She earned her bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and has been teaching undergraduates, parents, teachers, and patients—couples and individuals—ever since. With post-doctoral training in couples and family therapy, her emphasis is on solutions rather than pathology, on optimism rather than blame. For the past ten years, she has written a biweekly column called "Relationship Maps" for The Capital, the newspaper for the greater Annapolis area. Perhaps her most important credential is her successful marriage of thirty-six years that has produced two amazing adult children.