) is the signature methodology I created to help women come home to themselves through three interconnected dimensions of wellbeing.

Empowered is about reclaiming your voice, strengthening boundaries, challenging conditioning, taking up space, and becoming more intentional about how you live.

Embodied brings that work into the body. Through somatic awareness, movement, breath, mindfulness, yoga, and other experiential practices, women learn to notice what their bodies are communicating rather than living entirely from the mind.

Enlightened is about deepening self-trust, intuition, meaning, spiritual connection, and inner wisdom—not looking outside yourself for someone else to tell you who you should be.

The three are intentionally connected. Empowerment without embodiment can remain intellectual. Embodiment without empowerment may never change how we live. Enlightenment without either can become an escape from the very human life we are here to inhabit.

EEE brings all three together: reclaim your voice, return to your body, and remember your own wisdom.

Testimonials from Clients:

"Dr. Jo has a lot going for her. Not only is she an amazing holistic life coach, yoga master, and overall mind expert, she is brilliant, talented, beautiful, funny, kind, empathic, passionate, and authentic. Her poetry, an example below, swallows me in emotions while waking that part of me which allows me to fly. If you need help dealing with trauma, stress, decisions, or whatever, contact her and she'll bring the joy back into your life."
-Chandra Rice

"I have known Jo for 21 years, and she is an excellent asset to any healing that one might seek. She teaches everything from yoga, breathing, and meditation to serious issues of pain, grief and mental disorders. She has a beautiful disposition and personality, and truly cares about each client. I highly recommend her services."
-Jill Ressen

"She has helped me so much with my mental health and through my journey of becoming a yoga instructor! I highly recommend her!"
-Alyssa Petti

"Dr Jo has improved my life in so many ways she Is teaching me how to love and except myself..I am still a work on progress but I could not do it without her. I appreciate her and am thankful I finally found someone who could help me find my authentic self."
-Gina Ferrara

"When I was matched with Dr. Jo and read her bio, everything she had experience with and was interested in matched with everything I was looking for in a coach! We've had a few sessions so far, and I have never felt so comfortable with a therapist/coach right off the bat. I can tell she cares about me and my thoughts/feelings. She listens well, is able to give good advice and guidance. She doesn't just sugarcoat things and is real with me. Its nice to have a non-judgmental space to process and dove deeper into who I am and who I want to become. I am so thankful we connected, and I'm looking forward to working with her long term!"
-Malerie Brill

Testimonials from Colleagues:

"At an early age, Dr. Jo had a desire to help people. With her expertise, she loves helping women on their journey life. She is a holistic coach, offers yoga, pilates, mediation, mindfulness teacher...just to name a few. She is very passionate and enjoys each moment with her clients."
-Senida Selinas

"Dr Jo is extremely professional and has a wealth of knowledge....I honor her both as a doctor, as well as a very special spiritual human being."
- Michael Bradford

"Dr Jo is a genuinely kind and empathetic person. I've been continually impressed with her giving spirit, and her willingness to partner with me on my journey. I've found her to be an intuitive listener who helps me feel deeply heard and understood, which is a priceless experience. I feel very fortunate to have met her, and look forward to seeing what we will be able to create together!"
-Natalie Fayman

"Dr. Jo has a wealth of knowledge and experience with traditional and holistic health. Plus, she really cares about people! Lastly, she values multiculturalism."
-Christie Lea Thompson

"Professional and extremely knowledgeable regarding PSTD and TBI. I attended an educational Zoom webinar and was quite impressed with her knowledge. Her presentation was akin to drinking from a firehose. We received a great deal of information in a short period of time. It was time well spent."
- David Hall, CHWL

"You can sense her spirit of kindness with every conversation. A true gift to this world :)"
-Jeff Walker

TulaSoul Voted Alignable's Best Local Business in 2022, 2024 and 2025

https://www.alignable.com/plymouth-mn/dr-jo

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
― Audre Lorde