About
My Vision
Many are saying that we are living in a time between worlds. As our structures are falling apart and earth is roiling with one disaster after another, it is difficult to maintain hope that a new and better world is emerging out of the chaos in which we are living. How then do we live and be of service?
The answer is knowing what it is we have to offer the world. This knowing is called many things – a call, a purpose, a mission. The beauty is that this knowing is always, already within. The challenge is let go of the expectations of the external world and the shadows of our internal world that cover over that deep sense of knowing.
There is a vast chasm between what you think and what you know because of a deep, personal experience. When you know that you are part of an interconnected reality, when you’ve dislodged the myth of separation, you touch into a state of joy and well-being that is not conditioned by external circumstances. Despite what is going on within and around you, this state of well-being living deep inside you becomes the ballast that helps you navigate life. It is from here that we are compelled to become the fullest expression of ourselves and to recognize that we are a gift to the world, a world deeply in need of each of us.
My Story
My passion for human development underlies my 40 years of study and practice in psychology and spirituality. My journey began with my Master’s in Counseling Psychology which focused heavily on Humanistic Psychology. This program introduced me to the concept of self-compassion as a key to releasing the myth of the separate self. A subsequent post-graduate training program in Gestalt Therapy provided the framework I used as a psychotherapist to guide the growth and development of individuals and groups.
In my mid-thirties two powerful spiritual experiences both awakened and radically changed my perspective on what it means to become fully human. These experiences motivated my deep dive into spiritual study and practice. Like many in my generation, I was drawn to Buddhism. I studied and practiced in the Theravada tradition for several years. Next, I felt a pull to learn and practice in the mystical Christian tradition. I left the Midwest to begin a Master of Divinity degree with a Spirituality concentration at San Francisco Theological Seminary. I completed the degree, along with a certificate program in Spiritual Direction in 2003. During graduate school I spent significant time absorbing Ken Wilber’s work. Integral Theory became my core framework for understanding the integration of psychology and spirituality. Integral Coaching Canada’s practical application of Integral Theory led me to my last formal training. In 2008, I became a Certified Master Integral CoachTM. Each of these experiences deepened my capacity to guide people toward a fuller expression of their Essential Self.
To say I stand on the shoulders of giants hardly describes the impact of those who I have studied with and/or read deeply. In addition to Dr. Carl Rogers, Dr. Fritz Perls, and Ken Wilber, they include Dr. Sylvia Boorstein, Dr. Tara Brach, Dr. Suzanne Cook-Greuter, Deb Dana, Dr. Larry Dossey, Dr. Rick Hanson, Dr. Robert Kegan, Sally Kempton, Dr. Ervin Laszlo, Dr. Dan Siegel, Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Stephen Wolinksy. I hope that my work honors each of their contribution to the world becoming more fully human as we navigate this time between worlds.
Degrees and certifications:
- M.A. Counseling Psychology (University of Northern Iowa)
- Post Graduate Certificate in Gestalt Therapy (Gestalt Institute of Chicago)
- Certificate in Esoteric Healing (International Network of Esoteric Healing)
- Practitioner Certificate (Sancta Sophia Seminary)
- M.Div. with concentration in Spirituality (San Francisco Theological Seminary)
- Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction (San Francisco Theological Seminary)
- Certificate in Integral Coaching (Integral Coaching Canada)
- 20 years psychotherapist in private practice
- 20 years agent of change combining psychology and spirituality as a teacher, guide and
consultant - Studied and practiced in the Buddhist, Christian and the Trans-Himalayan lineages
