I began seeing private clients in 1980 while still in training to become a psychotherapist. My original training is in Body-Centered Psychotherapy, an integration of Gestalt and Bioenergetics as developed and taught at Hartford Family Institute, LLP. I graduated from their Kansas City based training program in 1985 before moving to CT in 1988. The years since, other interests and teachings expanded and influenced my work including animal imagery, some Native American ritual and spirituality, Past Life Regression, Spirit-based meditation and healing practices, Pre and Peri-natal Psychology and trauma.

In November 2008, I completed training in Somatic Experiencing, a trauma healing approach developed from understanding how the nervous system is hard-wired to deal with stress and threat. Such experiences can begin in utero or during birth, and can range from falling off your bike and banging your head, to routine or extraordinary surgeries, to car accidents, to the day in day out effects of challenging or difficult childhood dynamics. These are things that can impact us long term that we often don’t recognize as having influence in the difficulties we run into later in our life.

The experience one gains from the actual practice of psychotherapy is an invaluable, irreplaceable teaching. I have learned so much from the incredible people who have graced my door and owe much of my capability and acquired wisdom to my clients. I am still learning.