My love for journaling and expressive writing is entwined with my passion for helping people with transitions. After many years of writing and coaching, I completed applied poetry facilitation training in 2004 and received my certification in journal facilitation through The Therapeutic Writing Institute (founded by Kathleen Adams), where I was one of its first faculty members. I have taught my signature program, Writing Through Transitions, for ten years. In 2015, I published the revised edition of Writing Through Transition: A Guide for Transforming Life Changes.
Through my individual coaching and certification program, I will train people to facilitate transitions with their own signature workshop or coaching. I know from years of working closely with individuals that writing makes a qualitative difference in how well people navigate difficult transitions.
I believe that our prior work enhances how we coach others in writing their stories. I am a reformed English instructor, a former senior manager who worked for many years on policy issues for women, and a consultant for organizational change. My good fortune has included studying with William Bridges, Dr. Frederic Hudson, and Richard Bolles—my mentors and inspiration in coaching transitions. These experiences have profoundly shaped my work.
What I want to share with the Journal Council are my ideas about developing a new generation of expressive writing leaders.