Let’s Connect and EngAge!

I am a Philadelphia, PA based Aging, Dementia, Care Partner, and Community Wellness Specialist, and Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist with over twenty-four years of clinical experience, in multiple healthcare and community-based settings and organizations, and in various capacities. I am also a Program Leader and Educator with several years of experience in both healthcare administration and higher education roles. I am well connected in the aging, wellness, and creative arts communities-at-large. I lead from my heart and I support meaningful engagement that is relational and evidence-and strength-based. I use a person-centered, movement, and sensory hybrid approach to meet individuals and communities where they are, tailored to specific abilities and needs in the moment.

For individuals living with dementia, the rich interactions and connections are “the dance”. In 2010, out of a desire to deepen these connections and to help promote brain-body wellness and empowerment for these individuals on a broader scale, I established my (primarily solo) business, EngAge. I offer therapeutic movement experiences, SenseAble creative suggestions for support and connection, and therapeutic, evidence-informed recommendations to help communities, individuals, and their care partners navigate life changes and move towards wellness.

I have presented my work and approach at various healthcare, aging, and dementia conferences and communities including: the Alzheimer’s Association, Memory Care Forum, LeadingAge Meeting and EXPO, Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, and the inaugural Expose Dementia Conference – “The A.R.T. of the Matter”. I am also a published peer-reviewed author on topics related to my work, a Certified Reiki Practitioner, and a member of The National Institute for Dementia Education (NIDE), Standards of Excellence (SOE) Council, and Dance for PD®-trained teaching artist.

I continue to look for opportunities to connect and engage, using a relational and collaborative approach. I am eager to share creative strategies and resources that may improve overall quality of life and health outcomes for diverse communities and care teams.

My professional experience includes:

• Healthcare administration
• Higher education program leadership, adjunct instruction, and curriculum development for a new Creative Arts Therapy Minor undergraduate program
• Community-wide therapeutic program design, development, and implementation
• Care partner training
• Dance/movement therapy (DMT) clinical supervision, adjunct instruction, and board-certification support
• Research Interventionist through Drexel University’s Department of Creative Arts in Therapies
• Aging and dementia presentations
• Reiki practice
• Clinical writing and Peer review
• Regular DMT and therapeutic engagement facilitation