After college, a young marriage and the birth of two boys and two girls, I began to take graduate classes in psychology. I had wanted to be a therapist since I was a kid. Slowly, over seven years, “mom” earned a Masters and a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Ironically my 23-year marriage ended shortly thereafter. My first practice focused on divorce counseling.
After a few years of being a single mother of teens I married again. I was heartbroken when, three years later, my husband told me he had to live alone. I asked myself, “How could this happen to me, a therapist?” The second divorce motivated me to find answers to the mystery of falling in love with someone not right for me. I was working on a PhD and began research for my first book, “Fishing by Moonlight, the Art of Choosing Intimate Partners”. The book evolved over eight years to a reader friendly book without jargon. I wanted it to be accessible for anyone wanting to be a part of a loving pair. Ten years later I published a sequel, “Fishing by Moonlight, The Art of Enhancing Intimate Relationship”. Focused on couples, it included further research and stories to illustrate my ideas. As a result of teaching from my book I created a syllabus called “Better Relationship Course” for other teachers.
My own search for the right partner led to meeting and marrying the love of my life, Fred Schlaepfer, who became my co-therapist. For 25 of my 40 years of practice we specialized in helping couples.
After we retired, I wrote a memoir, which included the changes in my lifetime, from Franklin Roosevelt through Donald Trump. I was a part of the Women’s Movement, teaching a class to help housewives expand their options. Along with me, they were frustrated by their socially restricted role.The years of raising four strong minded children further expanded my perspective. My romance with Fred was the highlight. He became a beloved grandfather in my growing family.
“A Healer’s Journey” was my first work of fiction. My travels with the International Family Therapy Association deepened my interest in family life in different cultures. I had been to China three times and was inspired to write about the 1600’s when the Great Wall was still being built. Researching and writing Weilin’s story of overcoming obstacles was pure fun for me. It is an engaging story about a life well lived.
I have a store of experiences to draw on in my continued excitement about writing. I want to write more to enlighten and inspire.