Meet Jill

STUDENT PRACTITIONER & COMPANION ADVOCATE

My story

A woman with long dark hair wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a plaid jacket, standing beside a large brown horse in a wooded outdoor setting.
A sleeping piglet on a bed of straw.

For the past eight years, I worked as a Designer at Google. Good job, interesting work, genuinely fast-paced... and eventually, completely exhausting. After years in that space I hit a real wall of burnout and started looking for a way to come back to myself.

I found horses.

I started riding lessons at a local stable, which is where I learned to groom, handle, and be around horses.

Around the same time, I started volunteering at the Sammamish Animal Sanctuary, mucking stalls and spending quiet hours observing animals in their space.

Two very different environments, but the same lesson kept showing up: animals tell you everything, if you slow down enough to listen.

A sleeping Siberian Husky dog lying comfortably on a couch.

The mission got even more personal at home. When I found out my rescue dog Carmy had hip arthritis, I wanted to use my own hands to help him.

That's what led me to the Northwest School of Animal Massage, where I'm now working toward my certifications in both small and large animal massage. Watching the relief massage brings Carmy, the way he moves more easily and settles more deeply, is what drives every session I offer to other families.

These experiences changed me. The grounding, steadying effect animals have on people when we need it most.

Field & Fern is my way of giving that care back to them.

Learn about the brand story

My Credentials

Student practitioner • Northwest School of Animal Massage

  • Small Animal Massage Therapy (Completed 200-Hour Foundation)

  • Large Animal Massage Therapy (In Progress)

Insured • ABMP Member

Certifications • Pet first aid & CPR

A samoyed dog resting her head on a koala toy with a smiling face, in a cozy indoor setting.
A photo of Field & Fern founder, Jill, with her partner, Matt, standing together in front of a mountain and river landscape.
A siberian husky getting a lick from his sister samoyed.
A husky dog with blue eyes lies on a lounge chair outdoors surrounded by potted plants and wooden furniture.

My Fam

When I'm not working with local case studies, riding, or volunteering, I’m enjoying family time with my pack: my partner Matt and our two loveable floofs, Carmy and Bear.

Several horses standing in a grassy field during sunset with the sun low on the horizon.
A black and white illustration of a sleeping dog with a sprig of greenery, with the words "Field and" above the dog and "Territory" below the dog, and a blue flower on top of the word "and."

FIELD

Open pastures

The movement and social energy of animals in their element.

Close-up of fern leaves with sunlight glowing from behind on a blurred natural background.

FERN

Quiet trails

The shaded calm of deep rest, healing, & connection.

Bring honest, skilled bodywork to dogs and horses right where they live. Help them move better, rest easier, and feel good in their bodies for as long as possible.

Mission

Make bodywork a normal, accessible part of animal care in the Pacific Northwest.

The long-term ranch dream: laying the groundwork for a permanent, nature-based sanctuary dedicated to human-animal connection. 

Vision

Every session is built around your animal's lead. I read their body language and follow it. If they need more time, we take it. If they want to shift position, we shift. If they're done, we stop. There's something really honest about the moment an animal decides they trust you. That's what I'm working toward every time.

Philosophy