Kristin Ritzau, PhD is a Fellow with The Practicing Democracy Project, a collaboration between The Center for Spirituality and Practice and the Fetzer Institute. She is also an adjunct faculty member at California Lutheran University, spiritual director, and author of A Beautiful Mess: A Perfectionist’s Journey Through Self-Care. She received her PhD from Claremont School of Theology. Her dissertation explored women in US agriculture, examining their relationship with spirituality and the land. Her master’s degree is from Fuller Theological Seminary where she first learned the importance of spiritual formation and community engagement. Her passion is to educate on the importance of spiritual practice and reconciliation in our neighborhoods and ecosystems. She is excited to build curriculum and create workshops for The Practicing Democracy Project. She lives on an urban homestead in Los Angeles with her family.