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There was a moment during my undergraduate studies when I said to myself, "This is what I want to learn – I’m going to study psychology!" Looking back, I now recognize how important are these moments of clarity and conviction, and in my psychotherapy practice, I try to help others uncover their convictions and create clarity along with a sense of direction in their lives.
Once I made the decision to study psychology, I thought it best to also gain experience in the field. While enrolled in a Masters’ degree program in psychology, I worked at a private psychiatric hospital (Edgemont Hospital) in Los Angeles (1972-1974). My position was "psychiatric aid", and my responsibilities included "hanging out" much of each day with people suffering from severe problems. As I reflect back, I recognize this entry-level position that did not involve counseling remains the foundational experience of my career. Through this experience, I developed a "feel" for human suffering and how we cope in the face of severe personal adversity.
In 1973, I began a counseling internship under the supervision of a psychiatrist at the same hospital. After completing my internship and Masters’ degree (1975, Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles), I became a licensed psychotherapist (California LMFT No. 6833). My interest in psychology continued, and I enrolled in a Ph.D. program that emphasized clinical psychology. I chose to focus on psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, while continuing to learn existential, humanistic and transpersonal psychologies. I experienced psychoanalysis as a patient, in part because of conflict and suffering, as well as from a curiosity to learn more about the nature and functioning of the mind. In 1981, I earned the PhD in Psychology (California Graduate Institute, Los Angeles; now The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Southern California). The topic of my dissertation was, Attention and Memory Dysfunction In Reading Disabled Adolescent Males.
The topics of "attention" and "memory", along with "awareness", "self" and "spirituality" have remained a central focus of my interest and work. Throughout my career, I have investigated these topics from Western and Eastern perspectives. Through the years, I taught psychology courses at Immaculate Heart College, counseled at clinics and schools, developed and administered an Employee Assistance Program, and maintained a private practice – and I have tried to integrate a humanistic, psycho-spiritual perspective into all of these positions.
From the late 1980s to the present, I have spent about two years in India, primarily at the spiritual center of Ammachi, a humanitarian and spiritual teacher known as the "hugging saint". While there, I have encountered different healing disciplines from the Vedic perspective, and embarked upon a deeper integration of body-mind, psycho-spiritual healing. In recent years, my ongoing education and training continue stimulating my synthesis of Western and Eastern disciplines, especially those that emphasize pattern-recognition. I have received advanced training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), two subjects that readily integrate with other Eastern and Western healing modalities.
I bring a multi-discipline, body-mind and psycho-spiritual approach to my current work as psychotherapist, workshop leader, and mindfulness-based stress reduction teacher. In my work, I integrate different Western and Eastern healing traditions to help people generate greater freedom, understanding, fulfillment and wellness in their lives.