Art, psychology, metaphysical studies, research and holistic heath have been dominant interests I have pursued and studied (taken classes whenever possible) since middle school. These later became rolled into one professional pursuit when I graduated with an MA in Clinical Holistic Health Education from the Consciousness Studies Department from JFK University in Orinda, CA in 1989.
My work journey has been quite rich, colorful and diverse! If interested, reading the following paragraphs will give you a much more detailed version of how I came to be a Marriage & Family Therapist in 1992, and a Certified Gottman Therapist in 1995.
In High School, I was both an art and psychology major. I also was studying reflexology, jewelry making and metaphysical/spiritual studies outside of school. I started baking alternative desserts for local health food stores in the Philadelphia area. This was a lot of fun, and inaugurated a lifelong passion for food and gourmet, yet healthy, cooking. I became a vegetarian at 15, eliminated sugar from my diet in college and went on to be a cook (in training) at the famous 5 star vegetarian restaurant, GREEN’S located in SF.
I was originally accepted into Rhode Island School of Design for my undergraduate studies, but graduated with a BA in Psychology, magna cum laude, from Alfred University in upstate New York, I changed schools at the last minute to pursue a dual degree in 3-dimensional art (as opposed to graphic design at RISD) and psychology, but fell in love with psychology. I was torn between clinical and research psychology at Alfred. Both departments were quite strong and advanced for the times. After I graduated, I took 1 ½ years off to work at Green’s and think about which direction I wanted to develop in psychology. At the time, Rogerian therapy was all the rage, where a therapist’s role is to LISTEN. I made a critical decision at that time: I wanted to be a more ACTIVE AGENT in people’s growth. This decision is a dominant emphasis in my work today.
During my 11/2 years of reflection, I graduated as a Certified Massage Therapist from the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, 1985. I worked as a CMT at The Preventive Medical Center in Marin for several years, and have had a private therapeutic massage practice, with referrals from chiropractors, up until I broke my shoulder in 2007.
During my graduate training, after moving on from Green’s, I started a vegetarian, allergy sensitive catering business. At a critical point in its growth, I had to choose between my blossoming, rapidly expanding catering business, or start my graduate studies in psychology. I chose psychology, and am glad I did!
JFK University had just started offering an MA program that combined studies in somatic, metaphysical, holistic and traditional psychology. I wanted a PhD but after seeing that Berkeley offered a social work degree, not my interest, I chose JFK – a tough decision choosing an MA vs. a PhD – but felt I couldn’t have found a more perfect blend of my many enduring interests: nutrition, somatic studies, art, consciousness and psychology! Wow! It was the best decision I ever made! Rather than feel pulled in competing directions, I came to understand health, in all its form, as a holistic paradigm, where mental health is both a reflection and combination of a healthy body, our being, as a unified whole. Body, emotions, mind and Spirit all are one, all inform each other and can all be accessed from different modalities.
My work today emphasizes physical health (diet, balanced hormones, exercise, support from many forms of physical therapy, such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, etc.) as part of achieving mental, emotional and spiritual health.
One final adjunct of my professional life is coaching people who are trying to make radical dietary changes on the advice of a professional. Whether a client is following a diet for eliminating candida, balancing blood sugar, eliminating allergies, my extensive experience as an alternative gourmet cook and business owner has helped me provide practical advice for making these changes. My own experience with multiple food sensitivities and candida has had me eating a largely vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free diet for over 21 years.
“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. Open yourself to the everyday beauty of life. Make life your art and pursue it with unfettered passion.” – Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Five Rings