values.

• The process of tattooing is immensely personal and should be administered with safety, intention, ongoing consent and emotional care. 

• Trust, ongoing communication and consent are essential in this process. Through these means it helps me ensure that you are comfortable, listened to, respected and included in the entire process, from concept ideas, to tattooing, to aftercare. 

• My commitment is to always stay listening, learning, and growing. It is important to me to center and reflect community care.  

• I believe that bodies of all sizes, skin tones, abilities and genders are beautiful and valid, and that we should be celebrated as such. 

• I am here to support you in making (re)connections with yourself through images of reclamation, memory, joy, healing, revolution and care.

• It is an honor to work alongside you creating your image, providing the tattooing and aftercare. 

• Trauma-survivors are self-identified, can be at any stage on their path, and do not need to disclose any information about their history.  

resources on tattooing & trauma recovery.

• Reclaiming the Body After Trauma by Patty Branco 

• Therapeutic Aspects of Tattoo Acquisition by Everett W. Painterr 

• Tattoos after trauma: Do they have healing potential? by Suzanne Phillips 

about me & my work.

• Established in 2016, SunMedicine/balm grew out of the rising need to create caring and supportive tattooing services for those with who have experienced trauma. 

• She/her/hers pronouns. Please let me know your name and pronoun(s) so I can refer to you respectfully and correctly. 

• Although I work with a variety of people, I give priority to trauma survivors and individuals working with scarring (visible and invisible), and do my best to offer a compassionate experience to all clients. The term survivor means different things to many people. I consider this to be self-determined. 

• My style consists of bold, loose, expressive, hand-drawn lines. Please be sure to check my Instagram (feed below) to be sure my style is what you are looking for.  

• I work in black ink only, as that is where my skill set is. 

• Currently not tattooing sides or collarbones unless the work is very loose. 

• I will not appropriate cultural symbols and imagery.  Please be mindful of this. If it’s not yours, don’t take it. 

• If using other people’s artwork, please be sure to ask permission from (and possibly pay) the artist first. Consent is key! 

• I am not for everyone, and that is ok!  I will be happy to refer you to other capable artists in town who suit the work you need. I want you to have the best work possible for you! 

View my work here! 

pricing.

I have an $150 minimum for all tattoos and work at a rate of $150/hour.

I do offer sliding scale tattoos four times a year for individuals with limited income.  If this would be helpful to you, please just mention ‘sliding scale’ in your inquiry, and you’ll discuss price range and availability via email.  I will never ask circumstances or situation for the need, nor will I share this information.

If you have the means, you can contribute to the community fund at the time of your appointment or at this link. Thank you for supporting survivors and those with financial need. 

certification & training. 

• I maintain a yearly BBP certification (Bloodborne pathogens)- which is regulated and industry specific. This ongoing training assures that I maintain up to date health information, informed care and preventative measures, as well as cleaning and sterilization practices. 

• I hold a Mental Health First Aid certificate through Network 180, completed in 2019, which is updated tri-annually. 

• Trauma-Informed Tattooing, 2020, online training webinar with Tamara Santibanez 

• Trauma-Informed Practice, 2020, webinar with Alex Shevrin Venet and Unconditional Learning 

• Guest Speaker at Aquinas College MA Counseling program, Crisis Intervention Class, 2020 

• ‘A community response to domestic violence and COVID-19’, webinar with Holly Jasinski of Resilience, 2020 

• The State of Michigan licenses individual shops and not artists, so I maintain my BBP, and work in a licensed facility, Sparrows Nest Tattoo. 

• I am a trained tattooer, a single mother, and former social-service worker of 17 years, and hold a BFA in printmaking and photography from the University of Toledo, 1998. During my social-service employment and volunteering, I primarily worked in the shelter system, eviction prevention programming, after-school youth arts programming, and at a drop-in arts center for folks experiencing houselessness and co-occurring issues. I have a wealth of experience and trainings, though I am not a licensed therapist. 

If you would like to know more about my trainings and experience, please feel free to ask!