Life Beyond Fibromyalgia: A Personal Guide for Moving Forward and Leaving Struggle Behind (Kindle Edition)
My Experience with Health and Wellness:
Other Background Experiences:
My teachers have included:
- Have been leading classes and support groups since 1987 when my biofeedback instructor asked if I might start a group for some of her women patients. I discovered I love working with groups! The focus of some of my other groups has included women’s self image, women living creatively, and introduction to mindful awareness.
- Worked in healthcare as a Registered Nurse in various healthcare settings until I developed fibromyalgia. I left nursing in 1993 due to my health issues. In 2000, I was able to return to work in healthcare and began teaching at a metro Portland, OR. hospital health education center. My specialties were fibromyalgia and stress management. Created and taught a 4-week fibromyalgia education class for over 9 years beginning in 2000 and led a monthly Fibromyalgia support group for 8 of those years. Also taught at The Frida Center for Fibromyalgia between 2012-2018
- Began facilitating online groups (Healing Circles) Fall 2018
Other Background Experiences:
- BS degree in sociology from Portland State University, Portland, OR
- 3 month biofeedback training course that instilled my deep respect for the mind/body relationship
- Experiential workshop with Joan Borysenko, PhD, pioneer in mind & body medicine and stress reduction (author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind)
- Experiential workshop re Guided imagery and Healing with Belleruth Naparstek, ACSW, creator of guided imagery recordings for various medical diagnoses and founder of HealthJourneys.com
- 3 day SoulCollage facilitator certification training in 2010
- In 2001, I began studying mindfulness with several practitioners and continue my personal practice to the present (2020)
My teachers have included:
- materials created by Jon Kabat -Zinn , founding director of UMass Stress Reduction Center, where mindfulness (MBSR) was first introduced into healthcare in the US
- workshop taught by Elana Rosenbaum, instructor from the UMass Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program
- Two 3-day retreats at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center #1 led by Rebecca Bradshaw from Barre, Mass. Insight Society and #2 led by Dr Adrianne Ross, MD, Vancouver, BC physician who incorporates mindfulness training in working with patients who live with chronic disease
- 40-day Mindfulness Daily online course taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
- 7-week online Power of Awareness course (mindfulness training) taught by Tara Brach, PhD Psychologist and Jack Kornfield, PhD Psychologist
- 8-week online Consciousness and Presence course taught by Eckhart Tolle