Nancy Oelklaus, Sedona Serenity Coach and Author

Author of A Love Story: The Transformative Power of the Twelve Steps, Simple Serenity, Journey from Head to Heart and Alphabet Meditations for Teachers, Dr.  Nancy Oelklaus has spoken throughout the U.S. as well as in Indonesia, Singapore, and The Netherlands. Her articles have appeared in The Systems Thinker, Leverage, The American School Board Journal, The Austin Business Journal, and Leaders of learners. Her leadership profile, “The Power of Love,” appears in Appreciative Leaders: In the Eye of the Beholder. Her leadership profile, “The Power of Love,” appears in Appreciative Leaders: In the Eye of the Beholder, published by the Taos Institute. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including the newsletter of the Story Circle Network and the 2000 monograph of the Texas Council of Women School Executives, entitled Women as School Executives: The Complete Picture.

After her college graduation, Dr. Oelklaus married and threw her anchor into the safe harbor of Marshall, Texas, where her husband’s family had lived for generations. She pursued advanced education and a career in public education, which, along with motherhood, were very fulfilling.

Then the day came when the children were gone, and she had reached her professional goals in that place. A voice deep within said, “If you don’t get out of here, you’ll die.” In response, she left her career and her marriage. 

The next six years were full of change—new city, lots of travel, new career, new homes, new friends, new marriage.

 In that second marriage, Nancy decided to stop running from emotional pain and simply go through it. With a lot of help—professional, personal, and Al-Anon—she finally learned that peace comes from within, after truth and taking responsibility.

The meditations in her book, Simple Serenity, come from her amazing life today in Sedona, AZ. She leads meditation at noon every Monday at Village Yoga in the Village of Oak Creek. Her most recent book is A Love Story: The Transformative Power of the Twelve Steps, which was written after the death of her husband, Harlan, and contains a portion of her grief journey.

Nancy holds a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from Texas A&M University, Commerce, a Master of Arts in English from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication, cum laude, from Oklahoma Baptist University.