Background and Training

Western Medicine: I was born into the world of medicine. My grandfather and three of his four sons were doctors. My background includes:

A wide range of roles over four decades (nursing, health education and coaching, training, quality improvement, research, writing)
Activism inside and outside of health care systems to empower patients and increase awareness of environmental, social and economic forces that affect health
A Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington

Coaching: My training includes advanced work with collaborative coaching methods (Intrinsic Coaching®, Motivational Interviewing and Behavioral Activation). As a wellness coach, I help people live the lives they want to live while managing chronic conditions like depression, chronic pain, diabetes, HIV and heart disease.

Earth-Based Spiritual Traditions provide the foundation for my practice. My training and experience includes:

Many years of practice in European pagan traditions
Eleven years of group training and individual apprenticeship in shamanism with Valerie Wolf, a gifted shamanic healer and dreamer
Study of Celtic shamanism with Tom Cowan in the US and with John Cantwell and Karen Ward of Sli an Chroi in Ireland
Intensive work with Deena Metzger and Mandaza Kandemwa

Energy Healing: My practice began over 30 years ago with study of Therapeutic Touch (with Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz), Reiki and Healing Touch.

Systemic Family Constellations: My training includes:

Three years in Lisa Iversen‘s Family Matters program
Workshops with others, including Francesca Mason Boring
A series of workshops with Lisa Iversen and Kate Regan, “An Embodied Conversation with the Internalized Colonizer”
Participation in the BOB + BART Leadership Intensive, led by Lisa Iversen and Kate Regan

Writing: I have worked with a variety of teachers, most recently Sonya Lea.