About

Today life is good…. very good!  But it wasn’t always this way.

I grew up in a severely dysfunctional home with an abusive, alcoholic father and a frightened, enabling mother. With no healthy communication or effective parenting, I turned to substance use to cope with the traumatic environment. Smoking cigarettes at age 10, alcohol at 12, marijuana and hard liquor at 13. At age 18, I received my first DUI, and at age 47, my seventh. Yes, seven DUI’s!  The years in between my struggles with addiction included many street drugs, pharmaceuticals, food, and co-dependency.

Despite all of this, I outwardly achieved some level of success. As a “functioning alcoholic/addict”, I maintained a steady career in the grocery business, owned a new home and new cars, and seemed to have it all –  including a family with two amazing children. Yet internally, I was gripped by depression, anxiety, crippling self-doubt, and experienced  thousands of suicidal thoughts. I had never felt comfortable in my own skin. The substance use and other addictive behaviors became my way of coping with the many underlying issues. This way of being had a huge cost attached, including two marriages that ended in divorce.

The turning point came three days after receiving the seventh DUI. On June 21, 2011, the course of my life changed. I made the decision to choose a different path, and that’s when the challenging but rewarding work of healing began. Self-acceptance slowly began to weave its way into my life. Through inner reflection, study, and guidance from wonderful teachers, I broke free from the self-destructive thought patterns and addictive behaviors that had shaped my life experience up to that point.

Now…. 14 years alcohol and marijuana free, I’m committed to practices that create inner peace, promote balance, and support a healthy lifestyle. Most importantly, I practice the principles that I teach. I eat well, exercise both body and mind, and feel as though I’m getting healthier as I age!