In whatever form feels useful and inspiring, I happily offer spiritual counseling, creative support, all-around guidance to:
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Are you drawn to the less beaten path? Do you sometimes wish you had more support in doing what feels right to you, even when the world around you doesn't quite 'get it'?
Take a look at my last 40 years, and you’ll see that the path I’ve been on has been anything but straight or typical. I have moved from one country to another, and have gone ‘back to school’ so many times I can’t even count -- each time, shaking up the entire foundation and identity that came with the first education and resulting career. My educations have ranged from the traditional to the non-traditional, from the psychological to the spiritual, from the academic to the artistic, from the intellectual to the intuitive, from one ‘synthesis of it all,’ to the practically paradoxical ‘synthesis of it all.’ As an artist, I’ve hopped from painting, to writing, to improvising, to... As a service agent, I've been a social change activist, a painter, a Free Your Creativity workshop leader, a Rebirther, a creative arts and drama therapist, an MFT intern, an improviser, a children’s book writer/illustrator, an ordained spiritual counselor, an intuitive 'reader,' a Ritual crafter and guide... And now, I’m well on my way to becoming a certified Human Design analyst.
As a result, my professional life has been extremely stimulating … and difficult to talk about at dinner parties!
I can say with great sincerity that I really do know something about the unbeaten path. I know what it feels like to have knowledge and talents that society hasn’t yet created a ‘box’ or ‘title’ for. And I know something about what a bright yet deeply conditioned mind can do to a person who isn’t meant for the cookie-cutting business, who is simply trying to find her own way in life.
You see, the mind always wants to know. It always wants to be in control, to have a plan, to have it all together & wrapped up in a bow. But no matter how brilliant a mind can get at anticipating & analyzing & planning, life has a way of throwing curve balls. It’s the nature of the beast. And (with much help from Human Design, I must say) I’ve come to accept, even love this beautiful 'beast'…
I once received a fortune cookie that said, “Put yourself proudly in front of the world and declare your place.” This is what I want for you. And this is what I offer: a love of uniqueness, and a deep faith that there is a place here in this world for all of us. You too. So bring yourself as you are, and let's see if together we can help you find a way to live this precious life as your absolutely unique and lovable self.
Are you in a relationship right now, or 'on the fence'? Do you find yourself thinking that if only you or your partner could change, then everything would be so much better? Is this thought keeping you from gaining clarity about what and who is truly right for you?
One of my biggest life learnings and most cherished ‘art forms’ has been my 17-year-long relationship with my husband. While Kim and I enjoy a great deal of harmony, we are also profoundly different from each other – as most couples are. Our shared path has not always been smooth or easy! Over the years, we have needed to learn a great deal about what it means to truly accept another human being, without abandoning ourselves in the process. For us, and I know for many, intimacy is a daily spiritual practice of awakening -- full of beautiful, painful, embarrassing, even hilarious trials and errors, and wonderful lessons to be learned.
When it comes to relationship, I am a strong believer that a couple’s happiness is deeply dependent on each partner’s commitment to his/her own well-being as an individual. At the same time, I realize that we are energetic beings, and that when we come together, something much larger is born. Call it magic. Call it chemistry. Whatever you call it, it’s rarely under our control.
We can, of course, work with the ways in which we respond or ‘react’ to the chemistry in our relationships. But that doesn’t mean we can change the chemistry. Or, for that matter, that we can change our partners. (As tempting as that thought may be at times!) Relationship can certainly be a humbling business!
Not everyone is meant to be together forever, or according to the romantic dictates of the mainstream culture. Some people make wonderful friends, but horrible lovers. Some make wonderful lovers, but disastrous roommates. Some are meant to be together for a while, but not for a life time. Some need little more than to let go of a fixed belief about what makes a ‘good’ relationship, and a whole world of happiness and contentment opens up for them.
When I work with couples, I bring a combination of optimism, realism and a good sense of humor. Together we explore the relationship’s potential and challenges, what’s working really well and what isn’t, what can be changed, and what simply can’t. Each person receives support in finding ways to be true to him or herself in the context of the relationship, as well the opportunity to better understand the unique beauty of his/her partner. And over time, we discover how the relationship can best express its essence.
(Both personally & professionally, I have found Human Design incredibly useful when it comes to understanding and nurturing healthy relationships. In one gentle yet honest swoop, it takes all of the blame away. Human Design makes it possible for people who care for each other to also SEE each other… as they are. I have found that from that clear place of true acceptance, loving & healthy choices are not only possible, but inevitable. To learn more about Human Design, click here.)
Are you a parent? Do you sometimes feel like you're drowning in your own life, like you can't catch your breath? Do you miss yourself? Your partner? Your creativity? Your own spiritual path? Do you wish you were enjoying your kids more?
Giving birth and becoming a mother have been two of my life’s most enriching, empowering and challenging experiences. I know first-hand the enormous impact a little being can have on a big person's life, and how easily parents’ needs, feelings and dreams get swept aside for the sake of family survival.
When working with new and expectant parents, I listen in a way that helps them get present, hear their own thoughts, and ultimately sort through the overwhelming amount of personal and familial feelings and needs competing for their attention. I help them reconnect with and further develop their deepest visions for their children and family life, make decisions that reflect their ideals while respecting their unique form of humanness, and grow into the role of parent with trust, compassion, and confidence.
Are you a creative soul? Has your artist-self been living in a closet? Are you feeling blocked? Or would you just some support?
I have a special passion for working with people who long to write, paint, dance, perform, teach, invent, compose, but feel creatively blocked or are in need of support.
As an artist, writer, and student of improvisation, I bring an understanding of the creative process, the creative personality, and the joys and struggles that often accompany the desire to create and share one’s creations with others. Drawing from my expressive arts and drama therapy training, as well teaching experience, I find fun and inspiring ways to help clients reconnect with their playful selves and bypass the sabotaging, critical mind that can so often interfere with the creative being within.
Are you a caretaker -- in your personal or professional life? In your efforts to serve others, do you sometimes end up neglecting yourself?
Having lived the bulk of my adult life as a helping professional, I have a great deal of respect and compassion for those who dedicate their lives to service. In my spiritually counseling practice (Roots and Wings, of AIWP), I work with therapists, psychologists, social workers, teachers, nurses, and counselors, with the aim of helping them stay connected to their creative core and spiritual roots.
When professional caretakers learn self-care and the art of balancing professional and personal needs, the door to their passion naturally opens. Reconnecting with the true source of their inspiration, they become increasingly authentic in their work, experience more fulfillment, and much less burnout!
Have you just bought a home, or an office? Or are you feeling the urge to infuse more beauty into your living or working environment?
For years, my husband and I searched for a house in a very difficult market on the West Coast. About a year ago, we finally bought and remodeled our dream home, a big old brown shingle house in Berkeley, California. The entire experience of searching and finding, of bidding and losing and finally getting, and of remodeling and moving was as fun as it was trying! The sheer amount of decisions we had to make (not to mention the immensity of the emotional, relational, aesthetic and financial consequences of those decisions) was quite overwhelming.
I certainly learned a lot about the housing market and interior design. But what I also learned was concrete ways to turn something that could have been quite traumatic and full of conflict into a mutually empowering process. Thanks to this experience, I now offer my services to people wanting a beautiful work or living space that reflects who they are, and a process of getting there that feels empowering and fun.
Do you sometimes find it hard not just to make decisions, but to trust the ones you do make? Do you wish you had the courage to live your life more authentically? Or to even know what that means?
There are few words to describe just how much the knowledge of Human Design has helped me live my life as myself -- not as some person that my mind (and the world around me) has convinced me that I'm supposed to be. If you are open to trying something new, like actually enjoying the experience of being yourself!, Human Design may be something for you! Click here to learn more.
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