Breathe First is a modern wellness project offering a genuinely holistic menu of services to help us re-tether to this home we call earth.

Our mission is to build purposeful community + foster collaboration that connect us more deeply to ourselves, each other, and all forms of life.

In the face of our ongoing climate crisis and the overlapping realities of suffering, our core ethics are all about love (a la bell hooks). We aim to support and inspire each other in cultivating appreciation of things worth sustaining as we push forward where change is essential.

We believe in the power of an intentional pause. The world asks constantly for our attention. As often as possible, it’s good to breathe first.

We were founded by Emily Thornton in 2016 as a collective effort to build community rooted in meandering conversation, shared discovery, wild imagination and kinship with all beings.

As we listen to our own bodyminds—and as science continues to research—we evolve and adapt. Our programming is currently reflective of what is known (intuitively and empirically) to be most effective in our individual and collective journeys of healing. See the “Services” tab for more detail.

We are here for you in all the ways we possibly can be as you begin, or continue, taking steps towards a more interconnected and joyful existence.

Our Team

Emily Thornton, LCSW, MSW, E-CYT-200

Founder, psychotherapist & yoga/meditation instructor; writer; psychedelic-assisted therapy guide

Hi! I’m Emily. Breathe First is my creation, dreamt up with the help of a dear friend and collaborator who you’ll learn more about below…I am, first and foremost, a learner. From the time I could hold a pen, or crayon, I’ve been writing things down, every day, in multiple, vaguely organized notebooks to keep track of the things I saw, felt, wondered, hoped. My deep love of reading, travel, music, and meandering through a forest or along a waterfront are among the most fundamental aspects of my identity in the incomparable ways they make me feel, what they fortify me to be able to accomplish, and the way they draw me back to the wildness that is our birthright, our destiny, and our most sacred responsibility. My most genuine aim is to create opportunities for all of us to share in celebrating—and discovering—what is most authentically who we are in ourselves and, therefore, together. We hear a lot of about authenticity these days—at its roots, it’s a concept that points to the truly nonnegotiable need for self-understanding & self-expression—which allows for pure connection—that we are all born to realize. From this foundation of self-acceptance we find our way to each other. Without this foundation, we become lost and isolated no matter how many people we might surround ourself with. I am lucky to learn from so many teachers, in so many forms, every day and it is my complete honor to cross paths with you in this dance so that all of us can find our way to authentic self-actualization, deep connectivity with other beings, and a sense of showing up for the greater good.

Presently, I work with individuals and groups, offering one-on-one therapy, workshops, trainings, discussion forums, hikes, prep/integration for altered states of consciousness, asana classes, guided meditation, and support for creative expression in whatever form you can dream up. You can find my regular and specialty offerings at the Events tab or by following us on insta (button below). Can’t wait to meet you soon :)

Kelsey Merdian

Certified Mediation and Hypnosis Guide; Clinical Psychotherapist-in-Training

Kelsey is a trained meditation and hypnosis guide currently completing a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Her vibrant spirit and years of globetrotting make her offerings the most delightful combination of intentional, informed, and fun. Rooted in a humanistic approach, Kelsey’s guidance is aimed at exploring where you are in your path, identifying opportunities to grow, let go, and integrate. In all of her sessions, she offers warm and collaborative support to help you move toward what you seek as you also develop the capacity to be with, or even find peace with, what is. Willing to draw on her own personal ups & downs, and infused by her love of music, writing, and adventure, Kelsey is an ideal collaborator for anyone in need of a kind, open, and insightful partner in their journey towards more wholeness.