I have spent over forty years helping people change unsuccessful habits. Habits are generally nonconscious, very well-trained responses to sensory stimuli, both in the present moment and from our memories. In order to sustain habit change, learning stress regulation tools is critical. When overcome with adversities, it is easy to revert to well-traveled harmful habit pathways. My practice is a systems oriented, relational endeavor incorporating different techniques studied over the years. My goal is to help individuals, couples, and families become aware of their thoughts and physical responses to the moment; teach how to strengthen internal resources of brain-body regulation and encourage each person to take personal responsibility for their own reactions. The habits we use to help us patch over adversities can cause feelings of disconnection, fear, unhappiness – leading to isolation. Recovery is learning how to develop successful strategies in order to disrupt engaging in habits that can be harmful to the self and others.

My practice has led me to a deep understanding of the intertwined nature of the brain-body. Thanks to my stress research mentor and friend Mary Dallman PhD, an emeritus from the University of California San Francisco, I learned to view the world through the lens of stress. Life is stressful. I coined C-SIT® (Cognitive Somatic Integration Training) to describe the blended model of cognitive and somatic techniques that, when combined, gracefully teach skills for brain-body integration and facilitate regulation. The brain-body are one. There is no duality. Lack of brain-body integration can lead to unsuccessful habits. Our attempts to patch over feelings of disconnection, fear, isolation, and unhappiness can drive us to seek relief through addictions and other impulsive actions. Ultimately unsuccessful habits take us further from the sense of calm and success we seek in life. Everyone has the potential to change!

Additional Details

1972 BA Florida State University Music School/Humanities

1974 MS Rehabilitation Counseling (focus Addiction)

1987 PhD California Graduate School Family Psychology (acquired by American School of Professional Psychology 1999). Dissertation: Post-Recovery Vocational Experiences of Chemically Dependent Nurses On Re-entry to Work