your companion
I’m Matt Ricke, a spiritual companion, coach, deathwalker, and conflict transformation specialist who is passionate about the sacred work of threshold tending.
Hi everyone! Welcome to Owlsong! You may be curious about the person behind the page.
I built Owlsong because I recognized a unique need in our culture and context – to navigate difficult and challenging thresholds with support, guidance, and love.
To an extent, thresholds have been a salient feature of my entire life. I grew up in southwestern lower Michigan, on the living dunes of Lake Michigan. This was (and is) a sacred space, filled with possibility and brimming with mystery.
Though I was raised Catholic and retain a love of ritual and liturgy from that experience, I found Unitarian Universalism as the religious and institutional home that felt most aligned to me. Throughout the course of my spiritual development, I have delved into the mysteries of earth-centered traditions, cultivated a deep sense of calm from Buddhism and Hinduism, retained a strong love of ritual from Catholicism, and explored mysticism across spiritual traditions.
I’ve navigated plenty of thresholds myself, including coming out as a queer person, changing my life direction to pursue a career in higher education, shifting my religious outlook and practices. I was graced by wonderful companions who helped me at each doorway, not pushing me through, but helping me to discern what my path might be.
And now, I seek to do the same for others. With expansive curiosity, a deep and abiding sense of purpose, and humility, I seek to accompany you through whatever threshold you may be encountering.
Education
Ph.D., Higher Education, University of Northern Colorado
M.S., Experiential Education, Minnesota State University
B.A., Spanish, Western Michigan University
Clinical Pastoral Education (1 unit, 400 hours), Institute for Spiritual Midwifery
Spiritual Direction Certificate, Cherry Hill Seminary
Memberships
Spiritual Directors International (SDI)
Unitarian Universalist Society for Community Ministries (UUSCM)
Unitarian Universalist Spiritual Directors Network (UUSDN)
American Academy of Experts on Traumatic Stress
National End-of-Life Doula Alliance
International End-of-Life Doula Association
Certifications & Additional Training
Qualified Mediator (ADRMediators, Inc.): 40-hour Basic Mediation, 36-hour Family Mediation
Certified Organizational Ombuds (International Ombuds Association)
Board Certified Coach (Center for Credentialing & Education)
100-hour Meditation Instructor (YogaMu)
Zen Peacemakers Order Two-Year Formation (Zen Peacemakers International)
Transformative Coach Training (Dr. DeeAnna Merz Nagel)
Shamanic Practice Training (Jennifer Hinton, Renna Shesso): Foundations Six-Month Training, Shamanic Practice, Shamanic Soul Retrieval, Shamanic Extraction, Death and Dying (Psychopomp)
Death Doula Certificate Program (Iliff School of Theology’s Death Care Collective)
End-of-Life Doula Proficiency Badge (National End-of-Life Doula Association)
INELDA Death Doula Bridge Course (INELDA)
Certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Conflict Dynamics Profile
OWLSONG 