I'm an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) with a Doctorate in Education (EdD) 

I received a Masters Degree (MS) in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing from Rutgers University where I learned to be a psychotherapist for individuals, groups and families, and a consultant on growth and development, behavior change and communication patterns. My masters research (thesis) tapped healthy communication patterns in groups.

My Doctorate in Education is from Columbia University, and my research (dissertation) focused on transfer of learning, and the use of simulation and simulation gaming to teach healthy behaviors.

In 1980, I founded The Wellness Institute. Since then, I've offered consultation, workshops, and continuing education courses for thousands of clients on wellness-related topics including The Journey To Wellness, Healthy Nutrition, Preventing Chronic Dis-Ease, Assertiveness, Fitness after Forty, Menopause, Be a Wise Parent, Teaching Your Child to Be Self-Sufficient, Using Imagery and Affirmations to Heal Yourself, Stress Reduction and more...

I've had over 600 articles published on wellness, holistic and education topics and had 20 wellness-related, leadership, and/or learning-promotion books published by major publishers.

My book, TEACHING KIDS TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT is currently under consideration by several New York publishers.

LIVING WELL WITH ANXIETY, my next book in the HarperCollins wellness series is due out April, 2006.

I was founding editor of the journal, Alternative Health Practitioner, and served for 15 years as Founding Editor/Publisher of The Wellness Newsletter. I'm now editor of  http://HolisticHealth.bellaonline.com, http://Menopause.bellaonline.com,  and http://GiftedEducation.bellaonline.com where I offer hundreds of articles, book reviews, author interviews, free newsletters and forums.

I've been a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) since 1980, and am Board-Certified as an Advanced Holistic Nurse (AHN-BC), and am a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Nursing (DABFN).

For more than 20 years I've worked with community organizations, home visiting and phone visiting, and more recently online, helping family members find wellness.

I have more than 30 years experience as a psychotherapist and wellness educator in my own private practice.

I've taught students about wellness and leadership in many universities, and currently am a faculty member in the Health Services Program online at Walden University where I work with doctoral students.