As a Transpersonal Psychologist, I have delved into the crisis of meaning where we lose a sense of who and why we are. Thankfully, I have discovered pathways to returning to life with a profound sense of who and why we are alive, and what purpose we can offer to our stepfamilies.

My work is about strengthening our connections to others, self, and something greater than ourselves alone. At the heart of it, this work is about finding meaning amidst loss, fear, and trauma as part of a supportive community. 

I am greatly inspired by discovering systems that empower us to escape “the abyss” so we can improve our overall emotional and relational situations to live our most meaningful lives more positively connected to our best selves and others. This includes the social, mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual gateways into wellbeing. 

• PhD in Transpersonal Psychology: Meaning Making for Post-Traumatic Growth and the Resolution of Moral Injury
• Masters in Spiritual Psychology: Thematic Analysis of the Experience of Feeling Called by Something Greater than Ourselves
• Psychosynthesis Level 1 Practitioner
• Studied cross cultural psychology and communication, including living in different countries and family systems. 
• Taught intercultural communication, expressive arts as a healing modality, and qualitative research for doctoral level psychology students. 
• I have created mental health programming for and worked with combat veterans and stepmoms; led relief projects for disaster evacuees; and offered over 250 spiritual workshops and events. 

As an Empowerment Coach, I integrate methods for breaking through blocks and provide key information so clients can elevate their effectiveness to achieve important life tasks. 

• Stepfamily Foundations
• Comprehensive Neurolinquistic Programming
• HeartMath
• Professional Life Coaching
• Spiritual Life Coaching
• I have worked with Combat Veterans recovering from PTSD and Moral Injury, StepMoms adjusting to stepfamily dynamics, and people with autism and disabilities seeking competitive jobs or creating their own businesses. 

As a Mastery Trainer, I design courses and coaching so that skills build on prior skills, so that each learner experiences the evolution that allows deeper transformation and positive impact to happen. That is how life goals get met. 

• Bachelors in Mastery Training, Education, and Development / Anthropology
• Graduate Certificate in Information Design
• I have created and provided trainings for corporations, mental health programs, a disaster relief agency, and coaching agencies. 

From profound loss to deep connections that renew my sense of meaning and purpose. I was born into a family where the norm was to send infants and children away for months at a time.

This formative sense of rejection, disorientation, and loss was compounded with growing up in a large stepfamily, where I experienced attachment stress, grief, confusion, loyalty conflicts and other dynamics that challenged my sense of identity, as well as the eventual longterm loss of contact with my half-siblings who had become estranged. 

Then, as a full time stepmom the first time - for 6 years, I paid the heavy price of losing my identity, hope, romantic partnership, social life, the step kids I had grown to love, and $120,000 - all to learn that it is not safe to live in a hall of mirrors where other people’s distortions of you are the only feedback you get.

And, that I must take a leadership role in my own wellbeing. This includes nurturing a mutually supportive household partnership with my romantic partner; taking responsibility for my own safety, identity, wealth, and sense of purpose; and forming a community of wise friends and experts.

As a stepmom the second time (now) for 11 years, I reap the benefits of those hard won lessons. I am passionate about assisting other women do more than adjust to such “normal” painful dynamics inherent in even the kindest stepfamily, but also find ways to thrive. 

I am a published writer in StepMom Magazine, and a published author of research into Meaning Making and Post Traumatic Growth for combat veterans. I have also written many mastery training manuals for everything from how to teach literacy to teenagers to how to facilitate post traumatic growth for combat veterans.