I am….a writer, artist, sailor, speaker, advocate, and outgoing energetic woman with a passion of inspiring others to find what makes them want to keep going forward when life seems to have stolen their spirit. My younger brother and sister took their own lives at age 19 and 20, when I was only 22 and 26, living in Denmark, newly engaged, and starting my own adventure. Their deaths inspired me to never say no to a challenge, and to question authority when I felt that a vulnerable person was not being treated fairly with loving kindness. My education took me to nursing, then occupational therapy, then counseling, then as a licensed therapist, and I am now working on my PhD in Health Psychology.When my mom died last year following a short 5-month battle with Pancreatic cancer, I decided I needed to find my center again, and because this was my 3rd major family loss, my heart hurt so badly I needed something big to help heal the loss. I became a Yoga Instructor, graduating in the Spring of 2016. Yoga has inspired my research focus to heal trauma with Yoga. Being a therapist and dealing with personal suicide loss creates a life of constant self-healing and growth to be able to help others. I want to be in a community of healers that inspire others to use their life experiences and journeys of grieving to not only heal themselves, but educate medical professionals that complimentary medicine works, and is crucial for mind/body healing.
