Hello
Joy Dyanne Stearns is a Somatic Guide, Grief Companion, and Psychedelic Preparation & Integration Facilitator.
Joy is a healing artist, writer, ceremonialist, modern mystic, and motorcyclist. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and way-shower.
Her life's journey has been shaped by profound love, unexpected transitions, and an enduring curiosity about the human experience.
Through her own encounters with grief and transformation, Joy discovered that healing is not necessarily about leaving our sorrows behind, but learning to embrace the fullness of life, with all its beauty, mystery, and complexity.
An adventurous spirit and lifelong seeker, Joy has traveled the globe exploring how different cultures approach death, healing, spirituality, and the mysteries of consciousness. Along the way, she has learned from ministers and priests, monks, Indigenous elders, healers, and medicine men, often referred to as shamans.
Her soul-searching adventures became a "terrestrial temple tour" of temples, churches, ashrams, and sacred sites around the world, only to discover that the true temple she had been searching for was within herself.
Drawing upon decades of contemplative practice, somatic education, and personal exploration, Joy weaves yoga, meditation, visualization, expressive movement and dance, voice, sound, and creative expression into her individual and group offerings. Her approach invites embodied awareness, compassionate inquiry, and opportunities to integrate profound and transformative experiences into everyday life.
As the founder of Tears of Joy, she offers nonclinical somatic guidance, grief companioning, psychedelic preparation and integration support, and facilitated gatherings grounded in compassionate presence, relational connection, and respect for each person's unique journey.
Joy's forthcoming memoir, Beauty from Ashes, tells the story of reclaiming her life following the devastating loss of her young daughter and, later, her mate.
Joy lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband, composer Michael Stearns, and their two beloved Standard Poodles.
Education & Training:
Joy Dyanne Stearns brings together an interdisciplinary background in psychology, somatic education, grief and trauma-informed practices, contemplative traditions, and expressive arts.
Academic & Grief Specialization
Joy holds two college degrees from Washington University, one in Architecture and the other in Psychology. She also holds a professional certification in Grief, Loss & Trauma Counseling from Southwestern College and is a Certified Grief Educator through David Kessler's program. With more than fifteen years of experience, Joy has accompanied individuals and families navigating grief, bereavement, and significant life transitions.
Somatic, Trauma-Informed & Contemplative Training
A devoted Surat Shabd Yoga practitioner for more than twenty-five years, Joy has completed Yoga Teacher Training 200 YTT through Shraddha Yoga (formerly Yoga Center Amherst), Mindful Grieving Yoga Therapy training through the Grief Support Network 200YTT and Applied Polyvagal Theory for Yoga Therapeutics with Dr. Arielle Schwartz and Dr. Stephen Porges through The Embody Lab. Her professional training also includes Assessing & Treating Complex Trauma through PESI and Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy with Dr. Cathy Malchiodi.
Psychedelic Preparation & Integration
Joy holds a Psychedelic Facilitator Certification from The Embody Lab and is a professional member of PATA.
Her preparation and integration approach brings together somatic awareness, nervous-system resourcing, compassionate witnessing, and contemplative inquiry, supporting individuals as they explore and integrate profound or transformative experiences.
Professional Facilitation & Care Team Experience
Joy has served on the Care Team supporting Dr. Arielle Schwartz's Applied Polyvagal Theory training through The Embody Lab.
She has also served as an Integration Facilitator for Dr. Schwartz's Spirituality and the Nervous System immersion through The Shift Network, supporting participants through embodied practices, reflection, and group integration. Her experience includes assisting with in-person Beyond Trauma retreats at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina.
Ceremony, Ritual & Life Transitions
Joy is an ordained nondenominational minister and a Certified End-of-Life Officiant through the Celebrant Academy. Her work honors the significance of life's transitions through compassionate presence, ritual, ceremony, and meaningful remembrance.
Across these disciplines, Joy's approach remains rooted in her guiding philosophy:
Where science, soma, and soul meet.