Philosophy:

Over my lifetime it has been important to me to have a quality life. I have always believed as human beings we deserve to be happy and to enjoy this experience called life. As a psychotherapist, I began my search to discover a method in my therapeutic approach that would help people create the permanent change that they want in their lives and therefore live a quality life. What I discovered through experience and application is a body centered approach to psychotherapy which takes into account the entire person on each level of being: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. My approach is based on the premise that the body has an innate wisdom all it's own.

The body is a storehouse of energy and memory at a cellular level. If what is recorded in the body memory is traumatic, then over time this can become a hindrance to our flow of life energy and eventually the internal stress becomes an imbalance in our body mind. This imbalance is our body's way of getting our attention. This is what my work focuses on. At this point, the imbalance is just a blocked energy pattern in your body presenting itself as a thought, feeling or belief.

This is where my therapeutic techniques assist in a session and help the client to access the blocked energy held in the body and bring it to the surface where it can be felt and experienced. We can heal the past memory by going within and experiencing what's there. Once understood and experienced, the natural pathway of our life energy can inherently flow and be in balance once again.

The various techniques that I bring to my practice that I have certification and training in are Gestalt, Somatic Breath Work, Hypnotherapy, Somatic Hydrotherapy, Psycho-Emotional Kinesiology and Meditation. Each of these techniques are effective ways to get us out of our heads where we interpret life, and into our bodies where we EXPERIENCE life. It is by being present in our bodies that we can understand our pain and move out of it and in it's place experience who we really are. This is authenticity and this is the only way to have a quality life...

About Me:

I began my journey of healing and consciousness early in life when a life-changing event took place when I was 5 years old. My Father passed away very suddenly in the night. The trauma of losing a parent, when that young, threw me into a defense pattern of pushing myself to exhaustion. From that moment forward I was on a mission to figure out life and understand the family dynamic I was in. I questioned WHY this happened to me. There had to be more to life than the pain I felt inside and the pain I saw in my family.

Being a very intuitive and feeling type, I took on everyone's feelings like a sponge. By college my emotional pain had manifested itself as an eating disorder. In my early 20's I sought out therapy for my eating disorder and depression; it CHANGED MY LIFE.

From that point on I knew I wanted to be a therapist and help people heal there pain, but first I had to help myself. I finished a graduate program in Psychology and Counseling with a master's degree from the University of Colorado at Denver.

I changed my thinking, addressed the emotional pain in my body, plus found spiritual faith that all my unhappiness wasn't in vain. In time I began to feel better by integrating cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual techniques in this personal growth and healing process I found myself in.

As a licensed psychotherapist with over 27 years of experience in North Carolina and Colorado, I have developed an approach that combines my trainings in Gestalt, Somatic Breath Work, Hypnotherapy, Somatic Hydrotherapy, Psycho-Emotional Kinesiology and Meditation. I use these different techniques based on what the session calls for.
I have authored my own newspaper column as well as published magazine articles. I lecture frequently at Metro College and have worked extensively with industries giving seminars on wellness as well as trainings in communication and conflict resolution in the work environment. Another aspect of my work is facilitating retreats ranging from a 4 day women's retreat using nature and breath, to one day workshops. My focus is creating a safe container in which to have fun and do deep transformational work which allows my clients to explore themselves spiritually, discover their potential and understand the relationship between the body and the mind.

TECHNIQUES:

GESTALT WORK This technique allows the client to deal with any conflict they may be experiencing whether within themselves or another person. The client puts the subject of conflict in the empty chair and talks to the person or part of themselves, then becomes the subject and talks back to the client. The idea is to objectify the conflict and bring it outside of yourself. A lot of insight can be gleamed in the dialogue resulting in an integration and transformation within the body.

SOMATIC BREATH WORK This breathing technique allows the client to focus inwardly on their inner life and be present with whatever they are experiencing; whether it is a thought, feeling, or a sensation. By being profoundly present with oneself the use of this breathing technique can move out old emotional pain that has been trapped in the body, therefore creating emotional resolution and clearing.

HYPNOTHERAPY
This technique takes a client into a hypnotic trance, the alpha state; (similar to a deep meditative state) where there is more opportunity to tap into the subconscious mind. Hypnosis is used to program goals or to bring a part of oneself more fully into being.

SOMATIC HYDROTHERAPY This technique is the same as Somatic Breath Work but is done in a hot tub at 100 degrees or lower. The client is face down breathing through a snorkel. This creates a safe container with no distractions from oneself. The goal is to be completely present with what is. If scheduled in a series of three sessions the third session is free.

MEDITATION This technique allows the client to sit in stillness and silence with oneself. It is the simplest and most natural way to establish a loving and compassionate relationship with yourself. Meditation offers a new perspective from which to look at life. It enhances one's connection to their inner wisdom. Meditation packages offered individually or in groups.

PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL KINESIOLOGY This technique is based on the premise that the body has an innate wisdom all it's own and has recorded every stress we have ever experienced in life. As a stress elimination process, this technique locates and corrects long standing energy imbalances in the body mind that can eventually create internal stress, blocks or illness. Optimal balance is restored by tapping into the body's innate wisdom by using Applied Kinesiology (AK), (body feedback via muscle testing) to access self limiting beliefs or patterns stored in the body. Since Psycho-Emotional Kinesiology works on an energetic level dowsing rods are also used in a session and work with the same principle as AK does. An inward shift takes place causing an outward transformation.

RETREAT'S:

In my retreat's women reclaim their power. Everything we do supports an embracing of your inner life and being through the use of nature, breath and meditation. Group processes; journaling; ritual; movement; creative activities; and of course mother nature (ocean, lakes and hot springs); all play a part to help clients revitalize their body, mind and soul. My retreat locations have included North Carolina, Southern Colorado and Mexico.

4 Day Retreat: Workshop, Meals and Accommodations all inclusive; Date and Cost to be announced

Next Women's Retreat is projected for 2014

TAILOR YOUR OWN RETREAT

Get together with your friends and have a transformational experience of a life time. I find the location of your choice and handle all the details, as well as facilitate the retreat based on your needs and specifications. You and your friends just show up.

ONE DAY WORKSHOPS

1.) All Day Meditation 2.) Manifest Your Dreams 3.) Developing Your Spirituality 4.) All Day Somatic Breath Work Dates and Cost to be announced

MEDITATION PACKAGES

1.) Individual instruction (3) 90 minute sessions 2.) Class instruction (4) 90 minute sessions(5 or more constitutes a class) Discounts offered for meditation packages