My counseling skills have developed from a combination of formal training at the University of Washington School of Social Work, years of experience in counseling-coaching, leading groups, and my life experience.
My life is driven by the desire to learn, to be challenged and to change. My work is informed by a passion for justice and equality, whether between governments and citizens, bosses and employees, parents and children or between intimate partners. The struggle for justice begins at home.
In my professional work, social activism, writing and international travel (in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East), I enjoy engaging with people from all walks of life. In gathering material for my books (www.abusedwomen.org), I have interviewed advocates for immigrants, for women who have disabilities and who are deaf, as well as attorneys, imams, rabbis and ministers. Those opportunities have enabled me to understand aspects of the challenges faced by people from many religions and cultures. I have had the privilege of traveling to Iraq, Colombia and Afghanistan as a "citizen diplomat," and am particularly devoted to furthering social justice, whether by nations, or individuals.
In addition to counseling, teaching and writing, I have held a wide range of jobs, from driving a taxi to serving cocktails to working in a mental hospital. My volunteer work has ranged from helping construct Habitat for Humanity houses, to advocating for drug policy reform, to leading groups for abused women. I have published travel memoirs as well as other articles, and am currently writing a novel.
RECENT INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS:- Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR);
- Brainspotting;
- Nonviolent Communication (NVC);
- Harm Reduction Therapy;
- Course work in advocating for abused women and working with abusive intimate partners, to qualify as a trainee in leading batterers' intervention groups.
- Masters Degree in Social Work (M.S.W.), University of Washington. 1974.
- Recipient of Northwest Women's Law Center 2007 Cynthia Gillespie Award for work on furthering women's rights.
- Honorary Steering Committee member, Capital Campaign ADWAS (Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services). 2003-2006.
- Consultant: Innovative Programs Research Group Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Pilot Study. 2006.
- Board of Directors: Chaya, serving South Asian Women. 2001-2007.
- Board of Directors: King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 2002-2005.
- Designated a Feminist Therapy Foremother by the journal, "Women and Therapy,". 1995.
- Editor, "International Newsletter Against Violence Against Women". 1985-1991.
- Washington State Governor's Award: for Getting Free: 1982: www.abusedwomen.org.
Published by Seal Press. - Innovator Award: King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 1977.
- Founder and director of The Abused Women's Network. 1975.
- A founder and director of Rape Relief. 1972.
- Lecturer and workshop leader on all phases of abuse for professional therapists and grassroots workers throughout the U.S. and in Canada, Scotland, England, Norway and Mexico.
- Teacher of history, language arts, community organization and women and power from junior high school through university and adult education.
PUBLICATIONS: Please see www.abusedwomen.org.
