My mother always told me that I was a bright light in the Universe. As the middle of three children, that sparkling energy probably appeared somewhat blinding, stuck between my two more traditional siblings. I grew up in various cities; my father, a university professor, liked to start new programs at dental schools. Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Detroit, Livonia, Lexington, and Louisville were all cities that I once called home as a child and young adult.

I earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Lexington and the University of Louisville, respectively. I also attended the University of California Los Angeles. That education provided a robust platform for my work as a psychotherapist. For thirty years, I listened to people while they taught me about love and pain, isolation and relationship, desire and suffocation, need and greed, and how they wandered life’s trail to understand themselves and those they loved. I owe an ocean of gratitude to my clients for bravely allowing me into their worlds of abuse and neglect. Their feelings and perspectives allowed me to help guide them and others toward emotional healing.

Professionally, I worked in adolescent residential treatment facilities, mental health centers, and private practice groups. I lectured at over 500 businesses on topics related to mental health, and I taught undergraduate classes in sociology at a large university. Creating freelance articles for several magazines and newspapers through the years helped me discover my love of writing.

Every journalistic piece is steeped in emotional and therapeutic concepts. Like my father, the oral pathologist professor, I love to teach the ideas that took years for me to absorb. You, the reader, can expect to find at least five intellectual and emotional gems in each post. I am currently a retired psychotherapist. However, I continue to be in awe of human behavior, loving to share my observations with others. With the utilization of social media platforms, I can now do that free of charge.

My upcoming thriller, a fictional novel, The General’s Princess, is rich with characters that portray psychological and behavioral aspects of what I have learned as an observer of human behavior. The protagonists are heroes to be cheered, while the antagonist is a frightening narcissist worthy of your disdain. Twists, turns, and characters from the mind of a psychotherapist are rich in dramatic, realistic traits.

My personal journey opened doors to love, marriage, children, divorce, travel, stepchildren, and grandchildren. My writing, a culmination of my knowledge so far, is sprinkled with vivid insight from my life’s journey to date. It can be an intense ride.

I hope you enjoy the journey…

Caryn