After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2016, I was concerned since the thyroid regulates mood, energy, weight and sleep. I have spent most of my life struggling with all of the above – except sleep!
A year later, I called my endocrinologist at Mass General Hospital (MGH) and told him I was losing my mind and needed help! I expected him to prescribe drugs, but instead, he referred me to the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH (BHI).
In 2018 I signed up for their eight-week, Stress Management & Resiliency Training (SMART) Program that met two hours a week, for 8 weeks. Immediately, I noticed that I was feeling better. I learned coping skills that helped me to manage my anxiety, such as breathing exercises and practicing mindfulness.
Shortly after, I was at the airport with my daughter, headed to Ireland for her post-graduation trip, when a full blown panic attack hit. I remember being in the bathroom at Logan, talking on the phone to my husband while I sat in the stall. He reassured me I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to; I told him that I had one more tool I wanted to try before I made that decision. I went back to the waiting area and listened to a 20 minute guided meditation on a popular app and sure enough, I was able to board the plane and have the trip of a lifetime!
I received so many benefits from the course, that when I learned the The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine was offering training for non-medical individuals to teach the Positivity and Relaxation Training (PART) program, I applied. I am one of the first to receive PART Program certification! I’m excited to pass the PART Program’s tools along to you, as an educator and a grateful patient.
I have added two certifications to my resume including MGH’s Resilient Youth Program and a certificate from both the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley in their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program.
Here’s a little more about my background: I was named as Falmouth’s Citizen of the Year in 2019. I’m currently President of Cape Cod Aggregates Corp. I have been a recipient of Falmouth’s Community No Guff Award; I am a former board member of the Falmouth Service Center; I served on Cape Cod Five’s Human Need and Economic Donation Advisory Committee; and I am a supporter of Jack’s Pact-Falmouth, Independence House, Calmer Choice, and the Community Health Center of Cape Cod.
I am also a certified teacher for Calmer Choice. This organization partners with schools and community organizations across Cape Cod to deliver a low-cost prevention program that equips children and adults with skills to increase inner resilience, reduce the impact of stress, manage emotional responses, learn self-control and increase their sense of well being.
I am a VIPS volunteer with the Falmouth Public Schools as a mentor and a mindfulness educator. I served on the Falmouth School Committee and, along with other members of my family, was recognized in 2016 by the Falmouth Education Foundation for my dedication to the Falmouth community. I volunteer with the Falmouth Military Support Group. I am also a past member of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and I served as a Falmouth Town Meeting Member from 2006 – 2020.
In my spare time, I enjoy walking my dogs on the beach and watching anything on TV with my husband and our daughters. I have a daily practice of sitting in silence every day for at least 10 minutes. I teach mindfulness because it has improved my life in ways I could have never imagined. I’m passionate about this work and I look forward to having the opportunity work with you as you find the pause through your practice.