I was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., in a large Catholic, Italian-American extended family. For as long as I can recall, I’ve been curious about personal growth, healing, spirituality and religion. I received my BA in Anthropology from Hunter College, City University of NY. After being widowed in my twenties, I sought counseling and found my life’s direction as a therapist. In the years after my widowhood, I moved to California and earned a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling from San Jose State University. My school counselor credential is from the University of Washington in Seattle.

In my thirties, I remarried and gave birth to my dear daughter, who is now grown, married and the mom of my two delightful granddaughters. In my forties, I re-trained and began working as an elementary school counselor, which was a career I thoroughly enjoyed. During my 21 years as a counselor, I also studied for ministry at the Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley and was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2008.

After retiring from my school position, I began to serve others as a spiritual counselor; officiant for weddings, memorial services, and other sacred rituals. It is my honor to offer spiritual and psychological support to others as they near the end of life, and to assist those who are coping with grief.