My motivation to begin…

Decades ago, when my children were young, I was quietly overwhelmed by an anxiety I  hadn’t yet named. Their innocence jolted me into awareness of the volatile world they  would grow up to live in without my protection. 

Then I became clear: If I can be part of something good and helpful moving forward, I’ll  be okay. I knew I wanted to parent my way through the fear in a way that was healthy for them and for me,  so they could become their own people. 

Soon after, I went back to school and became a therapist. Many years later, after  caretaking my mother for the last six days of her life, I realized I wanted to share with a  broader audience some of what I had learned from life, from her, and from many wonderful teachers. 

I’ve written two books: The Spotlight of Love, which is based on my therapy work with  couples and is a “how to” guide for cultivating healthy interdependence in relationships;  and The Side Effects of Dying, which is a deeply personal story about those final days  with my mom. 

I didn’t plan it this way, but now I see The Side Effects of Dying is in many ways an (imperfect) illustration of concepts I teach in The Spotlight of Love. 

Overall, I’m striving to share the wisdom that’s been shared with me, wisdom that might  find a new home in someone I am honored to work with, know, or touch as a reader.