Millie Grenough
Position: Founder, Oasis in the Overwhelm
Overview
Founder, Oasis in the Overwhelm™
Authorized Oasis Trainer (AOT) Certified Master Oasis Trainer (CMOT)
MAT, CRS, LCSW, PCC, Certified EMDR-Level II
Member, City of New Haven Peace Commission
Coach, Speaker, Author of OASIS in the Overwhelm: 60-second strategies for balance in a busy world
Clinical Instructor in Social Work (Retired), Yale University School of Medicine
Millie's passion is to "live with clarity, compassion and confidence—now. Why wait?!"
Born the fifth of seven children in a working-class family in Kentucky, Millie learned early on to make the most of what was at hand, whether a challenge or a delight.
Her eight years as a Catholic nun, three of them in Bolivia and Perú, opened her to a deeper and wider way of living which eventually led her to leave the convent and begin many new chapters—in Spain, Latin America, the Philippines, and the USA. Whether as a community developer, waitress, ESL teacher, cabaret singer, social worker, life coach, international workshop presenter, therapist, or wife of a "sweet Brooklyn Jew," Millie’s curiosity and her desire to make herself and others happier always opened her to new experiences.
In the same way, a near-death accident opened her to a new way of living—the Oasis way: simple, clear, strong, and enjoyable.
In her months of recovery, lying in her backyard hammock, she could draw on her mom and dad's homespun practicality, indigenous wisdom learned in Bolivia, and appreciation of her body/mind/spirit from years of work with Ilana Rubenfeld. Then, "by sheer luck," she trained with Thich Nhat Hanh, Francine Shapiro and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Millie relishes supporting the new Oasis leader, Suzanne Dudley-Schon, and other Oasis Trainers now that she has handed over the leadership reins and has more time to enjoy the "beauties of an ordinary life," spending time with her grandchildren and contributing to peace in her Connecticut neighborhood.
Grateful for her many years of abundant living, Millie continues to share the wisdom she has gained over the decades when appearing at Oasis Retreats and Oasis Presentations, whether in person or online. She also looks forward to making "cameo appearances" at Oasis Trainings.
As Millie says, "Live life to the fullest—now. Why wait?!"
Publications
Experience
Millie is known for her ability to inspire people to do what they thought was impossible. She has taught non-singers to sing, non-swimmers to swim, CEOs to present confidently, Type A folks to de-stress, warring parties to work together.
Millie walks her talk. An ex-nun turned nightclub singer, ex-shy Kentuckian turned international trainer, she is a Professional Certified Coach, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, and certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) Level II with a specialty in Performance Enhancement.
Her six years' experience working with educational teams in Latin America and Europe, and her decades of experience interacting with diverse groups in inner-city USA and high-tech casino VPs make her comfortable -- and effective -- in basement gatherings and boardrooms, on street corners or stadiums, in person and virtually.
Author of Oasis in the Overwhelm and eight other books, she is a frequent guest on TV and radio interviews.