In my practice as an Educational Therapist, ongoing training is a necessity.                                                                                                                               Within the last few years,... Read more

Dearest ____________________, 3-30-2023 I hope you both are doing well. I write to you today because due to very recent statements and legislation, both in civil society and ecclesial settings, families like mine (Neurodivergent, mentally handicapped, and LGBTQIA+ families) are currently in clear danger. These current statements and legislation are increasing violence against our families, increasing suicides, increasing harm, and increasing disparity. Every single major medical association in the world says to accept, love, include our families for the way... Read more

Looking back in retrospect over the last 7 years, in some regards, my faith and practice as a Catholic have barely survived the growing threat of fascism in the Church, the mass exodus of young people leaving the Church over this, attacks from me becoming an LGBTQ+ ally, being a supportive Catholic mother of LGBTQ+ kids, the fierce surge of anti-intellectualism and anti-science in the Church, and calling out the Catholic/Religious Right for their support of fascism/Trumpism. To say that... Read more

Over the last few weeks, I have felt compelled to post material on my Facebook page which speaks of the “purge” the Catholic right wing attempts to do which various varieties of religious fundies are doing all over the world. These conservative Catholics are not all conservative American Catholics but “fundie Catholics” who are on a mission to destroy other American Catholics and those in broader society who are not white, straight, and Republican. Their main tactics are fear, hatred,... Read more

The featured picture is my favorite shirt, but there are limited places in which it is truly safe for me to wear it.  Before I describe where it is and isn’t safe for me to wear this shirt, I am going to tell you what this shirt symbolizes.  I am not only a mother of Neurodivergent and gay kids, but I am an Educational Therapist who is becoming known as the “Facetime Mom” in virtual circles of the youth and... Read more

Today a had a little break from work and noticed a reply from on a Facebook post which I expanded.  The reply stated that some Christians call “Being called out for their behavior” as “Persecution” when in reality, they are being “Called on the Carpet” for specific behaviors which are damaging to others and the country. I am going to expand that idea here. Those specific behaviors are related to cruelty, ruling by force, slander, spreading misinformation, and “hating our... Read more

After 2.5 years of volunteering in religious trauma recovery outside of my Ed. Therapy practice and speaking with many families of LGBTQIA+ children who have had to flee their churches, communities, and states, I am beginning to question whether willful ignorance and intentional harm are only similar or totally one in-the-same.  After many lived experiences and personal eye-witness accounts of the Catholic Right, other alt-right entities, and alt-right allied individuals, I believe there is a point where a lack of... Read more

Thank you for your patience as I took off some time to complete some very difficult coursework through the University of North Texas in Vocational Rehabilitation.  After three months, I completed the last of my coursework and licensing exams last night, so I will be officially licensed soon in this field.  This academic and licensing training was some the most difficult and rigerours coursework I have ever attempted. I’m an Educational Therapist who expanded my practice to also include Vocational... Read more

As I was searching through TikTok videos, I found a very compelling commencement speech from Northwestern University.  Governor of Illinois,  J. B. Pritzker,  delivered Northwestern University’s Class of 2023 a short commencement speech.   Born and raised Jewish and Democrat in California, Pritzker was always a part of America’s richest families.  However, he has spent a career in business, politics, and supporting pro-democratic charitable organizations. Governor Pritzker emphasized that empathy and compassion are evolved states of being and that these traits... Read more

As I have written about before, neurosurgery for Parkinson’s Disease saved my life which I have the greatest gratitude.   Tuesday, I had my second Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) battery replacement surgery. DBS Surgery is a pacemaker for the Dopamine centers of the brain. I had the initial system implanted 6.5 years ago. My most current battery had dwindled over the last year, and I didn’t understand how much function I lost over a good six months until I had the... Read more