I"ve been a Registered Nurse since 1984, and Licensed Massage Therapist since 1991. I developed my pregnancy massage programs at the Oregon School of Massage in Portland, Oregon in 1992 and have been teaching there bi-annually since then, as well as expanding MotherTouch courses across the country and as far as Indonesia. The programs include bodywork addressing all aspects of women's health. Author of Nurturing Massage for Pregnancy: A Practical Guide to Bodywork for the Perinatal Cycle (2009 Lippincott), instructor on the DVD, Mastering Pregnancy Massage (2006) and co- producer of the films MotherTouch: Nurturing Touch for Birth, and Touch Techniques for Birth (2008), I've devoted my life to encouraging nurturing care of mothers, women, and families.
I am an NCBTMB and Florida Broker CE Provider.
A world traveler with a BA in Anthropology, I have offered my services as massage therapist and nurse to birthing women in Uganda and the Alaskan bush, have met with traditional indigenous midwives worldwide, have volunteered as doula for single mothers, been a hospice massage therapist, and have taught infant massage to parents of premature babies at Oregon Health Sciences University.
I believe the best bodywork arises from advanced technical skill blended with deep listening to body wisdom, intelligent and compassionate responsiveness, and attention to body-mind-spirit. Healing comes when we enter “body time”, vs clock time and when we remember that there is more to healing than just relieving physical pain. My classes are comprehensive and holistic, taught with awareness, gratitude, and respect for the profound rite of passage of pregnancy, birth, and mothering.
When not focused on supporting birthing, I may be hiking, silk painting, tango dancing, playing accordion, or just enjoying the sensory delights of being in a human body on planet earth!
