I have consulted with young people, families, adults, and organizations in education, healthcare, behavioral health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, child welfare, and advocacy systems. My current research, teaching, writing, and practice includes narrative therapy and community work, harm reduction in relation to problematic drug use and drug policy, social/economic policy, values, ethics, and the cultivation of love, kindness, and care skills in social work practice.

I received a BA in Philosophy from Brown University, a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. I served as the Chair of the Department of Social Work from 2009-2018 and have been the Director of the Altruistic Behavior Institute since 2010.