At 19, I had my first episode of what would later be diagnosed as Bipolar II. Depressed, ashamed, and confused, I pushed on through college and then law school to earn a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. No one taught me what I really needed: how to manage my mood disorder.
I had periods where I was so depressed I could barely get off the couch; hypomanic cycles where I did some creative, regrettable things; and stretches when life was more predictable. The episodes were exhausting.
On my 25th birthday, I sat in my office at the law firm and realized that, although I’d lived a quarter-century and could point to worldly success, my mood disorder was holding me back from the life I wanted.
And so the explorations began. I embraced mindfulness and earned a yoga teacher’s certificate, volunteered at hospice and as a grief counselor, became a Reiki Master as I explored energy healing, and was ordained as a minister in my independent church. I’ve also seen the same wise, caring, and encouraging therapist for more than 25 years.
I wanted to go deeper into understanding myself and managing my mood disorder, so I enrolled in a program studying Spiritual Psychology. After 3 years of deep inner work, studying psychology, and coaching my classmates, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Spiritual Psychology, with an emphasis in Consciousness, Health, and Healing.
Perhaps the times when I learned and grew the most were when I joined group therapy. Empathizing with others in their mood disorder struggles inspired me, and helped me realize I was not alone. I’m deeply grateful for the friends who continue to see me at my “craziest,” give a knowing smile, and love me anyway.
After more than four decades living with a mood disorder, I have learned to bring order to the chaos. I’m excited to share this hard-won wisdom and knowledge through mental health coaching. To solidify my preparation, I am completing credentials with both the International Coaching Federation and the Association for Coaching.
The winding path my life has taken gifted me with a wide-open heart and great compassion for the human experience. I offer these qualities to support you as you cultivate emotional stability and connect with a community through Mood Order Coaching.
