I am a Master’s Level Psychologist in the State of Michigan. I received my Bachelors degree in psychology in 1988 from Northern Michigan University in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is where I met my loving husband who is a “Yooper” (pronounced You- per). We then moved downstate, below the bridge, becoming “trolls,” where I went to graduate school at Central Michigan University. I received my Master’s degree in clinical psychology in 1994.

While in graduate school I had a placement with a Community Mental Health Center in Midland Michigan where I met a wonderful lady who invited me to dance with her. I was one of those born dancers who never had any training. She saw through to my spirit and gave me the chance of a lifetime, to dance semi-professionally while training me herself with her group “Inside Out Music and Dance,” a contemporary company she put together. I also began some ballet training. This dovetailed nicely with the 15 years of music I had had in public school, college and church playing cornet, F Horn, piano, voice and guitar.

After the birth of my third child that same year, 1994, I took time to be with my children. I began working as a psychologist in earnest in 1996 with a small private practice in my church and as a therapist at Gratiot Community hospital in Alma Michigan were we had bought our first home. I worked as the therapist in the Partial Psychiatric Hospitalization program for two years, then in the inpatient unit for four years. I then became contingent therapist for both and increased my outpatient practice with Family Health Psychiatric Associates. I also became certified by the Crisis Prevention Institute and became the hospital’s instructor for nonviolent crisis intervention. I had also been doing cognitive assessments for the Geriatric Assessment Program that the hospital offers also. During this time I shifted my dance emphasis. After dancing with the semi-professional group for four and a half years I began teaching creative movement to young children in 1994.

In 1995 I started teaching at the Northeast Michigan Art Council’s Summer Arts Camp in Standish Michigan where I have been leading the Performing Art Class in their camp every summer. All this time I have been using my music and acting skills in church groups and performances with adults and children. Using the creative writing minor I had in college I have written several plays for both church use and for my performing arts camps. One of these was published in 2004 by Standard Publishing’s Christmas drama book. As you can see I live the multifaceted approach that I teach. While we all have areas that we need to challenge ourselves, myself included, I have found life to most rewarding when involved in many different creative endeavors. In the fall of 2005 we moved out to the country where I find a peaceful spirit in the songs of the birds, but not such in the frustration of weeds in my garden. Everything is an opportunity to grow isn’t it?