Biography

I have always had a passion for healing and realize this passion as my purpose in life.  Over time, it has taken me down many pathways leading me to study and work with an amazing array of gifted healers.  The hands-on healing work I do is a synthesis of the alternative modalities I have studied and experienced over the last 30 years.

 My formal studies began at the Institute for Bioenergy Studies, with Dr. Barbara Briner, where I gained proficiency in the practice of esoteric healing.  This initial training led me to the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, a highly respected four-year institute of hands-on healing and personal transformation.

 Later, I studied with Sandra Ingerman and other teachers from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.  There I learned the important techniques for soul retrieval work that is so critical for clients with experiences of deep trauma.  In addition, I have studied extensively with bioenergetic practitioners, learning techniques to release stress and muscle tension where past negative emotional reactions are stored.

My undergraduate education was completed in 1969 with a B.A. in literature from Brandeis University.  I went on to receive an M.A. in literature and Women’s Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978.  At that time, I had an evolving interest in Women’s Studies that became the growing focus of my life’s work, and I subsequently taught Women’s Studies both at the University of Pittsburgh and Georgia State University.

 My commitment to transformation led me to activism in the social and political realms.  In 1982, I became the vice-president of the National Women’s Political Caucus. In 1988, I was awarded a 3-year fellowship by the W. K.Kellogg Foundation to explore how visionary women world-wide are helping to create healthy, sustainable communities.  In 1991, I was the founding president of Global Hopemakers, Inc., the international non-profit organization that sought to create healing relationships with international partners through citizen diplomacy. 

Pursing my commitment to help women clarify their vision and claim their power, in 2010, I completed the Wisdom School, “Secrets my Grandmother Taught Me,” to delve into the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah.  I teach classes in Kabbalah, using this mystical path of deep relationship between self and the Divine to help students gain greater self- awareness and experience of spiritual connection.

Observing the challenges many clients were having with the aging process, I was led to the Yerusha Sage-ing Mentorship Program that helps people discover their life’s wisdom and explore their soul’s journey.  I became a certified Sage-ing Mentor and lead classes nationally and internationally that help people discover their inner elder while gaining new perspectives on what it means to grow older in today’s culture.

I am married to Oran Hesterman, President of Fair Food Network, live in Ann Arbor, MI., and have three wonderful children and five rambunctious grandchildren.