Judy Martone Peluso

Spiritual Counselor & Justice of the Peace*

Judy Martone Peluso is a Spiritual Counselor who holds a B.A. in Psychology from The College of Mt. St. Vincent in New York. She took a year of graduate study at Columbia University School of Social Work. Judy was a Catholic nun for 16 years with the Sisters of Charity of New York where she worked as a Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Social Worker, Community Organizer and Social Justice Activist. During those years, she was blessed to have experienced training in Liberation Theology with Monsignor Robert J. Fox, the Reverends Daniel and Philip Berrigan. Judy's Spiritual Journey has taken many turns over the years as she continues to grow and develop. Although she is no longer affiliated with any organized religion, she is an Ordained Minister with the Universal Life Church which embraces and encourages deep personal spiritual growth and humanistic values. She is honored to perform Life Ceremonies: Marriages, Civil Unions, Baptisms (Child Blessings), Funerals and Memorial Services. Each of her ceremonies is unique and reflects the spiritual beliefs of those for whom they are developed.

Judy has been in private practice for 30 years. During this time, she has had the privilege of studying Death and Dying, Grief and Bereavement with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Steven Levine, Peter Lynch and Bess Chosak. She has studied Shamanism with Michael Harner and Gregory Bisek and Spiritual Healing with Dyani Yahoo, a Cheroke Medicine Woman. She trained in the practice of Energy Medicine for 3 years at the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences in Connecticut with Dorothy Martin-Neville as well as 3 years in Consegrity Therapy with Mary Lynch, MD. Judy taught at the Connecticut Healing Institute.

Judy is a student of life and seeks to learn through every life experience and every person with whom she comes into contact. Judy's life journey has helped her to develop an inner wisdom which is reflected in her work. Besides the Ceremonies described above, her services include: Spiritual Psychotherapy & Counseling, Grief and Bereavement Counseling, Mentoring, Energy Medicine, Shamanic Healing, and Massage Therapy. Judy believes personal growth and healing is an ongoing, deeply Spiritual process which requires the integration of Body, Mind and Spirit. Such integration necessitates awareness of self and of our connectedness to Mother Earth and all Life. This, in turn, contributes toward building a society based on Love, Compassion, and Acceptance of all Beings.

LIFE CEREMONIES

Marriage:

Whether it is a Civil Union or a Marriage Ceremony (hopefully, in the near future, everyone will have the option of marriage), it is a very sacred and important day in the life of all couples. I will meet with you both beforehand and together we will shape the ceremony in a way that reflects who you are and what is important to each of you individually and to you as a couple. This is your day to celebrate your relationship and I am committed to making it as special and as meaningful for you as possible.

Fee: $450.00, with a requirement of $200.00 advance.
~ This includes one or two meetings & the ceremony. Travel within the New Haven & Hartford areas is free of charge. Outside of these areas & out of State will require an extra charge, depending on the location.
Fee for brief marriage without ceremony, $125.00.

Child Blessings:

This is a special ceremony to welcome a child of any age into her or his family and into the broader Spiritual family of Mother Earth. It is so important, especially in this day and age of extraordinary challenges that a child is welcomed into this world by a community of people who will commit to helping her or him in this journey called Life. As in other ceremonies I perform, it is vital that I meet with the parent or parents (and when age appropriate, the child) in order to plan a ceremony that will be meaningful and in keeping with their beliefs.

Fees: $350.00

Funeral or Memorial Service:

I bring deep sensitivity to the planning of this service. I draw on my own personal losses as well as my many years of counseling the dying and the bereaved. While it is a time to celebrate a life that has passed over, it is also a time of grief for those left behind. It is a time to assist the living in coping with a reality that is always difficult regardless of one's Spiritual beliefs. Besides the ceremony, I am available to help with whatever arrangements are needed in this most difficult life transition. I can be a liaison with Funeral Directors to arrange for wakes, burials or cremations. I am available for Counseling for initial and ongoing needs.

Fees: To be decided, depending on the situation.