God had been preparing me for a healing ministry even before He began to reveal this plan to me. My fascination with the mind-body connection drew me to Carnegie Mellon’s Health Psychology doctoral program where I received state-of-the-science training in stress, coping and health. There I fine-tuned my understanding of not only the “how” and “why” of anxiety and depression, but also secular strategies to combat them, including techniques to “regain” control of a chaotic life. I had an “ah-ha” moment where it dawned on me that I needed to be teaching the most powerful stress management strategy there is – giving up control over one’s difficulties to the Great I Am, as it is only through complete surrender of the situation that worries and fears subside, to be replaced with peace, strength and hope. God lead me to Fox Chase Cancer Center where He laid on my heart to develop a faith-based coping program for cancer survivors wherein, among other things, they entrusted God with the unknowns of their situation. Just about that time, God fully developed this particular strategy in me as my husband was deployed to warring Iraq for nearly a year, leaving me to solo parent our two young boys who really missed their father, begin a new faculty position with Indiana University School of Medicine, and manage the household. This experience gave me excellent material for my cancer support program, Cope by Faith, which includes six 2-hour sessions to address “Why Me?” and any personal and/or spiritual struggles; turn uncontrollable over to God; find strength and inspiration to cope; learn the difference between healing and being cured; find meaning in the illness and experience personal and/or spiritual growth. The pilot of this program met huge success, with depression symptom scores dropping from meeting criteria for clinical depression before program participation, to dropping well below afterwards. In the words of its participants: "This program changes lives." In fact, I was nominated for an IU Simon Cancer Center Torchbearer Award this program’s impact. Since then I have partnered with The Wellness Community, a cancer support and education center, and have started groups there, with the same wonderful results. The book Cope By Faith: Partnering With God to Get Through and Triumph From the Cancer Experience is in the publishing stages and should be in stores mid-to-late 2008. I am in the process of writing two more books: The Healing Journey: My Brokenness, God’s Masterpiece, and The Secret to a Life Fulfilled.

Niche Market
Individuals, especially women, who seek:

• Guidance on how to partner with God for the strength and hope to get through life’s hurts or hardships and emerge having grown emotionally and spiritually from the experience (Phil 4:13, Romans 5:3-5)
• Inspiration to turn over all aspects of their lives to God to live a life fulfilled (Jeremiah 29:11)
• To develop a deeper relationship with God to recharge daily and be better able to handle what ever life brings (John 15:5, Matthew 6:33-34)
• To themselves be God’s instrument for emotional and spiritual healing to others (Ephes 3:20, 4:11-12)

Relevant Service at Kingsway Christian Church
2004 – present Decision Counselor during invitation time of service
2005 – present Grant writer for Kingsway Community Care Center
2004 – present Curriculum author for Special Needs Ministry
2005 – present VBS take-home book author 2006 – present VBS 4&5 year old worship leader

Awards & Honors
2007 Indiana University Cancer Center Torchbearer Award Nominee for making a difference in the lives of those touched by cancer
2001 American Psychosomatic Society Scholarship Award
2001 Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center Pilot Money Award
2000 National Institutes of Health Pre-Doctoral National Research Service Award
1998 American Psychosomatic Society Scholarship Award
1996 Creative & Dedicated Instructor Award, Draughons Junior College
1994 Purdue Alumni Association’s Outstanding Senior in Psychology
1994 Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude
1994 Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
1993 Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
1992 Golden Key National Honor Society
1992 Psi Chi Honor Society, Purdue University (chapter secretary 1992-1993, chapter treasurer 1993-1994)

Testimonies from Cope by Faith Participants

"This changed my life!"
64 year old, 13-year cancer survivor.

"This program spoke to me from the beginning. It promised to address issues that I was going through…and delivered!"
48 year old, 14-year cancer survivor

"This provided something my secular group does not provide, and filled the void. A life threatening event such as cancer is really a spiritual event."
38 year old, 3-year cancer survivor