Background and Philosophy
I’ve always been interested in what makes us “tick”: discovering what makes us crazy and what makes us well and truly happy. Graduating from Wayne State University with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, I first worked in a state psychiatric hospital. I also taught courses in psychiatric O.T. at Wayne State University and then at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. From there I went on to be the founding director of Yahara House, a community program for adults with serious mental illness. Then in 1982, feeling a strong need to be free of the bureaucracy, I began a private practice with Lives Unlimited. I later earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Vermont College of Norwich University, focusing on women’s psychology and meditation. My style has been greatly influenced by many years of study with Dawna Markova and Andy Bryner, by Buddhist philosophy and teachers, and by over 24 years of practicing Insight Meditation, which cultivates mindfulness.
My basic view is that we’re trustworthy beings for ourselves: we have an innate desire to grow in the direction of our health and well being, we have amazing healing wisdom within us, and our true nature is basically good and loving. Though we want to be happy and free from suffering, the habits of our conditioning keep us stuck in painful patterns and block access to our innate healing intelligence. My basic “job” is to help the person I’m working with access their authentic self, their own answers and truth, and their own healing wisdom. I find a holistic approach that includes awareness of the mind, heart and body, and taps into our creative and deeper levels of awareness most helpful for this transformative inner work. Inherent in this approach is acceptance and deep respect for our present moment experience, and learning to relate to ourselves with acceptance, kindness, compassion and generosity.
Because each of us matters and we’re interdependent, I believe we each have a spiritual responsibility to learn how to create our own true happiness. This is the single most important way we can each contribute to peace in our lives and in the world.