A New York Londoner with an international soul
Originally a New Yorker, I’ve lived in London since 1968, and have two children and two grandchildren. I now also live partly in Hastings, E. Sussex, where I go to write, walk by the sea, and renew myself. I’m a writer, psychotherapist, and an international trainer, coach and consultant, specialising in personal, professional, and management development. My fascination with community, imagery, turning points, burnout and soul work have always guided my life, and taken me down some unusual directions.
Some things I’ve loved doing and being
I have created environments, like the Skyros holidays in Greece, Thailand and Cuba, which I co-founded in 1979, where turning points happen all the time in the midst of the fun and companionship and unique sense of community. Creating and directing Skyros has been one of the most magical of my life experiences and a great gift to me and to others.
I have also taught courses, done therapy, coached people, written books, and meditated endlessly on how to reduce the suffering caused by our limited understandings of who and what we are, and on how to increase our clarity, love and courage. I love working with people, and sharing the road maps I have gathered through my life and work.
I have a strong academic background, with a BA Honours from Brandeis University, an MA from University of Michigan, and a PhD from Brunel University, London and have lectured for over 20 years in UK universities. This gives me some theoretical and research frameworks for understanding the structure of our experiences.
And I’ve loved having children and now grandchildren. I wouldn’t be me without them.
Being part of something bigger than me is also central, whether it be the human community, nature or soul and spirit. I would say that my spiritual life is at the very heart of who I am.
Caterpillars and butterflies
For me, life at its best is a series of expansions, or turning points. In between, it can be wonderfully peaceful and joyful or just normal, but it also may be stressful, boring, frightening, painful or confusing. Is this what it’s like for a caterpillar inside a chrysalis, not knowing what it is to become?
Perhaps I like being a midwife for caterpillars.
More generally, I am passionate about life and very adventurous, always looking for a new challenge, and often finding myself breaking old molds in order to create new ones. Intuition, imagination, communication and creativity are probably my strongest points. Ethical politics, social justice and universal human values are central to my approach to life.
Today
All this gives you an idea of who I’ve been and where I might be going. But since turning points and new beginnings are the love of my life, who I am remains to be discovered every day. This is one of my greatest joys.