I am passionate about helping others. My journey began as a Registered Nurse, spending years working in cardiovascular medicine and research. During this time, my self-exploration with a psychotherapist re-ignited my other passion—theatre. While pursuing my theatre degree and immersing myself in character studies, I became intrigued with a therapeutic approach integrating theatre and psychology.
I was fortunate to matriculate at California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where I received a Masters in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy. While there, I studied Tibetan Buddhism and spiritual creativity which resulted in my graduate research and thesis: Drama Therapy and Tibetan Buddhism: An Integrated Path to Spiritual Creativity. Based on this work I conducted weekly drama therapy groups that focused on cultivating compassion, loving kindness, forgiveness and gratitude. Leading these groups for many years taught me that integrating creative arts and spiritual practices in psychotherapy facilitates healing.
I have 25 years experience working in hospital and community-based outpatient psychiatric treatment programs as a nurse, case manager, individual, group, family and drama therapist specializing in treating eating disorders and co-occurring disorders of anxiety, depression, bipolar and chemical dependency.
Using creative arts to treat eating disorders, my experiential methods provide individuals with tools to give a voice to their eating disorder and discover their voice of recovery. My work is featured in the documentary “Expressing Disorder: Journey to Recovery” and my latest video “Unveiling the Hidden Self: Hope and Healing through Drama Therapy” outlines my Five Step process of using masks to assist individuals in separating from their eating disorder critic and integrating a compassionate voice of recovery.
I have presented my experiential work at national conferences and conducted workshops in local treatment programs and as adjunct faculty at JFK University. My therapeutic approach relies on a variety of treatment modalities which stems from my belief that optimal healing, recovery and personal growth are achieved through the integration of mind, body and spirit.