Personal Consultations


I offer one hour personal consultations.   A free 20 minute consultation is offered first to determine if the type of coaching/counseling I provide meets your needs.

 

Healing for all problems comes from within.  I offer guidance and resources for clients to access their inner knowing in order to heal their wounded self.  It involves becoming aware and questioning the beliefs which cause us to suffer.  Beliefs are thoughts with emotions attached.  The goal is to be able to parent from love instead of fear.

 

We are on this spiritual journey of healing and awakening together.  All of us over the years have accumulated tools in our toolbox to help us with our spiritual practice. Some have worked, some have not, some are no longer useful and some can be used again.  I have many tools in my toolbox which may be similar or different from yours to help you access that “still small voice within” and in so doing we both deepen our awareness and move closer to loving ourselves and others unconditionally.

 

Sally's Favorite Books with a Spiritual or Hopeful Theme


 

Books on Parenting and Caregiving

 

Armstrong, Thomas; The Radiant Child
This is one of my favorite books. Armstrong believes children are closer to remembering their spiritual origins and therefore have access to healing energies and different forms of awareness that adults have forgotten. By nurturing children's spiritual development, adults also access their own healing powers.

 

Brendtro, Larry K, Martin Brokenleg and Steve Van Bockern; Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future.
There are so many theories about what is wrong with our alienated, violent-prone youth; this book provides hopeful, inspiring yet practical techniques for healing our alienated youth through the use of Native American wisdom of bringing youth back into the circle of courage and connectedness.

 

Brooks, Robert and Sam Goldstein; Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Your Child.
This is a wonderful book about stopping the prevalence of treating children by what we label as wrong with them. Instead, fostering "islands of competence" and "charismatic adults" in children's lives is encouraged.

 

Chopra, Deepak; The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents.
This is classic Chopra on tending to one's own spiritual healing to find inner peace for oneself and thus be able to encourage the discovery of inner peace for your children.

 

Doe, Mimi with Marsha Walch; 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting: Nurturing Your Child's Soul.
This is perhaps the most well-known book on spiritual parenting. Doe provides excellent insights, meditation, and affirmations on healing oneself while nurturing the spiritual lives of our children.

 

Fuchs-Kreimer, Rabbi Nancy; Parenting as a Spiritual Journey: Deepening Ordinary and Extraordinary Events into Sacred Occasions.
This is another excellent book on what it means to parent from a spiritual place. She describes how parents find meaning and sacredness in ordinary as well as painful and stressful events and how this can be conveyed to our children.

 

Greenspan, Miriam; Healing Through the Dark Emotions, The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair.
Greenspan is a psychotherapist who shows us how to transform grief, fear, and despair into gratitude, joy, and faith in life. Parents of children with special needs will identify with Greenspan's struggles through the grief and fear concerning her child with a disability.

 

Hallowell, Edward M.; The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy.
Best known for his work with children with special needs particularly children with ADD, Hallowell's recent books have focused on the importance of family and making connections for nurturing children's souls.

 

Kabat-Zinn, Myla and Jon; Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting.
This book describes a Buddhist approach to parenting with excellent and thoughtful ideas for parenting in the present moment.

 

Lindbergh, Anne Morrow; Gift From the Sea.
This is a timeless classic about what it means to be a mother and also nourish one's soul.

 

Martin, William; The Parent’s Tao Te Ching

Following the Tao Te Ching,,Martin distills Lao Tzu’s ancient wisdom to the tasks of parenting in beautiful poetic verses.

 

McClure, Vimala; The Tao of Motherhood

McClure provides brief, poetic and inspiring passages adapted from the Tao Te Ching to give support and guidance in order to parent from calm and joy.

 

Mike, John, MD; Brilliant Babies Powerful Adults.
While I found the title of this book to be a turn off, I discovered Dr. Mike is promoting the power of love to change a mind that has no limits. We are all brilliant. The book has wonderful practical advice on raising emotionally powerful and loving children which helps adults as well.

 

Moffett, James; The Universal Schoolhouse: Spiritual Awakening Through Education.
One of the most visionary books I have read about individualizing and spiritualizing the education of our children as essential for healing our world.

 

Patton, Sally; Don't Fix Me I'm Not Broken, Changing Our Minds about Ourselves and Our Children. This is a spiritual parenting book about learning to heal our own woundedness so we can see past diagnostic labels to the perfect child within and parent fron love instead of fear. Please click here to orrder from amason.com.

 

Pearce, Joseph Chilton; The Magical Child: Rediscovering Natures Plan for Our Children.

Pearce, Joseph Chilton; The Biology of Transcendence.
These are fascinating books about the spiritual development of children form a biological perspective. InThe Biology of Transcendence, Pearce describes the biological development of the brain and how it is affected by the spiritual nurturance of the mother. The survival of the species depends on our own spiritual healing and the nurturing or our children.

 

Pransky, Jack; Parenting from the Heart

This is my absolute favorite spiritual parenting book.  I love the emphasis on recognizing that children and parents are always doing the best they can with the information they have.  This is a book about nurturing the soul of your child and not judging.

 

Prather, Hugh and Gayle; Spiritual Parenting.
Although out of print, this is one of the best books on spiritual parenting. Both Hugh and Gayle Prather are ministers who offer their own insights about their struggles to parent from a spiritual place. You can find this in most libraries and the out of print resources at Amazon.

 

Spangler, David; Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent.
I loved this book. Spangler calls us as parents to be as mystics, bridging the everyday with the sacred in parenting our children thus being a part of the healing cycle of connection as part of the whole.

 

Wapnick, Kenneth; Parents and Children, Our Most Difficult Classroom Parts One and Two

For those of you who are students of A Course in Miracles, this is a wonderful book for applying the Course philosophy to parenting.

 

Books About Children with Special Needs

 

Armstrong, Thomas; Neurodiversity, Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences

This is a passionate and compassionate way to look at the children we label to see their strengths and weaknesses as all part of diverse brain differences which are needed if this world is going to survive.

 

Beck, Martha; Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic.
This is a wonderful book of spiritual discovery that describes what happens to Beck's life when she conceives and raises a child with Down syndrome. This is a must read for every parent exploring the spiritual meaning of raising a child with special needs.

 

Bolduc, Kathleen Deyer; His Name is Joel: Searching for God in a Son's Disability.
This is a moving account by Bolduc who is a deeply religious Christian. She describes her journey from pain and despair to the regaining of faith while coping with her son with severe limitations.

 

Carroll, Lee and Jan Tober; The Indigo Children Indigo children are bright, intuitive, strong-willed and sometime self destructive.
They are thought to be here to help with human spiritual evolution. They are often misdiagnosed as ADD. This is the first book to explore what is needed to raise these children with balance and harmony.

 

Dacey, John S. and Lisa B. Fiore; Your Anxious Child: How Parents and Teachers Can Relieve Anxiety in Children.
Dacey and Firoe describe a method of treating children with severe anxiety that is grounded in spiritual connection and the fostering of self worth. This is an excellent book for parenting and working with all children.

 

Gill, Barbara; Changed by a Child: Companion Notes for Parents of a Child with a Disability.
This is a must read for all parents and anyone caring for a child with a disability. This is an intensely thoughtful and hopeful series of essays. Gill is compassionate and insightful about the feelings, stress, pain, and joy of caring for a child with special needs.

 

Hartmann, Thom; The Edison Gene: ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child Starting with Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception.
Hartmann has written many wonderful books describing his spiritual and freeing theory about the origins of ADD and the gifts of children and adults with ADD. The Edison Gene is his latest book that updates his theory.

 

Kaufman, Barry Neil; Son Rise The Miracle Continues.
This is a beautiful and compelling story of the Kaufman's bringing their son out of autism through a loving and accepting approach of their son's autism which eventually led to the creation of the Son Rise program for children with autism.

 

Kaufman, Barry Neil; A Miracle to Believe In.
This book continues to chronicle the success of the Son-Rise method in treating children with autism. It is another compelling story of a boy brought out of autism.

 

Klien, Stanley D. and Kim Schive; You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories By Parents of Children with Disabilities.
This book contains an inspiring collection of writings by parents of children with disabilities. These stories provide messages of coping, surviving, healing and joy during the tough times as well as the good times. The strong message is, "you are not alone."

 

Stillman, William; Autism and the God Connection, The Soul of Autism, and Autism and the God Connection

This trilogy of books looks at the spiritual dimension of having autism and how these children have unknown and often unexplored gifts and offer lessons in compassion and connection with our Source.  On the spectrum himself, Stillman has an intuitive and compassionate understanding of people with autism.  I highly recommend all of his books.

 

Tobin, L.; What Do You Do with a Child Like This? Inside the Lives of Troubled Children.
This is a compassionate and inspiring book written by a long-time teacher of special education. He explores the inner life of children with sensitivity and an immense understanding of troubled children's feelings and fears. Through poetic descriptions, he encourages adults to compassion and understanding when working with troubled children.

 

Virtue, Doreen; The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children Virtue.
This book explores the psyche of these special children so often labeled as ADD and explores alternatives to the use of medications based on interviews with child-care experts, teachers, parents and Indigo children themselves.

 

West, Thomas G.; In The Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People with Learning Difficulties, Computer Images, and the Ironies of Creativity.
This book changed my entire way of viewing my son and people labeled as dyslexic. This is a must read for any parent who has a child with learning differences.

 

 

Forgiveness

 

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is one of the most significant inspirational sources for seekers of forgiveness as a path to inner peace. It is so unique that I felt I had to quote from the preface of the publication, An Introduction to A Course in Miracles. The Foundation for inner Peace publishes A Course in Miracles. www.acim.org.

"A Course in Miracles is a 1200 page, three volume book. It is also a phenomenon, a work whose content and characteristics, whose history and impact on the world are so unique that there are no neat labels or categories for it... Its teachings, again falling outside of preexisting molds, combines the insights of contemporary psychology, with the spiritual wisdom of the East, and much of the essence of Christianity. The Course, however, is more than an abstract philosophy and includes a highly specific training program in the practical application of its principles, focusing on forgiveness in the area of relationships."

 

Casarjian, Robin, Forgiveness A Bold Choice for a Peaceful Heart.
Casarjian draws on the philosophy of A Course In Miraclesto demonstrate why letting go of the past and embracing forgiveness is the key to inner peace. She draws on years of experience working with prisoners.

 

Einhorn, Lois, Forgiveness and Child Abuse, Would You Forgive?
This is an incredibly powerful book about forgiveness. Einhorn experienced unspeakable abuse as a child from her parents who also forced her and her sister to torture each other and animals. During her spiritual quest to try and forgive herself and her parents, Einhorn sent a letter to a wide-variety of influential people in many fields to ask them if they would forgive. Their responses vary greatly and will cause you to question your own beliefs about forgiveness. Einhorn's closing writing about how she finally forgave herself and her parents is extraordinarily moving and a powerful healing message for the world.

 

Ferrini, Paul; The Bridge to Reality, and The Gospel According to Jesus

I highly reccommend all books written by Paul Ferrini especially those that are part of his Reflections of a Christ Mind series. Ferrini was originally a teaher of A Course in Miracles although does not claim that mantle anymore.  Nevertheless, all his teachings and writings are informed by the Course and reflect its principles.  I find his emphasis on forgiving our wounded self in order to be able to forgive ohers especilally compelling and helpful.

 

Ilibagiza, Immaculée, Left to Tell, Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.
This is a remarkable story of Immaculée's survival during the bloody genocide in Rwanda. It is an almost unbelievable tale of survival, but first and foremost it is an extraordinary example of one woman's courage and deep faith to find compassion and redeeming forgiveness for those who butchered her family and so many thousands of people. It is a universal message of peace, compassion and hope for our challenging times.

 

Jampolsky, Gerald G.; Love is Letting Go of Fear.
Dr. Jampolsky is a student of A Course In Miracles (ACIM) which changed his life and guides his practice with children with emotional and behavioral struggles. This is just one of many books he has written on forgiveness. It is an excellent book for people who want a simple step by step approach to embracing forgiveness but do not feel comfortable with the metaphysics of ACIM.

 

Renard, Gary R., The Disappearance of the Universe, Straight Talk about Illusions, Past Lives, Religion, Sex, Politics and the Miracles of Forgiveness.
This is absolutely the best book to read if you want to learn about A Course In Miracles (ACIM). Spiritual awareness and learning is a life long journey. A few books have made a significant impact on me and deepened my spiritual understanding. This is such a book. Because of this book I have become a student of ACIM. I am sure that this is the spiritual path I will joyfully study and follow for the remainder of my life.

 

Sanchez, Nouk and Tomas Viera; Take Me to Truth, Undoing the Ego

Sanchez and Viera are wonderful Course teachers.  This is the book that helped me resolve many of my questions about other spiritual paths and their connections to the ACIM. They are wonderful teachers with great insight and wisdom on how to apply the principles of ACIM to everyday life.

 

Wapnick, Kenneth;The Stages of Our Spiritual Journey, Ending Our Resistance to Love, The Healing Power of Kindness Volumes One and Two, and A Vast Illusion

Wapnick is perhaps the most influential teacher of A Course of Miracles (ACIM). All his books are excellent and I highly recommend any that you read.

 

Books for Your Own Spiritual Journey

 

Cameron, Julia; The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.
This is the book that my friend claimed changed her life. It is for all of us who want to find ways to express our creativity.

 

Choquette, Sonia; Your Heart's Desire, Instructions for Creating the Life You Really Want.
This is a wonderful book for simple exercises on how to manifest your dreams. I am still using the techniques and exercises I learned from this book.

 

Dyer, Wayne W. The Power of Intention, Learning to Co-Create Your world Today.
In this book, Dr. Dyer continues to provide powerful spiritual insights on how to create the life you want by tapping into the power of intention. The Power of Intention is also a Public Broadcasting Service special television presentation.

 

Dyer, Wayne W.; There's A Spiritual Solution to Every Problem.
This is another life-changing book. Dyer is persuasive in showing that there is a spiritual solution to every problem.

 

Hay, Louise, L.; You Can Heal Your Life.
This has become a classic. Almost everyone I know or meet who are on a spiritual journey have read this book of healing all that physically ails us through the changing of beliefs with affirmations and learning to love oneself.

 

Hawkins, David R.; Power VS Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior.
This book has spread like wild fire through word of mouth. It is perhaps the most powerful and important book I have recently read. This is a must for seekers of enlightenment.

Hicks, Esther and Jerry; Ask and it is Given, Learning to Manifest your Desires.
This is a book on the teachings of Abraham, a nonphysical entity. Thought provoking and powerful activities describe ways you can manifest your desires and create a joyful and fulfilling life.

 

Katie, Byron; Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy

Katie’s “The Work” is one of the most profound ways to question those beliefs which keep you in a state of unhappiness.  I use her four simple questions constantly to release the thoughts which keep me reliving past hurts and worrying about the future to bring me back into presence and the absence of suffering.

 

Kaufman, Barry Neil; Happiness is a Choice.
I read this book and immediately signed up to take one of Kaufman's workshops at his Option Institute in Massachusetts. He writes simply of the ways we can change our beliefs to always act from a place of inner peace and happiness.

 

Myss, Caroline; Sacred Contracts.
For those who resonate with introspection through Jungian archetypes, this is a wonderful book for exploring our sacred contracts in order to fulfill the reasons we are here on earth.

 

Rupp, Joyce; Dear Heart Come Home, The Path of Midlife Spirituality.
During a time when I was struggling with understanding my sons' difficulties, fighting an unyielding school system, questioning my own life and feeling as if I lived in the desert of no beginnings and no endings, I came across this book. It literally launched me on a spiritual journey. A member of the Servant of Mary community, Rupp's insights and poetry seemed to speak to me directly.

 

Scheinfeld, Robert; Busting Loose from the Money Game

This by far the best book out there for understanding how we get trapped in pursuing money and abundance and to thinking there is a spiritual way to abundance.  Using some of the metaphysical truths of A Course in Miracles, Schienfeld teaches us to let go of fixing things to accessing the Truth of who we are which is Divine consciousness all else is illusion, not real.

 

Tolle, Eckhart; The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.
I am finding more and more people are reading this book. Tolle simply explains that our inability to free ourselves from the dominance of the mind and ego and live in the present or now causes the misery in this world. He shows us that enlightenment is not only attainable but necessary for both individual peace and the health of the planet.

 

Tolle, Eckhart; A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.
This is another powerful, life-changing book by Tolle. If you resonate with Tolle's presence and teachings, this is a must read. His simple words help me understand more and more how it is just our thoughts which create our stories. Living in the now, in presence without thoughts of past or future is a place of joy. I find it helpful to use with A Course in Miracles.

Walsch, Neale Donald; Conversations with God, Books I,II,III.
Early on during my mid-life spiritual search, I asked a trusted friend what books to read next. She suggested the "Conversation with God" books. I now recommend these books as a must read for anyone beginning a spiritual exploration. They opened up an entire new way of seeing and believing.

 

Books for Welcoming Children with Special Needs into Faith Communities

 

Bolduc, Kathleen Deyer; A Place Called Acceptance: Ministry with Families of Children with Disabilities.
Bolduc provides compassionate and helpful information on how churches can become welcoming places for children with disabilities. This is one of the few books that focus on ministry to children with special needs.

 

Homan, Father Daniel and Lonni Collins Pratt; Radical Hospitality, Benedict's Way of Love.
This book dramatically changed how I was presenting information to faith communities. I highly recommend it not only for faith communities but also for individuals seeking to deepen their spiritual practice.

 

National Organization On Disability; That All May Worship, An Interfaith Welcome To People with Disabilities.
Although not focused solely on children, this book provides insight and practical information on ministering to people with disabilities that is also helpful for ministering to children.

 

Newman, Gene and Joni Earckson Tada; All God's Children: Ministry with Disabled Persons.
Once again, this is a book that does not focus solely on children but provides good, practical and helpful information.

 

Patton, Sally; Welcoming Children with Special Needs: A Guidebook for Faith Communities.
The inspiration for writing this book occurred when a friend said to me, "Where can I bring my son with his special needs, if I can not bring him to my own church?" I discovered there was very little written on why it is important to minister to children with special needs in our faith communities. I explore the challenges and difficulties churches encounter when weaving children with special challenges into the fabric of the church community. I offer practical suggestions on teaching methods, awareness training, congregational and pastoral care, basic information on the major disability groups, and exploration of alternative spiritual views of children with special needs. To order, call UUA Bookstore at 1-800-215-9076 or online by clicking

 

Webb-Mitchell, Brett: Dancing with Disabilities, Opening the Church to All God's Children.

Webb-Mitchell, Brett: God Plays Piano, Too: The Spiritual Lives of Disabled Children

Webb-Mitchell, Brett: Unexpected Guests at God's Banquet: Welcoming People with Disabilities into the Church Webb-Mitchell.
This is one of the first people to speak out about and explore ministry to people with disabilities. He discusses why people with disabilities are not welcome in our churches, he shares the life stories and spiritual perspectives of children with emotional and mental challenges, and from a Christian perspective he explores why the church is called to minister to people with disabilities.