As I sit back and reflect, it's astonishing to realize that for almost four decades, my passion has revolved around the study and exploration of the human body. The experiences and insights that I have gained along the way have shaped not only my professional path but also my personal development.
I started dancing quite late, at the ripe old age of 17, attending Jefferson High School here in Portland through their magnet program, and fell so in love with dance that I ending up earning a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts, in Seattle, WA in 1987. A few years later, I moved to NYC to pursue a career in modern dance, and performed and choreographed there for the next 10 years.
Midway in my dance career, a friend suggested I check out this system called Gyrotonic®, and after a single session, I was hooked. I simply loved the way it made me feel, and I loved the depth and respect for the body and the spirit inherent in the system. I have continued to stay connected to Gyrotonic® both for my own benefit and as an instructor for nearly 30 years.
A few years into teaching Gyrotonic®, I began to look for an adjunct therapy to offer my clients. I had been receiving acupuncture while dancing, and a few of the practitioners I had been seeing were very helpful in guiding my curiosity about East Asian Medicine into an actual career path. Somehow, instinctively, it just felt like the next right step.
I entered acupuncture school in 1999, and graduated with a Master’s Degree from Tri-State College of Acupuncture in 2002. At the school I was exposed to many different styles of treatment - Physical Medicine, Japanese Acupuncture through Kiiko Matsumoto, Five Element acupuncture through Lorie Dechar and a brief exposure to distal styles of treatment, which I have continued to explore more deeply in recent years.
After graduation, I was asked to teach and assist at Tri-State, and continued to do so until in 2004, when my son Milo was born. Eventually we relocated back to Portland in 2006, and I opened this practice in SW Portland in 2007. Milo is now a collegiate goalkeeper, and I spend my time outside of work reading, taking walks, playing golf (my grandparents would be so proud!), laughing and diving into what it means to be human with my friends, cooking, meditating, trying to learn the ukulele, and sitting by the ocean as often as I can.
What I Believe:
-
In general, we are humans doing our best to thrive in our worlds and co-exist happily with our people. And that is not always easy or uncomplicated.
-
We have moments in our lives where we aren't tuning in as well; to the signals from our body, to the parts of our lives that feel stuck, to the wishes we have long held but stopped moving towards, to the way our past experiences might be unconsciously guiding the way we respond today.
-
Sometimes we need support and guidance to help us find our way back to ourselves.
-
I have been helped most by people who listen deeply, who bring clear intention to their treatments, who do their best to stay present, and who care about creating a sense of safety in their work.
-
The best kind of work happens over time, when a solid relationship develops between patient and helper, and there is a quality of aliveness in the room. Real change takes time, patience and curiosity.
-
I do my best work when I am curious and engaged in my life and in my treatment room.
