Biography

• A good place to begin is a little about me…

Think of me like a “question mark” in human form,  

Born with an unquenchable curiosity, one of my first words was, “WHY?”

It clearly set me on the Path my Journey has taken me to this day.

 

 

 

 

On MBTI personality tests, I’m all over the chart. I’m an Extrovert when I’m working but intensely Introverted in my personal life.  I am neither an Optimist nor a Pessimist; I’m a Realist.  It is what it is.  And why is it helpful to know about me in explaining why my Educational Journey has been so long and eclectic? It’s a mouthful! Just keep in mind that creatives like musicians, actors, and writers learn the tools of their trade. Athletes train;  I learn. It’s what fuels me. I’m finishing up learning one thing, that leads me to interest in another. I specialize in “TRANSITIONS.” Particularly ones that feel a little chaotic. Our lives are like novels, written with chapter-by-chapter transitions that lead us through infancy, childhood, and then all the transitions that adulthood brings.  The novel is driven by the stories and experiences we’ve had and the stories we tell ourselves about the whos and whys.  The ending of one chapter doesn’t end the story; it just prepares you for the next. Sometimes, we end the chapter, or someone else does. Because other people play a role in your chapter, just as you play a role in theirs. We’re the “authors” and can, at any given time, change our role in the story and how it will transition; we can’t change how any other person rewrites theirs.  That’s what the ending of relationships is—a transition to a new storyline. Now and then, the transition is chaotic. You know, those “bumps” in the road where you have to pick up the pieces and get on with your life. I always refer to the lyrics in the song, “Yeah, Life throws you curves, but you learned to swerve…” My passion for understanding how we think and why we think that way has led me on a long, extensive, and even eclectic Journey.  My undergraduate degrees were in Philosophy, History, and Social Science. Learning how Life is cyclical, not linear. And cycles repeat themselves how those stories impact politics,  religion, and culture. As a society, essentially, how we got from there to here.  My Master’s degrees are in Philosophy, Counseling Psychology, and Neurolinguistics (the art and science of communication.)  My journey as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor found me specializing in individuals, families, and couples, Unraveling the tangled web that their lives have become.  I studied Neurolinguistics,  the art, and science of communication, as well as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) EMDR, and became a Certified and Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist. I served as a Regional Director of two Public Speaking Associations, one in New Jersey and one in Texas.  I’ve worked with individuals transitioning in education and career, as well as interpersonal communication and relationships in work environments. I help individuals write “dialogue” on how to communicate for influence and success clearly.  I’ve always used the analogy that every woman understands. You have a drawer somewhere where all your jewelry “mingles.” You don’t know why, but necklaces get intertwined, and you want to use one, but it’s all caught up.  If you get impatient and pull on it, it will break, so you meticulously need to unravel it. The more you struggle with it, the greater the odds are that it will break.  My practice was in Family systems-parenting/co-parenting, relationships, and communication. I did years of primarily ‘In-home” therapy for families, reunification, domestic violence, and sex abuse, training forensically to both investigate and interview.  A strong advocate for children, I became a Nationally Certified Parent Facilitator, non-attorney Mediator, and Child Custody Evaluator. In over 20 years, I’ve completed 200+ home studies, evaluations, and Peer reviews. Considered an Expert Witness, I’ve done a great deal of Court-ordered Facilitation and evaluations; my ideal method is to work with both parties collaboratively to limit the Court’s involvement.  In recognition that many needed Family system work, particularly when Court-ordered was not “therapeutic” in nature, I obtained Coaching Certifications in Parenting/Co-parenting, Relationships & Divorce, Anger Management, Neurolinguistics, DISC and Fascination  Finally (although I already know, not lastly), I got my Ph.D. in Philosophy, specializing in Epistemology, the study, source, and validity of Knowledge investigation of what distinguishes justifiable belief from opinion. A strong Jungian emphasis on the vast “storage” banks of our subconscious and conscious, the influence of society and family of Origin. How to rewrite the stories As a Divorce Strategist, I’m able to serve in all capacities. Evaluations, Facilitation, and Individual Coaching on how to prepare and how to present oneself in Court. What to say, not to say. How to consolidate your evidence to present a clear picture to the Court in a condensed but targeted presentation. Emotion has NO place in the Courtroom so helping you navigate to a clear perspective about the future. Coordination with other Divorce professionals in Mental Health, Real Estate, Financial Management, and Insurance. Keeping everyone on task and on time I look forward to speaking with you and wish you well on your journey.