I grew up in New Zealand where I had a great love for the land, rivers, and Pacific ocean. My father was an art advisor and I followed this direction with a degree in fine arts, where I was interested in the exploration of ways to visually express relationship, whether between external figures, internal presences, or nature. I left soon after completing this degree, coming to America where I began working as a professional screenwriter for 25 years. During this time I wrote many projects requiring research into a person’s life. No matter whether fictional or biographical, understanding and creating a story that conveyed character, meaning, and drama drew me. I was deeply interested in how we each construct our stories, or have them imposed upon us by external circumstances and this led to my also teaching memoir workshops aimed at writing what I called the “inner landscape”.
At mid-life personal conflicts moved my focus from cultural stories into the meaning of the individual journey, and how to live an authentic life. I turned to Jungian analysis for a deeper understanding of myself, and others. Following degrees in Mythological Studies and Counseling Psychology, and the formal six-year analytic training program at the C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California, I began my private practice.
The analysis of narrative, mythology and dreams contributes to my study and work in psychology.
I live and work in Ojai, CA. I am available for sessions in office, online and by phone.
TEACHING:
Editorial Board, Psychological Perspectives journal. Current.
Training Analyst, C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern CA. Culver City, LA. Current.
Director of Admissions, C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern CA. 2017- 2020.
Basic Jung series, C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern CA. Culver City, LA.
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Adjunct Faculty in Mythological Studies and Counseling programs. Current.
University Cattolica, Milano, Italy, graduate intensive on Screenwriting, 2001.
New Zealand Writers Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand, The Mythic Lens: a mythological approach to screenwriting. October, 2005.
Writing Group, personal mythos, Los Angeles. Begun 2001, ongoing.
EDUCATION:
Jungian Analyst, IAAP. C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California.
CA Medical Board RP 250
Ph.D. Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology, Pacifica
Graduate Institute.
M.A. Counseling Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute.
B.F.A Fine Arts, Auckland University, New Zealand.
MFT License 51686
SCREENWRITING:
For my work as screenwriter, please go to:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0269940/
ARTICLES AND WORKSHOPS:
The Nature of Fairy Tales. C.G. Jung Study Center. June 2014.
The Necessity of Sacrifice. Psychological Perspectives Vol 56. 2013.
Reimagining Hekate: Muse for Memoir: Psychological Perspectives, Vol 54. 2012.
Film Reviews. Psychological Perspectives Vols 53-55.
Screenwriting and the Mythic Lens.
Writing the Inner Landscape: Workshop.
