About Me

Since you asked…

I am a freelance writer, editor, artist and health coach. My biggest interest is in the link between creativity and wellness. In fact, my motto is “Be creative, be well!”

I’ve pursued a dual-track career, composing consumer articles and books on health, nutrition, fitness, travel, psychology, craft, pet, entertainment and lifestyle topics, as well as continuing education materials for health professionals for print, web, audio and video formats.

In 2012, I received training as a health coach through a year-long certification program with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and started a creativity-oriented business called Creative Wellness. In 2016, I earned a post-graduate certificate in fiber arts from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth - and it was one of the best years of my life! I love making art. And in 2017, I became a Certified Zentangle Teacher (Zentangle is a structured pattern technique of drawing that is fun, easy and relaxing.)

My work has been published in over 30 consumer magazines and newsletters such as AARP The Magazine, Bottom Line/Personal, Family Circle, First for Women, Fitness, Glamour, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Shape, USA Today’s Custom Publications, Weight Watchers Magazine, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health and on the worldwide web.

I’ve written several books: Creative Wellness, an ebook published in 2012, Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes, published by Wheatmark Publishing in 2005, and The Smart Guide to Boosting Your Energy, published by John Wiley and Sons in 1999. I’m also the co-author of Just What the Doctor Ordered: An Insider’s Guide to Medical Writing.

For the past 20 years, I have collaborated with healthcare providers and mental health experts to create continuing education materials for doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists and patients in a variety of medical specialties, including women’s health, psychiatry, neurology, allergy and asthma, dermatology, endocrinology, radiology and most other areas of medicine. I have created White Papers, meeting summaries, newsletters, monographs, web documents, interactive tools, case studies, CD/DVD scripts and many other types of educational vehicles.

I have also ghostwritten and doctored/edited articles, book proposals and manuscripts for consumer and healthcare audiences.

I’m a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Surface Design Association, and an inactive member of the Screen Actors Guild (I used to be an actress!). I’ve received media training and have appeared on several television programs and performed satellite media tours in support of my articles and as a spokesperson. I’m a past member of Toastmasters International, where I honed my speaking and leadership skills, and I’ve done several live speeches related to my book Craft to Heal. I’m also listed in Who’s Who of American Women.

I graduated magna cum laude from Boston University in three years with a major in communications and a minor in psychology. Since then, I’ve taken numerous continuing education courses in graphic design, web design, SEO, multimedia journalism and entertainment writing.

On the personal side, to know me is to know my dog Zoey. I’ve always been crazy about dogs, movies (I saw 64 movies in the movie theatre last year), theater, books and television. If it’s pop culture, I’m into it. I’m also an artsy type. I like to make all kinds of different things, including mixed-media art quilts (see the Craft to Heal page of this website). I also play tennis and can occasionally be found taking a walk in the woods.