About Lena

lena kushnir

Professional Statement

Dr. Lena Kushnir is a transformational coach, educator, and founder of The Cascade Method™, a 4-phase framework that guides people to regulate their nervous systems, reclaim desire, clear emotional blocks, and embody empowered flow. With nearly 30 years of experience in education and leadership, Lena brings deep wisdom, intuitive insight, and compassionate presence to her work with individuals and groups seeking meaningful change.

After nearly three decades as an educator and school leader, I’ve come to believe one truth above all:

You already carry the wisdom you need — you just need the space and support to access it.

lena kushnir

My journey into coaching and transformational work began with a life-altering moment — when my daughter underwent emergency brain surgery at just three and a half years old. In the wake of that trauma, I intuitively turned to breath and presence, and what began as a survival instinct became the foundation for a lifelong commitment to healing, mindfulness, and personal evolution.

As an educator at my core, I am passionate about teaching others what inspires me. Over the years, I’ve been trained and certified in mindfulness and somatic practices, woman-centered coaching, and several other modalities, with studies in somatics, trauma-informed teaching, nervous system regulation, and energy work. I’ve held space for thousands of people — teachers, mothers, leaders, and seekers — and witnessed firsthand the power of deep self-awareness, emotional clearing, and aligned embodiment.

Today, I integrate my skills and training and guide individuals through The Cascade Method™, a framework I created that reflects the flow of healing and transformation. It’s grounded in presence, fueled by vision, and supported by tools that meet the full human experience — body, mind, and soul.

My work blends the practical and the mystical, science and spirit, the strategic and the sacred. Whether through coaching, courses, retreats, or writing, my mission is to help people return to themselves, break through old limitations, and live with greater authenticity, clarity, and joy.

My Qualifications

    • B.A. in Education, University of Michigan

    • B.A. in Organizational Behavior, University of Michigan

    • M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership, Loyola University

    • Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Loyola University

    • Certified in the Foundations of Woman-Centered Coaching, Institute for Woman-Centered Coaching, Training and Leadership

    • Certified in Clinical EFT, EFT Universe

    • Certified in Mindfulness Practices, Institute for Jewish Spirituality

    • Certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Wild Success Global

    • Trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Sounds True

    • Trained in Embodied Transformation, Strozzi Somatics

    • Trained in Mindfulness for Schools, Mindful Education

    • Trained in Tapping in the Classroom, Dr. Peta Stapleton

    • The Science of Mindfulness, Harvard University

    • The Science of Well-Being, Yale University

    • Stress and Your Body, Stanford University

    • Feminine Power: The Essential Course for the Awakening Woman, Evolving Wisdom

    • Deep Nervous System Care, Jessica Hesser

    • Healing Trauma, Dr. Peter Levine

    • Energy Medicine for Trauma, Eden Method

    • Embodiment 101 – Reconnecting To Your Body’s Intelligence, Alexandra Roxo