Even though I didn’t know that when I started college as an art major focused on being an exhibit designer. After some traumatic events in my life I realized that I had loved helping my mother with her students when she was a teacher, and I decided to become one, too. They say that “when one door closes another opens” and that seems to hold true even if you are the one closing the door. As it turned out I really liked being a teacher and was able to do a lot of creative things with my students. Also, in my classroom I was able to incorporate a new Values Clarification program geared toward self-understanding and promoting acceptance of others. I really loved to see the kids blossom through the processes we did. After 6 years of teaching I was laid-off along with hundreds of others in the Bay Area in the first cut-backs of teachers in the mid-70’s. But again the “opportunity door opened” at just the right time and I became a school counselor. The following year I finished my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and received my licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist.
More education was still beckoning to me. I continued on with a doctorate in mind. I did it just because I really like learning new things and combining the new info with what I’d already learned. That “love of learning” has provided me with a unique career. Over the 4 years in my doctoral program I worked part-time as a stress management counselor in a holistic medical office, an educational counselor at the VA with disabled veterans, and a career counselor with women re-entering the workforce usually related to divorce. Working in these various setting and people of different ages taught me so much and it’s all been interwoven into what I do now. While in my doctoral program I set-up a private practice and have continued to work as a therapist/counselor ever since.
In 1981 I received a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) with an emphasis on Counseling Psychology. Combining education and counseling seemed like a really good fit for me and as you look through the rest of my website you’ll see that I have combined the two areas throughout my career.
In my doctoral program I had the opportunity to learn the basics of biofeedback and to receive extensive training in hypnosis. Shortly after that I began to work with clients who were experiencing post-traumatic stress. It is really intense work. So I decided to spend the rest of my time focusing on other interesting aspects of individual counseling, corporate training, teaching psychology related courses and writing. I can honestly say that I truly love working with people and have been so appreciative of the fact that in their most vulnerable moments that my clients have put their trust in me.
I have been self-employed 3/4th of my working life. Now I realize just how freedom oriented I am and, therefore, fairly unmanageable. So I’ve always been happy that I made that decision.
Since I began my private practice I’ve focused my attention in 4 areas, counseling utilizing Brief Positive Therapy, career evaluations and counseling, training and writing. As I work in each of those areas I try to give clients the practical tools so that in the future they are able to resolve new issues as they come up. I’ve always taken courses as well as participated in long term training programs, such as hypnosis, biofeedback, and EMDR, just to stretch my own abilities.
With such a varied and lengthy career I’ve personally gone through many of the same challenges that my clients have; educational and career planning decisions, state licensing exams, divorce, a child with dyslexia and ADHD, financial issues, moving to a new area, staying in a marriage too long, deaths in the family, health concerns, etc. All that stuff that people in general are confronted with as we move through life. It has helped me to empathically work with many clients. I tend to think of myself as a resource person or a guide who’s “been there and done that.” Therefore, I can often help others to get through it faster or easier or just assist them to get out of being stuck so they can move-on.
Personally I work on moving past my own self-limiting beliefs, and expanding my thoughts and goals about what is possible. I’ve learned imagery techniques that have been very helpful throughout my life. I know that I am the only one who can hold me back from achieving my goals.
There’s no reason you can’t do the same. I like sharing the knowledge that I’ve gained. I hope I have the opportunity to help you. I look forward to it.
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