Like Ulysses I am a part of all I’ve seen and done ... and I must add, I am also a part of all the lessons I’ve learned through friends, teachers and my family. Lessons that I value so highly that I want to pass them on to others. I was born in Detroit, Michigan. Mom was a waitress, telephone operator, radio parts technician, avid reader and great cook. Dad was a mechanical engineer, insurance salesman, airplane pilot, boat captain, story teller and gambler. My parents worked hard and played hard. Since our house was small we made the great outdoors our playground. The nearby forest shared its strong trees, rich brush, wild plants, rabbits, frogs and other wonderful elements. It was a great place for us to become the characters we saw at the movie theater. Our favorite roles came from “Tarzan of the Jungle.” I was Jane, my older brother Tarzan, and my poor little brother was the chimpanzee. Films provided a wealth of plots for us to follow and a rich background for me to draw on later as an actress and writer. When a dance studio opened a few blocks away –– I begged for classes. Mom worked overtime to let me follow my heart. A burning desire to go to college led me to audition for a dance troupe in Canada, then NYC. Dancing in clubs paid much better than my typing job. I saved enough money to attend Oklahoma State University and then U.C.L.A. My blonde hair, blue eyes, and fearlessness landed me one theatrical role after the other. Acting was my only profession until I got married and had children. Then, I realized, I needed a different kind of education. One that would give me better life skills, so I went to see a therapist. As I sat in his office week after week, it occurred to me, that I could do what he was doing. Therapy drew on many creative elements that were part of my history. So, I went back to school. It wasn't as easy as I thought, but with a few good mentors I gained the experience and confidence I needed to become a licensed psychotherapist. Each person or group that I work with adds additional dimensions to who I am. My ongoing work is to be "present in the present." It's what I've based my self-help book, "What's So 'Good' About 'Bad' Feelings", on.