Welcome to my author page. I’m a writer, consultant, and counselor.
Learn more about my clinical work or book a consultation here.
Early Life
I wrote my first short story in the seventh grade, abut a civil war soldier in Virginia who freezes to death in the winter cold.
I thought I had to choose between writing and photography. I felt that writing was better at going deeper into the psyche, but I just had trouble sitting still for the time required to write well. I’ve always had to keep moving, to keep walking around. It’s as plain as that. But it turned out that I could combine the two forms and keep my feet moving as well.
Influences and Stories
My influences are the films and writing that look for the heart of the human condition. These include the films of Terrence Malick, Wong Kar-Wai, Apichatpong Weerasetakul, and Chris Marker, as well as the works of Sherman Alexie, Cormac McCarthy, and Ramana Maharshi.
I try to pass on the sense of wonder and exploration I had during that part of my life, along with lessons about the roots of addiction and the importance of a personal myth.
Artmafia is a healing and inspirational work that came from my travels in Southeast Asia, along with the feelings parents have about their children in a chaotic world. Here’s more about Artmafia.
Addiction Services and Research
Addiction to substances and processes, and the depression that results, is the public health emergency of our times. I believe that storytelling has a humble part in the answer to these problems.
I’m an advocate of destigmitizing people living with addiction and mental health conditions and provide resources to those in the arts who need help. I promote new ways to integrate forest therapy and international approaches for mental health and addiction treatment.