An Unconventional Journey
My professional journey has been quite unorthodox. Its roots can be traced back to my non-traditional upbringing. I was raised without any formal religious foundation. Instead, my parents were interested in philosophy, literature, music, consciousness and inner development. When I was fifteen, my father, who was in the midst of some deep soul searching, gave me three books: The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment by Thaddeus Goleus, Be Here Now by Ram Dass and Handbook to Higher Consciousness by Ken Keyes, Jr. Five years later, disillusioned with college, living like a hippie and working on a farm in Boulder, Colorado, he suggested that I apply to the work-scholar program at Esalen Institute. The following year, I was at Esalen when I learned that he'd died suddenly in a car accident. His death, in the Hero's Journey template, was the instigating event in my life that sent me on a spiritual quest for answers.
That quest, along with a life-changing spiritual awakening experience in 1985, led me to India, Europe, South America, Canada as well as all corners of the US. Over the years, I've been blessed with the opportunity to meet and study with some of the world's greatest innovators, mystics and teachers including Stan and Christina Grof, Joseph Campbell, Angeles Arrien, Jean Huston, Virginia Satir, John Lilly, Gregory Bateson, Michael Harner, Werner Erhard, Don Miguel Ruiz, Lynne McTaggart, Dr. Roger Jahnke and many more who have chosen to remain out of the limelight.
My Quest Becomes My Purpose
My time at Esalen helped create the foundation of all the work I do. I began working with clients in 1986 as a massage therapist. Then in 1989, I started my first group. Group facilitation became a great passion of mine, which led to the founding of numerous other groups. This quickly evolved into teaching classes, running workshops, coaching and most recently, Akashic Records readings. I’m also a certified medical Qigong practice leader.
It's been a natural, organic unfoldment, leading to a style of working that is grounded and embodied, drawing on a myriad of life experiences including over four decades of training, immersion and practice in meditation, visualization, intuitive inner work and journeying, emotional and physical healing, mystical awareness and connecting with Source. Over the years, I have been blessed to provide my services to thousands of people in the areas of business, creativity, personal empowerment and consciousness.
Writing and Motherhood
In addition, writing has been a constant in my life. Words have always dazzled me with their ability to make sense out of the chaos and uplift the ordinary into the realm of the extraordinary. Early on, I fell madly in love with story writing and could never get enough of the endless playground of the imagination. This fascination only grew as I explored poetry, personal essays, memoir and novel writing. My latest passion is screenwriting and playwriting, mostly due to the intense pleasure that comes from the possibility of having my work move from the page to the theater and screen.
Finally, I have the privilege of being mom to two awesome sons, Julian and Miles. They brought the light of the universe with them and lit up my life with their music, their open hearts and deep intuitive wisdom. Walking the path with them has been an incredible blessing. I'm always curious what they're up to next since they're forever finding their way into new projects and adventures.
For those who want to learn more about Esalen, here is a short video: