Julie’s passion with the interface of life and death, the place of
change, no doubt comes from her personal experience with death following
an industrial accident some thirty five years ago, when glass tore her
wrist and severed an artery and tendon. Because of that life-altering
experience she has devoted her life to the study of consciousness
states.

Over the past fourteen years she has been teaching and facilitating
workshops in the cutting edge transpersonal technologies (Holotropic
Breathwork). Her work has taken her across the United States and
overseas with Stanislav Grof, M.D. who is generally credited as a
pioneer in consciousness research, and Jack Kornfield, Ph.D. who calls
her a “wise and skillful teacher, a knowledgeable and trustworthy
guide.” Her studies have culminated in a doctoral dissertation focusing
on the values of transpersonal experiences from The Union Institute in
Cincinnati. She’s also studied with the Swami Rama, Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi, and Swami Muktananda. Her Cherokee “Grandmother” calls her Oyaner
- a female good path maker.

A budding polymer chemist climbing the ladder of success credited with
both patents and publications, she experienced a change of direction.
Suddenly and unexpectedly her world was turned upside down, literally.
Since that time her world has been full of sudden and unexpected
changes, some large, some not so large.

Julie was recently asked during a leadership forum, “ How do you plan
your life?” “I don’t,” she replied. “I trust the universe. I’m given
what is next. I’m just along for the ride. And how do I know when I’m
off course - when I‘m following my own plan rather than universes’ plan
- things become difficult.) Julie left her chemical career in 1979 and
went to Washington to work for the “Equal Rights Amendment” campaign.
When that ended she left Washington DC and went to work for a nonprofit
in Richmond, Virginia taking early retirement in 1997 to complete a
doctoral program. A few years ago she became an interfaith minister.
Nowadays she teaches meditation, facilitates Holotropic Breathwork
sessions, and speaks to audiences about her near-death experience. And,
she’s doing a lot of writing. She says she couldn’t be happier!