Education:

MTP: I have a Master degree of Transpersonal Psychology and a Certificate in Spiritual Psychology both from the highly-regarded Institute for Transpersonal Psychology. My thesis research explored the intersections of transpersonal psychology, organizational development and the Spirit in Business movement in The Healing Potential of Organizations: A Heuristic Exploration of Self-Actualization and the Integration of Spiritual Principles into Business.

BA: My Bachelor degree was earned at Michigan State University, where I majored in anthropology. My focus within anthropology was the evolution of symbolic thought and language, and comparative religions. I was awarded “Outstanding Graduating Senior” by the Social and Behavioral Sciences faculty.

Professional Experience:

I love to teach, and I am currently adjunct faculty for Siena Heights University and Washtenaw Community College. I have been teaching Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods in the Social Sciences and electives on Transpersonal Psychology.

For almost two decades now, I have been working in the sectors of business, education and technology. Currently working as a consultant, I do research and development, business and process analysis, software and operational systems and design, and project and program management. I am also in the process of developing a program to help organizations integrate spiritual principles into their business.

Healing and Experiential Development:

Usui Reiki Master/Teacher: I obtained my Reiki Master certification in 1999 through the Pathways Center in Lansing, MI.

Hypnotherapy: I obtained my hypnotherapy certification in 1994 through the Hypnodyne Foundation. Although I am trained in hypnosis, I rarely employ it as a healing tool since I have encountered far more effective healing modalities.

Professional and Self-development workshops: I continually work to expand my own personal growth and knowledge through attending seminars and workshops. Through this process, I have had the opportunity to work and train with some fabulous teachers, many through ITP. Below are some of the highlights:

• ATP Conference: Spirituality in Action: Bringing Transpersonal Psychology to a World in Crisis

• Seminar: Engaged Spirituality: The Movement of Spirit in Action
• Menla Mountain Retreat and Conference Center, New York – A series of workshops:
  • Spiritual Processes: Inner and Outer – Don Bisson, F.M.S.
  • The Devotional Journal: Mapping Your Life as Spiritual Practice – Cait Johnson, M.F.A.
  • The Way of the Psyche: The Transcendent Dimension of Image – Priscilla Rodgers, M.P.S.
  • Hands in the Earth: Storytelling in Combination with the Natural World – Ilka List, Ph.D.
  • Encountering the Sacred in All Creation – Nancy Rowe, Ph.D.
  • Self-Cultivation in Everyday Life – Henry Poon, Ph.D.
  • Stillness Dancing – Judith Blackstone, Ph.D.
  • Research and Applications of Transpersonal Wisdom – Zoran Josipovic, Ph.D. & Judith Blackstone, Ph.D.

• Seminar: The Path to Wholeness
• Omega Institute, New York – A series of workshops:
  • Dreams, Wholeness and Individuation – Richmond K. Green, M.Div.
  • The Healing Image on the Path to Wholeness – Dennis McCarthy, M.P.P.
  • The Tao of Wholeness – Henry Poon, Ph.D.
  • The Alchemical Power of Voice – Mimi Baczewska
  • Kabbalah and Ecopsychology: Ancient and Modern Practices in Wholeness – Alan Levin, M.A.

• Workshop: Getting the Love You Want (Imago Relationship Therapy)
• Southfield, Michigan

• Seminar: Desert Visions: Earth, Ceremony and Prayerful Ways
• Santa Fe, New Mexico – A series of workshops:
  • Call of the Feminine – Flordemayo (13 Indigenous Grandmothers)
  • Reconnecting with the Earth – Joe Lucero
  • Games for Life: Traditional Native Games – John Eagleday
  • Sacred Witnessing: Earth, Dance & Prayer – Nancy Rowe, Ph.D.

Research Interests

• Awakening higher consciousness
• Image, myth and mandalic consciousness—healing through metaphor
• Divine Feminine and women’s issues
• Human development/evolution and spiritual growth
• Sexuality and spirituality
• Relationship as spiritual path
• Emerging research methods (Integral theory and transpersonal)

What I’m Reading

Wives And Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell (1866, rpt 2001)

Cosmos And Psyche: Intimations of a New World View, Richard Tarnas (2006)

The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Volume 41 (2, 2009)

The Goddess Re-awakening, compiled by Shirley Nicholson (1994)

The Qur’an, the version published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc. 2001. Ufortunately I do not know Arabic, so am not reading in its original form.

Synchronicity, by C.G. Jung (1960), Translated by Hull

What I’ve Finished (starting 8/09)

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (1997)

This was one of those books that I held lovingly in my hands for several long moments after finishing. It is like I wanted to hold on to the beauty of the story a little while longer. Thank you Anita Daimant. This book has been on my “read” list for several years. I’m so thankful I finally read it.

The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Volume 36 (2, 2004)

This was a great issue all around. I was particularly interested in Terror in the God-Shaped Hole: A Buddhists Perspective on Modernity’s Identity Crisis, by David R. Loy. It fit well with the ideas I’ve been exploring on evolutionary spirituality.

The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier, (2004)

This was a quick and interesting distraction. The framework was interesting, where each chapter continued the story from a different character’s voice.

Start Where You Are, by Pema Chodron, (2001)

It seems like Pema Chodron’s teachings always appear in my pile of reading when I’m most in need of a reality check and an ego governor. hmmmm.

Fractal Time: The secret of 2012 and a new world age, by Gregg Braden, (2009)

I thought that Braden’s treatment of the 2012 prophecies was very interesting and I am especially interested in the concept of time occurring in patterns. I also began to understand the concept of fractals better and a piece of my mental puzzle was put into place regarding patterns of creation.

The Essential Kabbalah, Translated/Edited by Daniel C. Matt, Introduction by Huston Smith, (1995)

As usual, when reading sacred mystical texts, I was blown away. Kabbalah is definitely a system into which I wish to delve more deeply with experiential practice. When the timing is right, the teacher will come.

Magic, Science and Religion: And other essays, by Bronislaw Malinowski (1925)

I believe I read one or two of these essays back when earning the Bachelor’s in Anthropology. This time around, Malinowski’s discussion on magic, myth, and legend — and their respective functions in society took on a deeper meaning after having studied more about myth from a Jungian perspective.

The Song of Hannah, by Eva Etzioni-Halevy (2005)

I really enjoyed this story, it seems that stories of the Hebrews, and sacred Hewbrew literature and chants have been filling my space of late. This happens sometimes. My husband laughed heartily when I randomly announced with tongue in cheek “I think I’m Jewish for awhile.”

The Bhagavad-Gita, Translated by Barbara Stoler Miller, Introduction by Huston Smith [this is my third reading]

This time around, there were two passages that spoke to me:

“He who sees me everywhere, and sees everything in me, will not be lost to me, and I will not be lost to him” and “Practice discipline in my protection, with your mind focused on me”

The Tree Bride, by Bharati Mukherjee (2004)

While this was a good and interesting read, her style of jumping in and out of the middle of stories sometimes left me a little confused. I was also slightly disappointed that there wasn’t a little more magic around the story of the tree bride herself.

Blessed Unrest: How the largest movement in the world came into being—and why no one saw it coming, Paul Hawken (2007)

This is a very important book, and I’ve already referred it to others. Hawken brings together the grass roots efforts of millions across the world in the social responsibility and environmental responsibility movements. He gives hope. We do, and we are all individually and with our small groups making a very large difference — perhaps even shifting the paradigm of our times.

Transpersonal Research Methods for the Social Sciences: Honoring Human Experience, by William Braud & Rosemarie Anderson (1998) [this is my second reading]

I use this book in my research methods classes, with the hope of opening students to new ways of looking at research beyond the normal positivistic empirical models. I also use it as a resource to guide my own research.

Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, by John W. Creswell (2009) [this is my second reading]

I use this book in my research methods classes, I believe Creswell does a very good job of moving through the required elements of a solid research project.

Hegel: A Collection of Critical Essays, Edited by Alasdair MacIntyre (1972)

I often encourage my students to read above their comfort level – this was an exercise for me. I’m very intrigued by the work of Ken Wilber, Wilber often points to Hegel as a foundation to his theory. This book was a collection of essays on the work of Hegel, not Hegel’s work, but it was very enlightening to see how the philosophers treat Hegel in the literature.

The Heart of a Woman, by Maya Angelou (1981)

My sister bought me this book years ago as a gift, knowing that I enjoyed the poetry of Maya Angelou. Ms Angelou writes with a cadence that contains naked truth. I hope to pick up her other memoirs at some point in the future.

The Way of the Pilgrim, Translated by R. M. French, Introduction by Huston Smith

I love the simplicity of this mystical work on contemplative Christianity and interior prayer. I clearly saw the eastern influences in this work and I found myself making several connections between the described experiences / states of consciousness and those described by Wilber in The Atman Project and Padma Sambhava’ Bardo Thodol (The Tibetan Book of the Dead). I’m also now very curious to read the Philokalia, the book of teachings by Holy Fathers on interior prayer that was studied by the Pilgrim.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, by Fannie Flagg (1987)

I picked this up at a used book sale because I really enjoyed the movie and as always expect that the book is better. I was right—it was an enjoyable, quick read and I got a lot of enjoyment out of the folksy humor.

The Essential Rumi, Translated by Coleman Barks, Introduction by Huston Smith

This was not my introduction to Rumi, but certainly my most extensive reading. This is part of the “Mystical Classics of the World” that I’m working my way through. I had already read The Tao Te Ching, and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. All have really wonderful intros by Huston Smith. Rumi is definitely one that I plan to pick up again.

The Enneagram Field Guide: Notes on Using the Enneagram in Counseling, Therapy and Personal Growth, by Carolyn Bartlett (2003)

I’m quite interested in learning more about the Enneagram, and even though this isn’t the only book I’ve purchased on the subject, it is the first one I picked up to read. It is really not meant to be an introductory text, it is an application of the concepts, but I found I got a great deal of information and understanding of the enneagram types through this book—and I’m glad I came to the subject in this somewhat backward order.

The Atman Project: A Transpersonal View of Human Development, by Ken Wilber (1980)

This will most likely become one of the “go to” books in my library. Although this is one of Wilber’s earlier works, and he has since revised some of his thinking on a few of the concepts relayed in the book—I was totally digging it! The book moves through the “known” stages of human development put forth by the discipline of psychology, but adds the depth and richness of a transpersonal lens that is beyond the “cradle to grave” mainstream views and discusses evolution of humanity and consciousness. I was especially intrigued by his discussion on Involution, the first cogent explanation I have landed on yet of this dynamic.