I was honored to have been interviewed for an article on Handfasting as a wedding trend in the Democrat and Chronicle  1/26/18 issue of Rochester Magazine.  Click on the title to read the article.
_______________
About Me

Picture
Spiritual Training, Ordination, and Practice: 
  • I am a Reiki Master Teacher and chose to become a priest in conjunction with my Reiki practice. On February 16, 2003 I was ordained in to the priesthood of the Sanctuary of the Beloved, an incorporated non-denominational church in New York. This training and ordination consisted of required reading, in- person class with lecture, discussion, followed by an ordination attunement. All priests of the Sanctuary of the Beloved are ordained into the The Order of Melchezedek,  a priesthood of individuals committed to teach and/or heal the Human Condition.  There is no dogma. The basis of all true spiritual work is Unconditional Love. We all come from that source and it is open to all beings.
  • I began officiating weddings in 2004.  I love the creativity and spirituality of uniting people in love. My spiritual beliefs are inclusive and not restricted to any particular religion. I believe that there are many paths to God, Divinity, Spirit, Goodness Within, Love, Greater Good, Higher Power (whatever title you choose)  and I honor and respect each individual's own spiritual journey. Persons of all faiths, atheists and agnostics attend and utilize my services.  I have officiated in a wide variety of venues throughout New York. Please visit the Places I Have Officiated Page to see the listing. If you are looking for venues, you may find some ideas on this list.
  • I periodically offer Reiki Training classes in Levels 1 through Master Teacher with a colleague Rev Barb Tschiderer. Classes are listed under the Reiki Classes tab of this website.  You can also find them in the EVENTS section of my Facebook page for info on upcoming classes. To register, use the Contact Me page of this website.

Monthly Spiritual Services: I am the spiritual leader of Sacred Space Reiki and Meditation Group.  We meet on the second Tuesday of every month.  If you would like to attend one of our spiritual sessions, drop me a line and I'll send you some info.  At the onset of the COVID pandemic we transitioned from in person meetings  to meeting via ZOOM .  We continue to use the ZOOM platform  as we now have attendees from other states. 
                     
Other Public Speaking, Vocation, Avocation and Volunteer work:
For years I provided service to my community by volunteering in several capacities. My current volunteer position is as  Nana for my grandsons.   I love how spending time with them keeps me in the moment. It is a pleasure and a gift to care for them while mom and dad work. 

I am a confident and experienced public speaker, as evidenced below.

  • I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotist  and former member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. My office is currently closed while I focus on other areas.   My experiences in this vocation were varied but my favorites included spiritual hypnosis (past life regression, meeting guides, manifesting) assisting people undergoing cancer treatments, and helping teens (insomnia, cheerleading blocks and centering, and confidence building).  In addition to individual session I led group sessions.
  • I retired from my position as an Adult Literacy teacher, but volunteered for an additional 3 years helping students to develop and expand their literacy skills and to prepare for the GED exam. My preferred teaching method was to engage students using games, music, field trips, hands on exercises and applying what they learned  to everyday life experiences.   Forty three of my students obtained their GED which was record setting for the location at which I taught.
  • In 2008, I received a “Partners in Quality Award” from East House for my creative teaching methods.
  • In 2010, I presented at the New York Association for Continuing and Community Education (NYACCE) Conference in Albany .  My presentation showed GED and Adult Literacy Educators across NY varied ways to use songs, games and videos as teaching tools.
  • I have also worked with adult students to obtain and keep employment, both formally as a Workforce Specialist, but also informally as I helped with resumes, interview preparation and interviewing.
  • In  2006 I was a Resume Workshop Presenter for the Monroe County Library System "Workforce Preparation: Helping Those with Literacy Needs Aspire to Achieve" grant.
  • From 2010-2014 I volunteered as a instructor for the East House RIT Enrichment Program, teaching classes in Meditation and in Math on the RIT campus. 
  • In October of 2016 I led a well received workshop entitled "More Then Medication-Mind Body Connections" at the East House Recovery Conference- Recovery in the 21st Century-Realizing  Recovery though Collaboration and Community. - This conference, approved by the U of R for Continuing Medical Education Credits, was attended by staff and clients of several  service organizations in the Greater Rochester Area.
  • I assist persons in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction to develop a connection with a Higher Power of their own understanding, and for over 10 years I spoke weekly at an addiction treatment facility in a Q&A setting.
  • For 2 years I volunteered Monday-Friday as a Reading Center tutor in a 3rd grade classroom at a city elementary school.
  • For several years, I volunteered for The Children's Organ Transplant Association as the Campaign Coordinator and Trustee for the Jenna Stothard Campaign. Jenna was the 22 year old daughter of my long time friend and college roommate. She was the recipient of a small intestine and kidney transplant in 2005. We raised money for transplant related expenses, as well as educated the community about organ donor awareness. Jenna donated her tissues after her passing,  helping over 200 people.  Please consider making a financial or organ donation to those in need.
  • As a former meeting facilitator for the faith based community public policy group of the Judicial Process Commission, I helped the committee stay on track as they worked to ensure ex-offenders receive case management, pre and post release. They named me named me Volunteer of the Year in 2006. I also led a weekend retreat of team building and goal setting.
  • For many years I  held the positions of president, vice president and editor of a local group called OURS (One Universe Resource Service) that sponsored metaphysical events and lectures. I was also a contributing writer to Nature's Wisdom magazine, and  RocMetaphysical's online magazine.
  • I served as  a volunteer  with the Distant Healing Network.  This international organization offers free distant healing or prayers for all who request. All they ask is that you do a random act of kindness as payment in full. Feel free to visit the site and request healing. While no longer a DHN Volunteer, requests sent directly to me are always accepted and acted upon. This experience motivated me to start a reiki healing chain consisting of our reiki students.   There are now 14 trained reiki practitioners/masters cross country who send healing upon request.  If you  would like to add yourself or someone in need to the healing chain, [lease contact me.
  • I retired from the USPS after 29 years of service. During this time I worked in Employee Relations, Training and Development, Labor Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Mediation and as a Postmaster in a few different locations.  My public speaking experience first began in these roles.

Attire Options

Unless otherwise requested, I will most likely wear a black dress or pant suit to your wedding. If you would like me to wear the white minister's alb shown with a stole, please let me know. 

Stole options are pictured in the slide show:
  • The Interfaith Stole comes in purple, blue or white.The symbols are batiked on cotton. The symbols are the Jewish Star of David, the Islamic Moon and Star, Taoist Yin Yang, Jainism Symbol, Buddhist Prayer Wheel, Baha'i Nine pointed Star, Christian Cross, Sikh Symbol, African Goddess Aku Aba, Hindu Om, Native American Medicine Wheel and the Wiccan Pentacle.
  • The Celtic knot design is fuschia and gold.  (Thank you Wendy for making it and gifting it to me)
  • The oak leaf is gold on a green stole. 
  • The rose is yellow on a white stole. 
Sonnenburg photo by Jessica McCormick Photography
Other Services

Home Blessings: Bring blessings to your home and set the intentions for the abundance you want to bring into your life.  

Baby Blessings: Please visit the Baby Blessing section of this website for more information.

Reiki  is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation by the channeling of divine energy . It’s administered by laying on hands. The practitioner,  through training and attunements, has opened to this energy. The Divine Energy flows through the practitioner 's body and out their hands into the person seeking assistance.  I am a Reiki Master Teacher and am available for teaching, attunements and sessions.  If you would like to experience this modality, please join us at Sacred Space.

Chakra balancing: Our body contains many energy centers, known as Chakras (Sanskrit meaning 'spinning wheel of energy') that help us to process the universal energies that are around and within us. The seven major chakras directly correspond to our organs and to aspects of our being (security, self esteem, intuition etc.)  They are located in a column from the base of our spine to the crown of the head and are the colors of the rainbow. When the chakras and open and aligned, our vital life-force (Chi) flows freely through.   Balanced chakras are instrumental in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Premarital Guidance and Discussion: I encourage couples to discuss key issues before entering into a marriage commitment. Please visit the Relationship Topics page in the Reserved Section of my website. If you need assistance on any topics, I am happy to facilitate discussions if my calendar permits.   Persons in need of counseling are encouraged to seek out a licensed professional therapist.  I also highly recommend you take the online quiz 5 Love Languages.

Hypnosis: I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotist and formerly a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. My office is now closed as I pursue other commitments.  I do offer assistance with guided meditations.

Spiritual Guidance: Find a spiritual solution to your problems with confidential one-on-one discussions. Sometimes exploring past lives provides insight into understanding today's relationships and attitudes.  I offer past life regression hypnosis sessions in both private and group settings.

Meeting and Retreat Facilitator: I lead planning, team building and orientation retreats for non profits and businesses. I also plan and conduct spiritual retreats.

Mediation/Dispute Resolution: I am trained and experienced in various mediation models and other modalities of dispute resolution. I facilitate meetings in conflicted environments and for large and small groups.