Hi! I'm Dara Suchke

Dara rhymes with "Sara"

Suchke like "such" a nice day, "key" in the door (as my dad likes to say)

I want to support you as you tend your self - across the spectrum of how one's self might be tended. I like to imagine you as a gardener of your self. In the same way a garden contains its own ecosystem, so do you. Your ecology is comprised of a multitude of identities, energies, emotions, commitments, desires, and challenges, to name just a handful of your elements.

As a holistic coach, I bring together an array of my studies, interests, and practices under the developing ecosystem of Tend Your Self.

I have been a registered nurse since January 2021. I’ve primarily worked in medical-surgical and psychiatric nursing settings. In 2025, I completed a training program to become a board-certified nurse coach (BC-NC). To keep things simple, I have decided to keep my work as a holistic coach separate from my work as a registered nurse (read here for more details). Prior to nursing, I worked as a gardener (see below) and also spent several years teaching English to international students at Georgia State University.

Somatic Work

Somatic work has been integral to my own process of transformation. I have practiced a form of somatically-centered Taoist meditation for about 18 years that has been foundational to deepening my intuition and helping me stay anchored in my body. I am currently in the midst of a Somatic Experiencing training program (based on the work of Peter Levine), and it is this approach that I am beginning to incorporate into holistic coaching sessions with individuals who are open to it.

Nature

Ecological gardening and my connection to nature form another cornerstone of my practice. Coincidentally, I was drawn to gardening shortly after getting more grounded in my body through meditation. As I learned to handle tiny seeds, patiently wait for them to germinate, train my eye to notice the defining details of different plants, and generally slow dow and observe, I accumulated a wealth of lessons from nature that continue each day. I helped manage a couple of community gardens, worked in landscaping, and studied permaculture and biodynamics. Right now, I am in the beginning stages of cultivating a new backyard garden. These experiences and practices regularly teach me about the gentle art of tending.

Becoming a nurse

My transition from gardening to nursing occurred gradually - I began studying herbalism and then spent a few years working in a health food store, which I loved. Connecting with customers about their health journeys and offering education about herbs really lit me up. Customers also shared their frustrations about the healthcare system. As I contemplated how to grow professionally, I chose to pursue nursing so that I could better understand the healthcare system and help people navigate it.

Bringing it all together

Tend Your Self and my work as a holistic coach is the container that holds all these parts together.

I want to meet you right where you are on your journey and support you as your tend your extraordinary, multifaceted self.

I am so glad you’re here.