I have been drawn to spirituality from a very young age. My longing for spiritual connection has led me to a life of persistent seeking, in many different ways. During my adolescence and early 20's I explored different traditions, particularly Theosophy, Spiritualism and Christianity. Later, I become a Catholic, involved with youth groups and a movement called Catholic Charismatic Renewal — which seemed to be a more progressive and flexible sector of Catholicism. In my late 20's, I joined a Catholic community and for six years I lived a very simple life, focused on spirituality and helping others. Since I left that community almost 20 years ago, I have continued to seek and have explored other Christian denominations, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism and Shamanism. I also have an interest in the paranormal, near-death experiences, death-bed visions, and apparitions. I am a certified Enneagram practitioner and have studied the Enneagram for many years, including training with some of the pioneer teachers such as Helen Palmer, Russ Hudson, Sandra Maitri, Jerome Wagner and Dr. David Daniels. My focus has been on applying the Enneagram to achieve spiritual growth. Some of my current spiritual practices include meditation, readings and spending quiet times in nature.

I have also worked in several areas of social services since 1987, in various communities in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Working as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as well as the Ministry of Community and Social Services, I had the opportunity to lead several initiatives to enhance the provincial addictions treatment system as well as other provincial social services. My areas of focus included strategic planning as well as program design and evaluation. I have also had a special interest in the development of effective services for key populations such as youth and ethno-cultural communities.

I have a long history of working with youth, which started decades ago when I volunteered to assist the development and implementation of recreational activities for street kids in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More recently, I was the Director of Youth Intervention and Outreach Services for the YMCA of Greater Toronto. I was responsible for several initiatives targeting at-risk-youth and homeless youth. Prior to that position, I provided individual and group counselling at various organizations, including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in Toronto.

I have presented at various conferences in Canada and the US, addressing topics related to ethno-cultural communities and problem gambling. I am a certified Life Skills Coach and have graduated with honours as a Human Services Counsellor. I have extensive training on cross-cultural counselling and other cultural issues, and am fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. I have a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology and a PhD in Higher Education with a focus on psycho-spiritual development.