About

The Awareness in Action blog seeks to offer information, raise awareness, stimulate thought or inspire you toward meaningful action in your life. Simply stated this is a blog about the human experience. I choose to blog about this subject matter because I have spent my life seeking to understand the complexities of human functioning.

As the youngest of four children, I often heard the elders in my family raising questions about human behavior. At some point I sought to answer those questions. I assumed the role of family mascot during my childhood years however the entertainer eventually transformed into the observer; a position I would assume in almost every area of my life.

Having grown up among the towering pines and ancient oaks of the small town of Grand Coteau, Louisiana my interest in spirituality is no accident. Known as the Holy Land of South Louisiana, Grand Coteau is home to three major religious institutions- The Academy of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House and St. Charles College/Jesuit Spirituality Center. The only miracle in North America recognized by the Vatican occurred at Sacred Heart Academy in 1866.

I obtained a degree in Psychology from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 1992 and a Master’s in Social Work from Louisiana State University in 1996. Following graduate school, I spent an additional year of training as a Clinical Social Work Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. In my career I have worked with the homeless, youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, couples in distress and individuals seeking relief from various mental health conditions to others wanting greater joy and fulfillment out of life.

Having learned early in my education that a therapist can only take a client as far as he has travelled in his own healing process, I participate in numerous personal growth activities. The most profound experiences were the New Warrior Training Adventure, 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat and a mixed gender group dedicated to the study and facilitation of Cliff Barry’s Shadow Work.

Having not left the stage of development where children constantly ask, “why”, I continue to seek to know, to understand and to challenge the limitations of my own thinking. The writings I share are perspectives based on my experience as well as the wisdom of various teachers, mentors and guides that have been influential in my life.