Born and raised in the Marine Corps (see: The Great Santini) she has been pursuing the art and science of helping people gain optimal lives since co- founding a drug crisis center in 1969. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Antioch College, and gained her PhD from the University of Texas in Austin, Tx. She has more than 30 yrs experience as a psychotherapist, and has developed skill sets that include psychoanalytic therapy, hypnosis, EMDR, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.