I am a retired psychotherapist who devoted much of my career to work in the addictions and abuse fields as well as family practice. My writing emerged from my work with a textbook in addictions theory and practice and 2 self-help books for abused women. I have also had articles published in professional journals and magazines including a series on abuse in "Thin Threads."
I never had training as a writer but with early training as a classical musician and later as an actor, I had tools that translated easily to writing. Even though my writing would be classified as "academic," all of my writing uses the tools of fiction. It is character-focused and uses storytelling techniques including use of parables and fairy tales to develop principles. It was the unique approach that caused Springer Publishing to make my textbook one of their Series in Social Work collection.
I also wrote a weekly column on mental health issues for a local newspaper for several years. I used the same storytelling techniques giving the column a unique slant.
One of my proudest episodes was when I co-taught a fiction writing seminar with Sol Stein.
My personal life is quiet, unobtrusive and family-centered. My work had more adventure than the norm including work in institutions and agencies where physical danger was an element of everyday life. A sample of what I heard from a client including the following: "I killed my wife because, when she served my dinner, she allowed the peas to run into the mashed potatoes and she knew I liked them separate." You couldn't create dialogue like that!