About the Author
The author has spent over two decades in the field of counseling, most recently at the University of California, San Diego. In addition, she has conducted large community seminars and support services for people living with concealed chronic health challenges.
The recipient of the ABC News Leadership Award, the author of Just Fine was honored for her extensive work on behalf of people who live with ongoing health disorders even while contending with her own debilitating symptoms. She has appeared on ABC news to discuss the special challenges of coping with concealed chronic illness and pain. The author has been featured in numerous newspaper articles on this important and timely topic. Her newsletter IBDetails has reached a worldwide population of those who live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Her quarterly publication entitled Socio-PATHS, geared at students of sociology, was highly regarded at the University of California.
Sometimes it takes words and pictures to tell a complete story. In an extensive new work entitled Just Fine: Unmasking Concealed Chronic Illness and Pain, the author reveals the dichotomy of appearing one way while feeling quite another. This unique book of “show and tell” literally shows the truth of concealed illness and cloaked symptoms through photographs and personal profiles. By blending her extensive photographic skills with years of writing, counseling and interview experience, She has produced an innovative and artistic vehicle for exploring chronic disorders that are easily concealed.
The author continues to work tirelessly to help educate and offer coping tools to those who live with concealed health challenges, and to enlighten the medical and mental health community who work with this growing population. Additionally, she carries on her creative work in black-and-white photography. Hurry Up and Wait and Portrait of a Portrait are just two of her well received photo essays.