Education and Background

Barbara received her B.A. degree in history and education from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1963. She completed an M.A. in Christian Education from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 1966 with an emphasis on pastoral counseling.

She worked for many years as a social worker for Contra Costa County in the Family Welfare program before becoming the clinic director of Planned Parenthood of Santa Cruz County. She held a number of other jobs with non-profit agencies before becoming a licensed therapist.

She received her M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1991, and began working as an intern at Santa Cruz County mental health and in private practice. She was licensed by the State of California in 1994 and has been in private practice since then. She retired from her job as a therapist in county mental health in November, 2004.

Her hobbies are walking, camping and hiking, nature photography, reading, cooking and vegetarian meals, sharing quality time with friends and family, singing, attending choral and instrumental musical performances.

She is a disciple of the great Indian master, Paramhansa Yogananda, and follows the yogic path of self-realization. She has been meditating regularly for many years. She teaches meditation and relaxation practices to clients where appropriate and where there is interest.