Life changes in a moment. For me that moment was in the summer of 2006, when I was woken out of a deep sleep by my mom on the other end of the phone telling me that there had been a horrible accident. My younger brother, Jeffrey, was dead. He was twenty-six, and had lost his life in a freak accident when a tree fell on his tent while he was camping in Canada. It seemed like such an unbelievable event, that there was no way it could actually be true.  Any certainty, faith and optimism I possessed was immediately replaced by disbelief, heartache and grief. How could I truly enjoy my life, when I had experienced such a tremendous loss? The simple answer is that I wouldn’t be able to experience true joy and happiness for a long time after that. Eventually, however, this ending became a beginning for me.

Soon after my brother’s death, I became a mother and had three children in less than four years. By the time my middle child was two, she was already diagnosed with severe autism and was spending about 90% of her day having massive tantrums, and displaying other significant developmental challenges. My world was turned completely upside down once again.  Even my decade-long career as a special education teacher could not adequately prepare me for the stress and devastation of having a young child with special needs.  I was in a dark place full of sadness and helplessness. My days were filled with anxiety which sometimes manifested into panic attacks. I would call and text my husband frequently throughout the days, telling him how miserable, anxious and unhappy I felt.

I wish I could name the one magical thing that helped me finally get to the point where I could get back on track and live the life I always knew I deserved—one that was happy and fulfilled. Looking back I realized it was all rooted in my inability to make thoughtful, empowered and meaningful choices in my life—choices about the way I thought, the attitude I had, the perspectives I stood in, and the way I behaved.

It wasn’t easy, but I’ve become more conscious of my ability and freedom to make choices and explore perspectives that ultimately result in a life that is filled with much more possibility, optimism and hope. Despite the fact that I lost my brother and wrestle every day with the challenges of motherhood, I am now happier and more fulfilled than I have ever been!

After overcoming so much, I realized that it was my true passion and life purpose to help others to live their best lives, so I decided to become a life coach!

I completed intensive training through the Coaches Training Institute, which gave me the knowledge and skills to help other people achieve their goals. This learning experience and the associated work has been absolutely incredible and transformational. I am passionate about helping other people improve their lives, and I believe coaching is one of the fastest and most effective ways of doing that.

In my free time, I enjoy traveling, being outdoors, dancing, seeing live music, camping, spending time connecting with my family and friends, laughing as much as possible, and taking long walks on the beach.