We all have experiences in our lives that can profoundly influence the choices and directions we take. 

One such event for me was an accident in which I broke five ribs. An accident on a snowy road on the mountain pass. My hospital stay was brief and uneventful except for the moment, as I was leaving, when I asked the attending physician what I could do to help my body heal. Now remember, this was many years ago, and the idea that one could be proactive in creating healing was not a mainstream thought. The doctor was a puzzled by my question, and he did not have an answer. Thus I was left on my own to begin my study and exploration into the effects that diet, nutrition, herbs, massage, and exercise can have on one's health.  

My initial undergraduate studies were in biology at Penn State University, and later at Central Washington University. But health care was becoming a larger interest in my life. I continued my studies at Bastyr University in Seattle, earning a Bachelors Degree in Natural Health Sciences. In 1987 I received my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, also from Bastyr University, after successfully completing four years (4,100 hours) of intense graduate study.

My interest in, what we now call "alternative" or "complementary" medicine, has continued over the years and in 1995 I received my Masters Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I thus became one of just a few physicians trained and licensed in Washington State to practice both Naturopathic Medicine and Acupuncture.

I also have advanced training in cranio-sacral therapy from the Upledger Institute; facilitator training in Transformational Breath; and six years of training from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, of which I was a core faculty member for 11 years.

I have recently published two books: Quest - Living an Enlightened Life in the Mundane World and Discovery - A Road Map to Your True Self. These books offer a useful and practical guide to answering one of life’s most perplexing questions: How to live an empowered, mindful, even enlightened life when faced with the day to day challenges, conflicts and mundane experiences that occupy most of our time.

I am the founder and Executive Director of The Ripple Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the soulful and courageous adventure of transforming ourselves, our relationships, our community and the world.