Trauma-informed Service Dog training and Bodywork

Hi y’all! My name is Nae Vallejo (they/them/theirs). I am a black, queer, trans, neurodivergent, disabled survivor.

I am an experienced early childhood educator with roots in anti-oppression work, youth and family advocacy, land and labor liberation, and community engagement. Brainstorming ways to support myself and communities on how to dismantle the perpetuation of interpersonal and systemic imbalances of power and abuse is an important practice.

As a survivor of child sexual abuse and abuse in adulthood, my daily life is severely impacted by complex post traumatic disorder, fibromyalgia, mobility and balance limitations, dissociation, chronic depression and anxiety. The last 20 years of therapy and medications have proved to be amazing tools in managing my symptoms, they just do not serve to be enough on their own.

It has taken a lot of self work in short circuiting shame around my evolving disabilities to acknowledge not only my need for a psychiatric service dog but also my need for the help of community in affording care. A service dog is NOT a pet or an emotional support animal; a service dog is an essential medical assistance tool. A service dog would help to mitigate symptoms with daily flashbacks, night terrors, panic attacks and dissociations.

Pictured is my black Labrador retriever rescue, Roady. We have been together six months now and in that time I have already observed a reduction in the severity of CPTSD symptoms, improved social interaction, improved mental health and emotional regulation. I am whole-fully committed to living authentically and openly as a black, queer and disabled survivor. I am whole-fully committed to learning and teaching what it means to be me everyday and what it means to ask for help and allow myself to be supported, cared for and to thrive.

On May 16th 2023, Roady and I completed our service dog intake with an amazing, compassionate, trauma-informed, disabled dog trainer. We are officially candidates for service dog training and excited to begin weekly sessions.

Roady will be specifically task trained to respond to or prevent my psychiatric episodes which include: flash backs, panic attacks, hallucinations, etc.

Below are the tasks Roady will train on (this list is personalized and may grow as I come to learn more of my disabilities and access needs):

Join me in planting care and compassion; help me access service dog training, service dog equipment, therapy, a walking cane and trauma-informed bodywork.

I will drop updates as capacity and executive function allow.

In care and gratitude,

Nae and Roady

PS. We are also heading into Pride month AND my 30th birthday (June 26).

I would LOVE to see this fundraiser get so much love. 

Celebrate me with me. Invest in me with me.