I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and was deeply troubled by the poverty and blight that were pervasive there. I spent my early professional life deeply engaged in working with frontline community-based organizations primarily serving disenfranchised children, battered women, chronically mentally ill individuals and homeless families.
Before relocating to the bay area in 2004, I had served the needs of hundreds of poverty-stricken individuals and families. I was greatly moved by this work, but wanted a wider breadth of experience.
Once in the bay area, I continued my work primarily in psychiatric hospitals, working with individuals of all ages and all levels of functioning. In addition, I expanded my expressive arts training by completing a very intensive six-month immersion training at the renowned Tamalpa Institute, and developed my own psychotherapeutic methods based in traditional western psychology and body-oriented expressive arts. My experience as a practitioner paved my way into greater concern for social justice and led me to devote my time volunteering with women in transition, welfare to work mothers, and victim survivors of sexual trauma.
For the past eight years I have been Core Faculty at the Omega Institute of Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY. Omega is a nationally recognized holistic learning center, combining spirituality, personal and social change, learning and community awareness. I also lead classes at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA
For over a decade now I have been teaching my innovative and original movement-based healing technique; Dance Your Bliss at schools, hospitals, psychiatric wards, homeless shelters, retreat centers, women's empowerment groups and conferences. My classes and workshops use my interdisciplinary method of healing, creating art, deepening community and loving the Self.I have a Masters in Clinical Social Work and Social Theory from Bryn Mawr College. Bryn Mawr is a highly selective social work school outside of Philadelphia, and the first school to allow women to earn a Master's degree.
I continue to tailor my practice women and men in transition; specializing in depression, anxiety, life-transitions and individuals who are new to the bay area.
I have completed a one-year training in Hakomi; a Mindfulness-Based Expressive Psychotherapy approach developed by Ron Kurtz.
I am a proud graduate of the Tamalpa Institute in Kentfield, CA, in their internationally renowned expressive arts therapy training. This work was originated in the 1950's by Anna Halprin, who is among the first pioneers to use dance as a healing art. In the 1970's, Daria Halprin further developed the artistic and therapeutic aspects of this work.
I have studied with Group Motion in Philadelphia, a 40 year-old workshop laboratory led by Manfred Fischbeck and Brigitta Hermann. This profound system combines improvisation, movement meditations, and contact- improv with explorations of breath flow, sound, and movement qualities.
Education:
Movement Based Expressive Arts Therapy (2004)
Tamalpa Institute, San Anselmo, CA
Masters Degree in Social Service (2000)
Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude (1995)
Temple University, Philedelphia, PA
