“An understanding of humility”

To me, my father’s greatest teaching was humility. He gave of himself freely—not out of obligation or for recognition, but as part of a genuine and ever-deepening spiritual path. He used to say he was a member of the giraffe club, willing to stick his neck out in service, even if it wasn’t initially well-received.

What moved me most was how he began having honest conversations with his young patients with catastrophic illnesses about death—an unspoken topic in medicine at the time—and how he created support groups for children to help one another navigate their experiences. In those small rooms at the original Center, where children sharing their experiences often carried more weight than the words of parents or doctors, he helped bring light to what others preferred to leave unspoken. Attitudinal Healing grew into a global movement from these courageous and humble beginning.

His example reshaped my understanding of humility—not as a practice of holding back, but as a way of living rooted in authenticity, courage, and service through love. Dad asked highly educated people to leave their degrees at the door—along with anything else they carried that might create division. He knew the Principles of Attitudinal Healing only become worthwhile when lived with a warm heart and a willingness to listen and learn. Through him, I came to see that with humility comes an embrace of life’s fullness, unburdened by perfection, meeting each moment with joy—life spilling over the edges, unruly and alive, where unexpected possibilities take the place of old impossibilities.

"An incredible journey ahead"

Almost 40 years ago, I attended my first volunteer meeting at Jerry’s home in Tiburon. I remember feeling an unexpected sense of joy as I vacuumed the floor afterward, a quiet realization that something special was unfolding. While I could never have imagined the incredible journey ahead, deep down, I must have known that something profound was in store.

Since that moment, Attitudinal Healing has continually enriched my life, helping me grow and blessing me in ways I never could have anticipated. I am eternally grateful to everyone who has taught me to choose love over fear, moment by moment. The AH community is a global family—connecting us from Tiburon to Tokyo, Mexico to Mongolia, China to Kenya. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Attitudinal Healing, may we cherish our connections, strengthen our bonds, and continue healing together.

“Common ground”

In 1975, I was a newly minted Ph.D. psychologist working with a hospice program in California. A few miles away, Jerry had started the original Center for Attitudinal Healing, offering support to children with life-threatening illnesses. While our hospice program addressed physical and psychosocial needs, I felt the spiritual needs of patients were being overlooked.

Around that time, a cancer patient introduced me to Jerry, and I visited his office in Tiburon. Initially, we disagreed on the idea that there were only two feelings, fear and love. Eventually, we found common ground in our shared belief that love is the essence of our being. Soon after, Jerry invited me to join his team to work with children, which I gladly accepted. His Principles of Attitudinal Healing, based on unconditional love, resonated deeply with my own values.

Over the next thirty years, Jerry became a spiritual older brother to me. His death in 2020 deeply affected me. The afternoon he passed, I felt a light follow me while paddleboarding, which I believe was his final gift to me. I carry Jerry’s love and teachings with me, using them to navigate life’s challenges. His spirit, humor, and commitment to healing continue to inspire me and many others around the world.

“Everyone is equal”

I arrived at the center, a broken bird, as a volunteer having lost my only child, gone through a divorce, and walked away from being an attorney. I remember there was a sign on the door reminding us to check our degrees at the door – that everyone was equal. As I came to understand and practice the Principles of AH, my life gradually transformed.

Who was my greatest teacher? It’s hard to say – certainly Jerry’s devotion to the work proved him to be a loving soul who changed my life forever; yet, equally impactful was the volunteer who emptied the garbage cans. When people asked to speak to the most important person at the center, I delighted in pointing him out. Every role was essential and valued!

My journey with Attitudinal Healing is an ongoing one, inspiring me to write several books based on its core principles, including Space Between the Colors (a guide for grieving parents).

“Pure loving-kindness in a state of grace”

During my fifteen years at the Center for Attitudinal Healing, first as a volunteer and later as Executive Director, I came to understand the profound truth that we are Spirit—pure loving-kindness in a state of grace. At the Center, this truth was easier to experience. A Course in Miracles teaches that love’s miracles come quickly to a quiet mind. The Center created that space of stillness, where people facing difficult life circumstances could come together to support one another in releasing fear and remembering their spiritual essence.

I often saw the transformation firsthand: weary souls would arrive at the Center, but after two hours of healing, they would leave with joy, arm in arm, their faces glowing. I witnessed this miracle daily. One time, two sisters from Japan visited the Center. They were struck by the “beautiful light” in the building—something I had overlooked in my busyness. This light was the collective energy created by everyone who had participated at the Center, drawn down from Heaven.

The Center’s environment fostered love, clarity, and joy, allowing people to connect with their true essence and meet life fearlessly. In my experience, the Center remains the most powerful community mental health model I’ve encountered.

“Generosity of spirit”

My experience of Attitudinal Healing began with discovering Jerry Jampolsky’s book Teach Only Love. Drawn by this simple title, the book led me to the inspiration, the people, the values and the practice – to what felt like the heart of the work which was miraculously encased in the walls of the founding Center for Attitudinal Healing.

At the Center, I learned for the first time what it felt like to be truly listened to with no judgement, only a clear and loving kindness. This experience was an epiphany and changed my life. As a result, I volunteered everywhere I could at the Center including facilitating hundreds of groups, in the Home & Hospital Program and at workshops. Over many years, I moved through volunteer roles to staff positions, from Young Adult Program Director to Executive Director. Along the way, I learned from the river of people who came to the center; their journeys with living and dying, facing fear and healing broken hearts. I sat in weekly groups with teens coping with an untimely death and learned at the bedside about their courage and wisdom. I sat in hospital rooms and safe spaces with those facing HIV/AIDS in the early days when there was great fear happening all around innocence. I facilitated groups for parents, caregivers and those coping with loss. I learned from people around the world, especially in Croatia/Bosnia, during the Center’s State Department grant to train volunteers to help the thousands of war refugees during the Bosnian War. The countless stories I heard all continue to live within me and have helped me cope with my own challenges.

I learned about giving and receiving. As part of the staff responsible for keeping the doors open to more than 30 groups along with the global reach of the work, I came to treasure the community we had created and often felt tremendous pressure. During those times, I stretched and dug deep. I learned to trust and to ask for and receive help, and I experienced great generosity of spirit.

We do not always know what our heart is searching for and, looking back, I am so grateful for finding Jerry’s book and for how the people and the Principles of Attitudinal Healing became a part of my life. My heart and spirit have been enriched beyond what I thought was possible.