As a young child, observing human interactions and their corollaries, especially within my own family, ignited my curiosity, eventually inspiring me to pursue degrees in Child Development (Berea College), Family Studies (University of Kentucky), and Marriage and Family Therapy (The University of Georgia).  Although I am not currently practicing, as a therapist I conducted sessions with clients, taught parenting classes, guided book club discussions, delivered presentations, and wrote about virtually every subject relevant to families. 

Using various metaphors, I have written about the family system, with emphasis on the parent-child relationship, for publication in magazines, church bulletins, and school newsletters.  The Parent’s Tool Box (Lexington Family Magazine) inspected parenting as a process of acquiring the necessary skills for building a healthy family.  Pastoral Parenting (Episcopal Church of the Resurrection Newsletter) addressed the role of parenting in guiding spiritual development.  As arts facilitator for a creative and performing arts school, my passion for the arts and their role in enriching and enhancing life inspired The Art of Parenting (School for the Creative and Performing Arts Newsletter).  Most recently, New York Parenting Magazine published a monthly column exploring the implications of current attitudes, issues, and events for parenting practices.  These collections are stored Down in the Basement for perusal at your convenience.

Studying families has been a persistent passion of mine.  If there is anything I have learned, it is that there is always more to know when it comes to making the most of the best of ourselves and our families.  Family, whatever form it takes, is the system in which we all begin.  Home, wherever and in whatever condition it exists, is the place from which we all start.  The extent to which we are defined by the forces of family and home is significantly determined by our awareness of the role they play in influencing who we become.  When we acknowledge the existence of a force and strive to understand its properties, we gain control over the power it exerts upon us.  The more we know about these forces in our lives, the more we can do to enhance the desirable qualities while modifying the undesirable ones when creating our HeARTful Home.