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Speaker, Coach, And Therapist
I have worked in the mental health and wellness field for the past 43 years. My desire to help others was apparent very early in my life. In high school, I was chosen and trained to be a teen peer counselor. This birthed and nurtured this aspect of my life’s work.
I went on to earn four degrees from the University of Minnesota. My Master’s degree and my Doctoral degree are from the prestigious Department of Family Social Science, which offers an interdisciplinary program in sociology and psychology with an emphasis on human relationships and family systems. At the University of Minnesota, I was trained to be a researcher, a therapist, and an educator.
Over my long career, I have served on the Graduate Faculty of the University of Minnesota, been the Chief Operating Officer of a large family service agency, and provided the clinical direction for two successful employee assistance organizations.
From 1994 through 2019, I was the President and CEO of The Sand Creek Group, an international behavioral healthcare company that provided employee assistance counseling, consultation, organizational development services, and training. I held the final authority and responsibility over the clinical services of the corporation that, included the work of the Vice President of Clinical Service, the entire clinical staff, and at one time, the clinical service delivery of nearly 10,000 Master and Doctoral level therapists working as independent contractors for Sand Creek throughout the country and beyond.
In addition, from 2008-2011, I held the volunteer position of Spiritual Director for A Place of Grace, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping military women and their families transition from the military to civilian life.
I have been a certified Employee Assistance Professional through the Employee Assistance Professional Association and the Employee Assistance Certification Commission since 1994. I have been a Licensed Independent Social Worker in the State of Minnesota since the Board of Social Work was established in the 1980s. I recently accepted emeritus status. In September 2020, I was certified as a Life Coach by Mary Morrisey and The Brave Thinking Institute, The Premier Training Center for Transformational Coaching.