STAR Retreats Fall 2027 South Carolina

I have been involved in personal empowerment both individually and in groups including men’s counsels, 12 step recovery groups, vision questing, mentoring and shamanic journeying. I love sharing the deep in healing characteristic of the STAR intensives. I came to STAR in 1994 during a long-life experience as a military officer, successful business executive and family man. I’ve been a facilitator since 2000 and a board member in 2022. The STAR experience has proven deeply empowering in all. It is literally the best access to heart wisdom and authentic Self that he knows. Sharing this profound experience regularly in a client facilitator partnership is a high privilege indeed.

I have been actively involved with the STAR program for 20+ years since my attendance at a STAR retreat, serving as a facilitator on staff several times a year, as a member of the Board of Directors for 3 terms, and currently as a Program Director. This transformational work has been the most significant and valuable experience in my life. As a retiree from academe (four decades as a university professor) I live in Aiken, SC with my husband, and our rescue animals. Life revolves around our family, friends, travel, and a passion for new experiences.

I am a practicing Psychotherapist trained in Gestalt Therapy, Grief, Somatic Experiencing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and many other modalities. I worked in a Premier Psychiatric Hospital for six years and in an agency doing DBT with Borderline Personality Disorder and Seriously Mentally ill. I have been on Star staff for over 25 years and was Clinical Director for a number of years. I trained with Barbara Findeisen in Birth Psychology. I am devoted to STAR and believe the healing participants receive at a STAR retreat far surpasses any other form of therapy.

Inspired by my first experience of the power of STAR retreats in 1986, I have been actively involved with STAR for nearly 4 decades. Fascinated by people, and passionate about making the right kind of difference in their lives, I delight in the power of intensive experiences, and in providing therapeutically informed relational coaching. My international business career which spanned more than thirty years as a senior executive in an investment and management company, and my Master’s degrees in Organizational Development and Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as a certification in mediation from the Center for Understanding in Conflict, all deepen my role as a STAR facilitator. In addition to my work with STAR, I serve on the boards of Aquaya Institute, Soundview Empowerment Alliance, and Save Westport Now. I love being a stranger in strange lands, spirited driving, alpine skiing, boating, good books, and time with my wonderful friends and family.

I first reached out to STAR in 2022 in search of my purpose after multiple life-shattering losses in my life. It was during a period in my life when I was feeling so lost and confused. I was simply existing without knowing how to live life anymore. I knew I was in crisis and needed help. Not only did STAR help me navigate through the many layers of my grief, it also helped me to uncover some deep-seated beliefs I had about myself. What I learned at STAR helped me gain some understanding of why I think and behave the way I do and what was holding me back. My transformation from someone deeply grieving to a professional supporting others’ healing journeys began at my STAR Retreat. STAR is where I found my passion and ultimately led to living my life with purpose again.. As an ICF certified Life and Health Coach, helping others find their new beginnings is my passion and my mission!

I first attended Star in the Spring of 2024 after I reached an emotional all-stop in my life. I had tried many forms of therapy for over a decade and could never seem to reach a breakthrough. Star was the first place I ever felt complete safety, love, and unconditional acceptance of who I was. I felt love for myself for the first time in my life. I learned how to find my answers within myself, to live through my heart. This profound experience inspired me to give back as a facilitator. I want to help others see the goodness in themselves and receive the gift of love and safety. For my professional career I was previously a National Park Ranger, EMT and Search and Rescue Technician, 911 dispatcher and air medevac dispatcher. My first responder background has only deepened my compassion for humanity. Everyone has a story to tell and deserves to be heard and seen with kindness. I currently live in Bellingham, WA with my husband. I find my peace and serenity while backpacking in the North Cascades, hiking, adventuring and painting watercolor.