I began my career in the late 1980s as a certified alcohol and drug abuse counsellor, spending 15 years owning and managing programs for adolescents and parents across Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. A significant part of this work involved family education.

After earning my MBA in 2007, I transitioned to a career in education, becoming director of Colorado State University’s Executive MBA Program. In this role, I developed a leadership coaching program and led international study tours to China, Russia, Germany, and Peru. Inspired by the success of the executive education environment, I shifted to an adjunct faculty position in CSU’s online MBA program and started a Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC) for at-risk high school students.

During my time at the TLC, I discovered Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB), a program founded by the Dalai Lama and leading scientists, including Paul Ekman. CEB integrates emotional intelligence and mindfulness practice, and I found it to be the most effective approach to emotions I had ever encountered. This led me to becoming a certified CEB teacher in 2019. I went on to establish the Emotional Balance Institute (EBI).

Currently, my primary focus is teaching CEB to family members of individuals with mental health and addiction issues and to professionals navigating difficult emotions in the workplace at the EBI, while continuing my teaching work at CSU.

Emotional Balance Institute: www.emotionalbalanceinstitute.com