Work is Love Made Visible

 Work is Love Made Visible

I recently gave a presentation for my Leads Group on how I became interested in becoming a Certified Hypnotherapist. Here is a small part of my story:

My father is Italian, my mother is Swedish, they met in Greece, and when my brother was a year old, they emigrated to America. While I was born in Washington DC and lived in Virginia as a young child, mostly I lived in Luxembourg, until I was 15, attending boarding school in England. I went to high school in Maryland and got my bachelors in Psychology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. I traveled extensively in my youth, in both Europe and Africa.

When I was a sophomore in college, a friend of mine asked me to spend a week with her in Santa Cruz, California. The week turned into a summer, the summer into a year, and now, somehow, twenty-three years have passed. My life was transformed in many ways that first week, including piercing my nose and meeting the parent of my child, but one of the most significant occurrences was buying my first tarot deck at Gateways. Little did I know I was about to embark upon a lifetime of study.

After graduation, I began working at a metaphysical bookstore called Aries Arts which was located in Capitola Village. For three years I was immersed in a plethora of spiritual traditions. We sold a little bit of everything, from chakra tuning bowls to Native American smudge sticks, Buddhist prayer flags to yoga mats, along with an incredible assortment of books. I studied astrology with Sue Heinz and Risa d'Angeles, as well as with crystal healing. Next, I opened my own bookstore and vegan cafe,  Herland: The WanderGround, which I owned for twelve years.

During that time I started doing both astrology readings and tarot readings professionally. Folks would want to look at the cards or chart the stars when feeling at a crossroads of life, but I noticed that they often remained stuck. After 9/11, my store took a big hit when a chain bookstore moved in around the corner. Recently separated, I realized I was not making it as a single mom, and decided to close the bookstore. I enrolled at Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts and received my certification in Hypnotherapy. This seemed like the perfect tool to help my clients become unstuck. A year later I became certified as a Reiki practitioner, which has enhanced my practice in wondrous ways. Combining the energy work with hypnosis has helped each of my clients become a success in achieving their own personal goals.

Last fall I began looking at various graduate programs after attending a recruitment fair at Stanford. One of my teachers from Twin Lakes College, Brenda Rodriguez, posted on her LinkedIn profile that she was working on her PhD in Holistic Theology at the American Institute of Holistic Theology. I felt that cosmic "click" and googled them. After receiving their catalog, my only dilemma was which program to choose!

My business is called Tools for Transformation and I believe that the MS/PhD program in Holistic Healing will give me more tools to even better serve my clients. The tarot is still my deepest passion, and it is one of my life's goals to create my own deck. My aim is to have this be a part of my dissertation, with the intent to publish both a deck and a book in the long run. I feel really positive about this course of study, and excited to make this commitment to my self. Already, I’m thoroughly enjoying a course in Aromatherapy, and believe this aromatic art will further enhance my client's sessions. Last New Moon I made Laphrodite's Love satchets and Bath Salts, with organic lavendar and rose petals, scented with essential oils and whispered to in the night. Mmmmm, yummy love magic - email me if you'd like to purchase some.

I am no longer be working as office manager at Dr. Z’s MindBody Shop, but instead am focused on my private practice here in Soquel Village. It has been a pleasure working for Dr. Z over the last five years, and I appreciate all of my patient relationships. I have a professional tarot reader and professional astrologer for almost 25 years, and I hope to now serve fully in my capacity as a holistic healer by combining being a Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified Reiki Practitioner, as well as continuing to teach classes and workshops.


Hypnosis is effective for reducing stress through deep relaxation, changing habits (including smoking and eating), and discovering insights for long-term, successful solutions. Most clients experience results in 3-5 sessions. Reiki is useful for releasing blockages (such as grief and anger), maintaining equilibrium through chakra balancing, and feeling recharged and revitalized. I offer both 30 and 60 minute sessions.


My winter class, Journey Through the Tarot is filled, but private tarot lessons are always available, and I am looking forward to offering Creative Abundance: 9 Weeks to Greater Prosperity again this Spring at Twin Lakes College. More information as it unfolds...

I love being a part of the Santa Cruz community and the worldwide healing community. Please join my social networks - I post daily affirmations on Twitter and FaceBook. Whole Essence Magazine publishes my monthly Astro Chat if you'd like to subscribe, and I'll be posting a new tarot deck review soon on my blog.

Thank you for taking this time to get to know me a bit better. Quite simply, I love my work, and I am here for you when you need me. If you or someone you know could benefit from my services, please call to make an appointment. There is new information on my website, plus I’m always happy to answer questions by phone or email. And as always, a deep felt thank you for your referrals!

That Which You Seek is Seeking You - Rumi