Born in SoCal.  Raised in traditional christian family. One older sister, one younger brother.  I was a middle child, does that tell you anything?  Grew up in intact family, very active in family activities and church.  Graduated from high school.  Highest degree Masters in Counseling Psychology.  Married, have two daughters, three grandchildren. Still as active as a 66 year old grandmother can be.  Life has been good but not without challenges.  Currently retired from a regular job but doing private practice, spending good times with husband, enjoying the family and friends. 

How did you get to where you are now?

Life is what happens when you are pursuing your goals.  I've always had a purpose (definition of purpose:  something that made me feel needed, like an achiever and useful). Every step was taken following the last step.  I changed my focus when the last step didn't fulfill me anymore.  I married and had two daughters.  The role was always done to the best of my knowledge and abilities.  Somewhere along the experiences I realized that there was more to being what I was that I hadn't experienced.  I started psychotherapy in 1989 and began to see my life as if looking at it for the first time.  I wanted others to share in the "new attitude" and went back to school to become a therapist and the rest is history.  I've continued to grow and learn and discovered that the goals I made when I was younger were not the achievement . . . it was the journey toward those goals.  I'm still on a journey and loving every day.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

I see myself more clearly.  I'm still the same person.  I love who I am more.  I make better choices.  I am a better person to those around me (family and friends).  I like where I am in this stage of life.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself just "better" in 10 years. 

Dear Little Joyce: I look back on you when you were younger and I wish that I had not been so hard on you.  I wish that I would have loved you for the wonderful, giving person you were.  I wish I would have been there to help you through your struggles of growth.  I also know that I would not be the person I am today had you not gone through what you experienced.  So for now I also want to thank you for enduring and growing and hanging in there to become fulfilled and ready to give back to life.  So from here on out, you stick around to remind me to be youthful and adventurist and I'll stick around to keep us on the right path.  We have become quite a pair.  I love you just as you were and are becoming.

Every role model for me is not the best overall, but the best in some area.  Today I am adding one person to my role model list.

My mother - with all her problems and shortcomings, she was always the "kindest"  person that I ever knew to everyone.