Profile

I was born into a military family in 1951. My father was an officer in the Air Force and we travelled all over the country and to Germany and Norway during his service. It was a wonderful life for a child to explore so many lands and cultures, but I also saw the shadow side of military life. My dad‘s brother, Uncle Bob, suffered “shellshock“ in the Navy from his tour of duty on the USS South Dakota. After his discharge he was unable to function in society and, being a single man with deceased parents, he lived in a variety of Veterans homes for the rest of his life. As a child, I remember visiting Uncle Bob with my family and witnessing my father’s heartbreak over the loss of his brother who had become an empty shell of a man. I saw early on the effects of war and it made a lasting impression. In my 20s and 30s and 40s, after the Vietnam war, I found it remarkable that most of the Vietnam vets I spoke with were unwilling or unable to talk about their tours of duty. Most recently I have been acutely aware of the lack of services for veterans and the hardships vets endure in public life. It's a national shame that veterans are not being supported and protected and cared for by the richest nation in the history of the world, the country which they served in good faith. When I see a homeless person my first thought is, I wonder if he or she is a veteran?

With all that said, I am honored to be a part of this retreat team that is providing respite and healing to veterans. In 2019 it is well known that all humans have some degree of PTS and sanctuary trauma, but war is the most fertile ground for personal and planetary trauma, and this type of therapy is an invaluable approach to healing the devastating effects of war.

I studied nursing in Baltimore, Maryland from 1976-1979, receiving my RN diploma from Union Memorial Hospital. I practiced nursing in a variety of hospital settings for 18 years, from progressive coronary care to adolescent detox to psychiatry.

In 1991 I moved to Taos and studied acupuncture at Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe where I received my Master's degree in Oriental Medicine and have been in private practice in Taos since 1996.

The beauty of Oriental Medicine is that it addresses our entire being: the energy body, the emotional body, the mental body and the physical body. Imagine that these levels are like the rings of a dartboard and the bull's eye is the center of our energy body. When a needle is inserted, it goes to the bull's eye and ripples out to all the layers of our being. If you have any concern about needles, rest assured that they are very thin, sterile and disposable after each treatment. I work with my clients in a very gentle, respectful way and also use sound healing, breathwork and essential oils. My goal is to assist in the release of pain and trauma and to provide a safe environment in which one can heal from the inside out. Healing comes from within our core energy body and acupuncture "flips the switch" to turn on the light for the body to release, rebalance and renew.

In ancient Greece, battle-weary warriors returning from war spent months in a special temple where they were treated before returning to their families and society. This retreat is the modern version of what was commonplace in ancient Greece. Blessed be that you have seized this opportunity to heal! I look forward to meeting each one of you and participating in your journey of returning to wholeness.