I began my life in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  I completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Madison College (now James Madison University) in the 1970s and moved to California to continue studies in psychology. I attended Goddard College in Los Angeles, California and was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology with emphasis in Physical Rehabilitation.  I was licensed by the State of California in 1979 as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist and became a pioneer in helping families impacted by brain injury.  Through my work with brain injured persons I became convinced that the prevention of brain injury and other catastrophic maladies was the best treatment.  And for those already injured, an inter-disciplinary, integrative team approach was the best path to recovery.

 

In the early 1980s I was a passionate spokesperson at the local, state, and national level to mandate that air bags be installed in new passenger vehicles. During the same decade I completed post-graduate training with Murray Bowen, MD, one of the founders of family therapy.  I became an Army wife and started a family.  In the 1990s my family was assigned to Hawaii.  As a mother of three small children, I was actively engaged as a parent-teacher and helped administer a co-op preschool.  

 

I obtained my Hawaii license as a Marriage and Family Therapist and served all ranks and branches of the military. During the decade our family was in Hawaii, I also obtained my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the American School of Professional Psychology, Hawaii Campus (now Argosy University). My internship and doctoral focus was in child and family psychology. My training was influenced by the cross-cultural and neuropsychological emphasis of the program.

 

In 1999 our family was re-assigned to Washington, D.C.  I completed my post-doctoral year at the New Life Clinic, a faith-based organization with offices throughout the US.  I received my license to practice psychology in Virginia in 2003 and Maryland in 2004.  I developed a highly successful independent family practice in Rockville, Md.  While living and practicing in Rockville I completed extensive training in the treatment of trauma and in the practice of Ericksonian Hypnosis. I received many hours of training under Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, Founder and Director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation.   

 

In 2012 I closed my Rockville practice and re-located to Philadelphia. I obtained my license to practice Psychology in Pennsylvania.  Seeking a deeper integration of the practice of psychology with mindfulness-based practices from many traditions, I began to study the practice of NIA, adapting the practice to benefit my clients when a better understanding or application of movement would be helpful.

 

Today I am vitally interested in the therapeutic application of movement, music, meditation, journaling, and art to the prevention and alleviation of human suffering.  I am active in social justice and am especially an advocate for people who are LGBTQ+ and am happy to work with them and their families.