I have written daily since June 1972 when I started keeping a daily journal. Writing is definitely a creative process but its benefits far exceed just creativity. Writing can be a healing journey. We are built to align with the energy and effectiveness of words because words are our energetic language. By writing we claim our lives, how our minds work, our decisions, desires, goals, and dreams. I encourage writing as a tool for deeper understanding of who we are. Writing is an expression that will: 1) decrease symptoms of physical health, 2) discover, recover and uncover hidden aspects of the personal self, 3) redirect a life's focus, 4) allow creativity and play, 5) encourage healthy thinking, and 6) bring the mind/body/spirit into balance. Writing has so many benefits it is difficult to name them all. I have created the program Unveil the Wounded Self - Write to Heal PTSD and Other Symptoms of Stress workshops and presentations. I am an international teacher of intensive writing techniques to access the imagination and creative abilities of the subconscious for healing haunting symptoms. Once the sting of PTSD and other stress symptoms are released onto the page, I lead participants through a process to facilitate healing. We are not built to stuff our emotions or experiences. We must claim them, learn from them, and heal them.

Bio I studied philosophy at the University of California/Santa Cruz and became fascinated with the complexities of the mind and its effects on a life. Writing allowed me to explore my life in deeper ways than anything else I tried. I learned that writing was a way to design new paths both for a new lifestyle and for new paths for our brain. I enrolled in San Jose State University's social work program while still practicing my daily journal writing. I studied with the poet Ellen Bass, who in the 70's lead Writing About Our Lives workshops. In the mid-90's I studied with Natalie Goldberg as well as Tom Parker, Tad Wojnicki, Kathleen Roundtree, Tania Casselle and Sean Murphy. I attended up to four book readings a week for two decades to acquaint myself with authors and participate in their book presentations. I read one or two books a month because reading is an invaluable tool for writing. Eventually I began to write books and wrote fiction, memoir, self-help, and poetry. To date, I have written 99 daily journals, had a dozen articles published in local newspapers, poems accepted for publication, and eleven books self-published. I have also been a licensed clinical social worker counseling families, couples and individuals for over thirty years and worked in corporations helping companies bring unity among their employees. We live by our philosophy. That is where counseling and writing become one path for me. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. Anais Nin. Anais Nin