I grew up primarily in Southern California, the youngest of 6 children. I moved to Northern California to attend undergraduate and graduate school, and that’s where I met my husband of more than 30 years. We have 2 adult children and have lived in Oregon since the mid-1980s. I have worked at Kaiser Permanente for more than 12 years, mainly as an outpatient therapist but now as the supervisor of the Mental Health Triage Team. I chose the mental health profession because I enjoy collaborating with others to learn how to create healthy and happy lives, despite the physical and emotional barriers that we often experience.