My Story

I Know What It Feels Like to Believe the Pain Will Never End.

And I walked through all of it. What I found on the other side changed everything.

Chapter One

The Wound

I grew up in Appalachian West Virginia, where the mountains were beautiful and the pain was hidden. My childhood was marked by trauma that no child should carry — abuse that taught me before I could even name it that the world was not safe, that I was not safe.

I did what many wounded people do. I learned to survive. I built walls. I became tough on the outside and shattered on the inside. And for a long time, that was enough to get by.

But getting by is not living.

"I was so broken that I couldn't see the pieces anymore. But something in me refused to stop breathing."
Chapter Two

The Descent

The pain I carried led me where unhealed pain always leads — to anything that would make it stop, even for a moment. Drugs. Alcohol. Food. Relationships that mirrored the chaos I already knew. I self-sabotaged in every way a person can, because when you believe you are broken, you build a life that proves it.

There were moments when I did not want to be alive. I am not saying that for sympathy. I am saying it because if you are in that place right now, I need you to know: I was there too. And I am still here.

The bottom was real. But it was also the place where something shifted.

Chapter Three

The Turning Point

Recovery did not happen overnight. It happened one choice at a time. One day at a time. I entered recovery. I went back to school. I earned my degree in Psychology, then Theology. I discovered that the spiritual path was not separate from the healing path — they were the same road.

I began working in mental health, and something remarkable happened: the skills I was learning to help others were healing me too. Every person I sat with, every story I listened to, showed me another piece of the puzzle. My pain had a purpose. My mess was becoming my message.

I trained in energy healing — Reiki, Kolamani, energetics. I earned certifications and degrees. I became a Licensed Massage Therapist. I was ordained. And through all of it, I kept transforming. Not because I was fixed. Because I was finally brave enough to feel.

"If I can do it... you can do it!"
Chapter Four

Building a Life of Service

For over 40 years, I have dedicated my life to helping others find their own turning point. Not through theory — through real, lived transformation. Soul to soul, heart to heart.

I have written 25 books — published in 3 languages, available in more than 10 countries. Books on grief, anxiety, fear, depression, addiction, chronic illness, spiritual transformation. Each one began as someone's pain and became a guide for someone else's healing.

After September 11th, I served as a consultant to families who had lost loved ones — people drowning in a grief they never imagined. In 1986, I founded the first LGBTQ conference at WVU, because I knew what it meant to be invisible. I have spoken on stages across the country and will soon be speaking in Scotland.

Today, I work with people one-on-one from my home in Houston, Texas. Some come to me with grief so heavy they cannot stand. Some come with anxiety that has stolen their sleep. Some come because they are tired of being broken and are ready — even if they are scared — to begin.

Credentials & Training

Education & Certifications

  • A.S. in Psychology (1982)
  • B.S. in Psychology & Theology (1986)
  • Licensed Massage Therapist (2001)
  • Reiki Master Teacher
  • Kolamani Master Teacher
  • Certified Energetics Practitioner
  • Master in Metaphysics (2022)
  • Pursuing Dual Doctorates: Divinity & Metaphysical Psychology — University of Sedona
  • Ordained Minister
  • 40+ years in mental health services & spiritual consulting
Recognition
  • Delaware Women in Business DIVA ACHIEVA (2005)
  • Who's Who in American Women Entrepreneurs (2016)
  • Post-9/11 Family Consultant
  • Founded the first LGBTQ conference at WVU (1986)
  • Founding Board Member, West Virginia Head Injury Foundation (1986)
  • Board Member, Women's Aid in Crisis Domestic Violence Shelter, WV (1987)
  • Governor-appointed Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (1987–1989)
Professional Affiliations
Member, Association for Spiritual Integrity
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