620 South Cascade Ave, Suite 110, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Education, Training, and Family of Origin Background
I earned my Master's Degree in Counseling from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs in 1998.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Communication from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs in 1985.
I've been in private practice since 1998.
Trainings attended, staffed and facilitated:
EMDR Level I and II
Hypnotherapy
Fundamentals of Self Hypnosis
Lifespring
Landmark Trainings
Inner Child Journeys
Inner Teen Journeys
Women's Journeys
Counseling Couples
Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Bruce Fisher's "Rebuilding" workshops
Artist's Way
Play Therapy
Developmental Process Work
Conflict Resolution Training
Practitioner Training l & II Ernest Holmes Institute
Transcendental Meditation and Advanced Technique
Kundalini Yoga
Trainers and Speakers include:
Wayne Dyer
John Bradshaw
Claudia Black
Carolyn Myss
Julia Cameron
Maryanne Williamson
Deprok Chopra
Barbara DeAngelis
Baba Ram Das
Louise Hay
Francine Shapiro
Brene Brown
Tara Brach
Family of Origin Background
A child of the 50's I experienced similar hardships of other children of this era. My father was focused on his career and hence was emotionally absent. My mother was clinically depressed. When my father left my mother, he basically left his children as well.
Our father supported our education but did seem to take an interest in our lives. I do not remember him ever sitting down with us to just ask us how we were doing.
As a result of a depressed mother and emotionally absent father I emerged from my childhood years with little self-esteem. Moreover, I had little sense or construction of self.
Finally, in my early thirties I started to do the work required to find myself back to wholeness.
I attended workshops that concentrated on intensive psycho-emotional healing and transformation. I fostered my spiritual life. I went into regular therapy. I read and did the work in numerous self-help and self-improvement books.
During this rediscovery of self, I healed my relationship with my mother. I forgave her for any hardships from my childhood as I realized that she was only acting from her own wounds. I realized deep in my heart that she never intended to hurt me. Not once.
I was able to recognize and appreciate her goodness. She loved nature, was a great writer and poet, every stranger was a potential friend, and she had a generous heart of gold.
She had a great laugh.
She died in 2002 and I am grateful that we were able to have many many years of genuine loving friendship before her death.
By the time I was in my early forties I started to feel a sense of wholeness again. I had gotten myself back. I had a sense of well being and peace.
It was at this time that I left "corporate America" to return to college to become a counselor. I knew I would be able to be empathetic since I once was so wounded and had found ways to heal those childhood wounds.
Additionally, my relationship with my Dad started to improve immensely after he turned 70 in 2002. The greatest change was my own perception of him and hence my ability to accept him just as he is. In his 70's, he mellowed out a great deal and started to take a greater interest in our lives. Additionally he went from being critical to actually being intrigued and delighted to be around us which helped a great deal.
Dad passed away in November of 2012 and I will be forever grateful that I was able to bond with him on a heart level over that last decade.
It's nice to know that it's never too late to have a happy relationship with one's parents.
Currently I am mother to 2 grown sons, grandmother to 6 grandkids and human to 2 cats and 1 dog.
I am grateful to every step of my entire journey. I am grateful to be a counselor.