Bio
I am a poet, teacher and psychotherapist.
For many years I’ve written and taught poetry, performed, published, shared it in festivals, libraries, living rooms and classrooms. For me, poetry has been a vehicle of expression, a way to connect with others, and a manner of responding to the world.
I have also been a psychotherapist in private practice. I listen for the places people are stuck, offering ways to look directly at their experiences and to support the expression of their lives.
Each of these strands has evolved for nearly twenty years. Occasionally, they come together as in workshops which use writing as a tool to work through writer’s block and other human frustrations.
Recently, I’ve begun working as a poetry coach. Depending on what a person is aiming for, this might mean using writing as a way to explore personal issues, or working with material that is emotionally alive as a way to deepen one’s writing.
I continue to develop each of these strands: teaching, working as a psychotherapist, and writing. And they continue to weave together, or not, as needed.
Here are a few details: I have an M.Ed in Counselling Psychology and was on staff at the University of Toronto Counselling and Learning Skills Services for twelve years. I have hosted workshops across Canada and abroad. I now teach at the University of Toronto and design and offer workshops in schools, hospitals and corporations. My fourth book of poetry, Permiso, has just been published by Pedlar Press. For more, follow the links. Or contact me.
