Why I do this work
I’ve always been curious about understanding what makes us “us”. In my group psychology class in college I met Bud. He was a big, strong guy, with a heart of gold, and a black belt in karate. I always felt safe when we were together. He quickly became one of my best friends.
A couple of years after graduating, he was driving by himself from Lake Tahoe home to Los Angeles. As he was known to do, he picked up a hitchhiker. This time he gave a ride to the wrong person. For his beat up, old orange van, and his gold bracelet, Buddy was killed and left in a ditch by the side of the deserted road.
The loss of my friend, and this senseless crime threw me into an existential crisis. What was the meaning of life? How could this happen to such a good person? How could this happen to someone who had a black belt? What happens to us after we die? What was the point of life if we were all going to die? I was 24 years old and felt so alone with my pain. I had a hard time relating to my friends. This was my first experience with losing someone I was close with. My feelings felt so big and so consuming.
This led me to seek professional help. With time, and the support of a psychotherapist, my existential crisis became an awakening. I felt a calling to go to graduate school and become a therapist, to be a guide for others in their life’s journey. All these years later, I am grateful every day, to have discovered my purpose at a young age - one of the gifts I received from my friend Buddy.
“ Everyone should have a Beth to walk this journey with. She is not only a consummate therapist but an individual of deep integrity and wisdom. Working with Beth literally changed my life.
She imbued me with the tools and skills I needed to breathe deeply into my essence and find my authentic and awakened voice. Her ability to hold space with such compassion and honesty was the mirror I needed to be able to do the same for myself.
My life is much richer, fuller and more beautiful because of our work together. ”
— D.G.
Beth received her master’s degree of psychology from Antioch University in 1983 and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1985. She is both a Certified Integrative Body Psychotherapist and Teacher (IBP), and went on to become the director of the IBP Central Institute Los Angeles. Since 1989 she has taught at IBP Institutes in the United States, Canada and Italy. In 2014 Beth co-founded and is the Executive Director of IBP Italy.
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