About Me

Over 38 Years as a Professional Animal Trainer and Behaviorist

I earned a B.S. in Zoology from Northern Arizona University in 1991 after attending my freshman year at Cal Poly in Southern California where I grew up. During my senior year I tried out and got my “dream job” as a marine mammal trainer at Sea World in San Diego. After working with various species (Sea Lions, River Otters, Walrus, Whales, Birds of Prey, Waterfowl and Parrots) for nearly two years in shows and behind the scenes, I returned to Arizona and continued working as a volunteer for the Icarus Facility, a Bird of Prey rehabilitation center. We triaged injured birds of prey and helped to rehabilitate them in the hopes of releasing them back into the wild. I gave education presentations with the non-releasable birds of prey including a Turkey Vulture, Screech Owl, Red Tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Owl and Golden Eagle. In 1997, I returned to NAU to get a B.S. in Psychology in hopes of blending the two sciences together – working with animals and people; particularly doing animal assisted activities and therapy.

I started my own canine training business in 1988 and have worked with over 5,000 dogs in Arizona doing group classes and private sessions for both basic training and severe behavioral issues. I obtained my CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed) through the CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers). For several years, I was a guest lecturer on canine training and behavior at NAU for a biology course in animal behavior. 

In 2012 I developed an enrichment program for facilities and rescues called the +PET (Positive Paws Enrichment Training) program which has been implemented in adoption centers in Arizona. This program is designed to reduce stress in kenneled animals by stimulating their senses, make their stay more enjoyable, and provide adoption readiness skills through the use of positive reinforcement and fear free training. Throughout the 90s and 2000’s I volunteered for Pet Partners doing animal-assisted activities with those in hospitals and schools with my two dogs and became a licensed evaluator for animal-handler teams. I also became a service dog trainer for veterans for psychological tasks and diabetic alert dogs. Volunteering for police dog work allowed me to hone my skills in training.

I earned my M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration and certification in equine-assisted mental health from Prescott College in 2016. My primary specialty is in trauma counseling. Since graduating, I have worked in clinics for addiction treatment both in community mental health and private treatment centers, then became a clinician for adolescent girls in a therapeutic boarding school. I started my own private practice called Tea and Empathy, PLLC in 2019 working with clients from adolescents to adults in trauma treatment using EMDR and other trauma-focused modalities. 

In the early eighties, I was an equestrian vaulter (gymnastics on the back of a moving horse) and performed in the 1984 Olympics as part of a demonstration team for entertainment. During my youth, I volunteered for Ahead with Horses, a non-profit therapeutic vaulting organization in Southern California. This is where I found my passion to help people with animal partners.