My experience with clients in mental health has been primarily counseling victims/survivors of sexual abuse and other types of human-to-human trauma and spans 40+ years and working for 25 years with sex offenders (separately). I was a volunteer rape victim advocate from 1977-1981. I served as executive director for the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (University of Iowa) in Iowa City from 1981-1991, returning in late 2001 as interim director, and again as executive director from 2002-2014. Between periods with RVAP, I returned to school and obtained a BA (double major) in Psychology, and Literature, Science and the Arts, and a master degree in social work.

In addition to administrative duties, I counseled victims/survivors, took call as an emergency advocate, provided educational programs including a self-defense class to children with disabilities for about seven years. I served as an expert witness in court cases and university disciplinary hearings. I presented at local, state, and national conferences.

I worked with sex offenders to inform my work with victims/survivors. I was lead investigator on a research project with incarcerated felons and college students regarding severe physical punishment and exposure to animal cruelty as predictors of future aggressive behavior. This research resulted in an article published in the Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect. While I no longer work with perpetrators, the experience with them provided good training.

As a trauma counselor, consultant, and expert witness for state and federal court cases, I testified in sexual abuse and domestic violence cases on victim impact, dynamics of sexual abuse and offender behavior.

I retired from RVAP in 2014 and opened a private practice (Iowa City Trauma Relief). In 2018, joined a private practice as an Associate with the Counseling Center of Iowa City. In both practices, I saw a general population of clients with mental health issues and specialized in human-to-human maltreatment issue resolution.

Coinciding with my career, I volunteered to work at Miracles in Motion Therapeutic Equestrian Center, and my dog, Stuart and I became a team with Pet Partners. We visited children at the University of Iowa Hospital for about five and a half years in their Furry Friends program. Stuart also assisted with being support at times for my clients during counseling sessions and other venues. In 2025, I was certified as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. I am now combining Equine-Assisted Therapy with psychotherapy and with the assistance of a horse. Ground therapy (no riding) works with issues of trust, control, reflection, managing stress and other important issues involved in healing.