My Story...

As a hang gliding instructor, my primary role was to encourage people to overcome their fear and take a leap of faith from the secure ground into the unknown. Now, I find that my primary role is still encouraging people to take a leap of faith into the unknown. The difference is that, in psychotherapy, the “ground” is the security of our old habit patterns, and “overcoming our fear” is the courage it takes to leap into the possibility of a whole new way of being in the world, with all the unknowns and even risks that this entails. It seems that in order to live more fully and explore the bounds of our freedom, we have to let go of many of our secure but limiting habits and belief systems.

I combined this with intensive academic studying and conducting a series of pioneering research studies as I worked through my B.A. degree, my Masters degree, and finally my Ph.D. degree, all of them in psychology with an emphasis on somatic, humanistic, existential, and transpersonal perspectives. I translated my doctoral research on the recovery from psychosis and extreme states into the widely acclaimed book, Rethinking Madness.

During my career, I have been highly dedicated to continuing to increase my diversity of experience and competence in clinical psychology and psychotherapy/counselling, having worked at:

• a residential facility for those challenged by psychosis and other extreme states of consciousness
• a major medical hospital providing support for people challenged by serious physical and mental ailments, many of whom were preparing for the great unknown of death
• a community mental health clinic supporting individuals, couples, and families with a wide variety of issues;
• a treatment center for those challenged with substance dependence
• the New Zealand ACC system, providing one-on-one and multi-disciplinary support for survivors of accidents and injuries (including concussion/TBI, PTSD, chronic pain, survivors of sexual abuse/assault and physical assault, and other associated conditions)
• several private practice settings where I continue to provide therapy for a wide range of challenges and supervision to other health professionals (see My Services for more details).

I’ve assisted and led numerous workshops and trainings over the past 15+ years. These include teaching other health professionals therapy modalities that incorporate mindful and somatic (mind/body) approaches to various forms of acute and developmental trauma, and teaching other methods of psychological healing and wellness more generally.

In 2012, In became licensed as a Psychologist in California. In 2013, I shifted to New Zealand, where I also registered as a Clinical Psychologist and continued to provide various services within the health professions there for about 10 years. In 2023, I returned to the U.S., where I continue to work as a psychologist in this private practice setting in both California and Utah.

See the many modalities I incorporate into my practice here.

Professional Memberships:

Licensed Psychologist – California, USA – #25338 (California Board of Psychology)

Licensed Psychologist – Utah, USA – #13759876-2501 (Utah DOPL)

Certified Teacher and Therapist of Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy (The Hakomi Institute)