About Me

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. ~ Lao Tzu

A Little History

I was born and raised in Sacramento, California, with the exception of one exciting year in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I attended first grade. It was in that little almost-Mexican town that I learned about cactus, tumbleweeds, horny toads, scorpions and baton twirling (which I did badly).

Growing up an only child, I learned to enjoy solitude, spending most of my days reading, writing, drawing, painting, listening to music, and thinking up questions with which to torture my parents... why is the sky blue? If God created us, then who created God? Why do cats purr? My mind was overflowing with questions and no one seemed to have the answers.

I've been writing and doing art for most of my life. I've always needed a creative outlet. Painting, pottery, graphic art, gardening (which I consider a form of art!), and more recently jewelry have all had their grips on me at one time or another.

When I'm not writing, I can be found cooking, reading, doing yoga, or watching anything sci-fi with a nice ruby red cab in my treehouse apartment--with two quite adorable felines vying for lap space. I also love good coffee. I recently learned how coffee can extend your life and decided I might be immortal. Yoga and meditation are important to me as they force me to extract my nose from the computer to practice being a human being rather than a human doing.

Besides being an artist, I've always been somewhat of a science nerd, and as such science is my educational background. My first Bachelors degree was Geology (1985), second Nursing Science (1989), and then I completed my Master’s in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 1996. I get bored very quickly when not learning--I guess I have a high-maintenance brain. I also have a deep fascination with the human body, including the amazing workings of the brain.

Upon completing my Master’s degree, I moved from Anchorage, Alaska, to Twin Falls, Idaho, where I went into private practice with children. I used the tools of play therapy, art therapy, and Sandplay (a Jungian-based form of psychotherapy) to help kids suffering from trauma and abuse. Other professional roles included working as the Staff Educator at a local psychiatric hospital, and serving as Designated Examiner for the State of Idaho where I provided emergency mental health evaluations for the police.

Over the past decade, my passion for health and healing has moved away from allopathic medicine and toward more holistic healing methods. I've developed a deep appreciation for the mind-body connection and the power of energy medicine.

In 2007, I moved to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and essentially stumbled onto professional writing in the natural health industry. I completed my certification as an EFT Practitioner (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in 2012. I am also a Reiki Master and dedicated student of A Course in Miracles--which to me, better explains the mysteries of life than any other ideology or theology. Olympia, Washington is my home.

My current focus is on educating people about the dangers of EMF exposure and creating EMF protective shungite jewelry and home arrangements, which are available for purchase in my online store, Shungite Queen.

Namaste!

Val

May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.

~ Apache blessing