A third generation nurse, I earned my Bachelor's of Science degree in

                                                          Nursing in 1984 from The University of Texas at Austin. I began my career

                                                          in the field of oncology in the acute care setting, as well as pioneering 

                                                          intravenous therapies in the home setting. This was the beginning of my

                                                          exploration into other spiritualities and belief systems, as I learned from

                                                          my patients, as they dealt with facing their immortality. Six years later,

                                                          desiring to live near mountains, I moved to Grand Junction, Colorado and took a position as the sole                                                                         admissions nurse and liaison for a free-standing fifty-two bed physical rehabilitation hospital. Working with                                                             local patients and families, and visitors from around the globe, I was responsible for following patients                                                                     through their recovery, after experiencing a wide range of medical events. These included strokes,                                                                             neurological disorders, total joint replacements, and many other orthopedic and neurological injuries. I                                                                   continued to develop my meditation practice as inspired by assisting people facing life-changing events.

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                                                              During this time, I attended an introductory course taught by a hospital administrator, on the work of        Deepak Chopra's use of Ayurvedic medicine. This was followed by a weekend workshop led by this well-known expert on health and spiritual practices. Additionally, my first exposure to the practices of Chinese Medicine occurred while investigating nutrition. I was fortunate enough to attend trainings with the renowned Rebecca Wood, a pioneer in working with nutrition, using whole foods and Chinese medicine principles. Combining spiritual practices with health and medicine, I attended teachings at the North American monastery of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in Ithaca, New York. The abbot would bestow teachings of the Medicine Buddha practice in the morning, and then Tibetan physicians would impart their knowledge of Tibetan medicine in the afternoon. This medicine combines aspects of Ayurvedic medicine with Chinese medicine.

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     After being exposed to a multitude of alternate views on health, wellness, and spiritual cultivation, I moved to Tucson, AZ to attend The Desert Institute of Healing Arts in 1997, studying the practice of massage therapy, and pursued studies in CranioSacral Therapy. I worked in the hospice setting for several years part-time and was nominated for Tucson's Top 50 Nurses award. In 2010, I became certified as an Independent Registered Nurse Patient Advocate through a program associated with the University of Arizona's College of Nursing. And in 2016, I received my Master's of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Degree. I am also nationally licensed as a Diplomate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

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     In love with the culture and beauty of the Sonoran Desert, I have made Tucson my home, with my husband and our dogs. I have maintained a private practice since 1998, with whom I share my love of the connection between the mind, Spirit, emotions, and the human body. Treating chronic pain, anxiety, and many other chronic conditions, I provide Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Craniosacral Therapy, and Tui Na.