My Bio for ILLUMINATION Readers

Who I am and how I got here.

PhD in Psychology

My training is in cognitive psychology. In the early years of the “cognitive revolution,” the originating idea was to establish meaning as the central psychological tenet; bringing psychology back from laboratory experiments, stimulus/response data and behaviorist explanations [that dominated the field through most of the 20th century].

A slow shift occurred in psychology — as I was getting my PhD — from the construction of meaning to the processing of information.

This shift has remained and, in my eyes, altered the field significantly.

During my training and subsequent psychological practice, theories and methodologies were heavily influenced by the computer metaphor. The field was guided by the scientific method and diagnostic paradigms.

This down played meaning-making and human connections.

My writing emphasizes a theory that our mental life grows out of a living interactive process between the mind and the body.

This idea involves a tight connection between psyche [mind] and soma [body]. It is not original. It primarily comes from work by Donald Winnicott, a British pediatrician/psychiatrist. I plan to write more on this idea in subsequent articles.

Becoming an Artist

In 2001, my husband gave me a painting class as a Christmas gift. It renewed a long-held love of painting.

This love of painting grew out of a regular painting practice I established in childhood — my grandmother was a professional oil painter.

From 2001 to the present, my painting practice has grown and in 2018, I became a full-time painter; closing my private clinical practice.

I taught painting with a psychological emphasis: The Sight & Insight Courses.

Both — painting and psychology — are big parts of me.

I’m passionate about painting. But I’m a researcher too— hence getting a PhD [not something I planned] was right up my alley.

Right now I’m going through a huge painting transition. From plein air oil painting to gigantic acrylic studio paintings. More on that later!

But who was I before I became a full-time painter?

I was young when I got my PhD and wanted to go to India and Tibet.

When I was ABD [all but dissertation], I flew to India with my boyfriend. We were crossing the Himalayans — on the Friendship highway to Llasa — and I got altitude sickness.

Without the aid of a French expedition at the base camp of Everest, I wouldn’t be here to tell my story.

We were taken down to Nepal and decided to see the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India.

I was fortunate to meet the Dalai Lama after writing a story about my life!

A bio — like I’m doing now — to HH Dalai Lama XIV.

I was told I had an audience with him and was surprised.

Being 1 of a group of 3 people with him, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

I asked him: how can I help your people?

He sent me to his sister who was heading up the Health department.

When I returned to the US, I represented the Tibetans in Amnesty International.

I worked for the Dalai Lama and his people.

I am forever grateful to the Tibetans. I met my husband at Tibet House in NYC. They changed my life.

Ultimately, we brought 1000 Tibetans into the US.

Our project was called the Tibet US Resettlement Project based in Boston, MA.

And before college, graduate school, and the Tibetans, I was born and raised in Texas from an old established Texas family.

I speak of some of my childhood difficulties in this article.

But, there were heartfelt, exciting times in childhood too.

Such as painting with my grandmother.

All these threads weave the person I am today.

I’m informed by all parts of my life experiences.

The big takeaway:

I’ve grown and am immensely grateful to have the chance.