I was born in Scotland, grew up in the United States, and have been living in the Netherlands since 1994. After my sons' births I became a doula and breath worker, and as they grew older and started attending school, I noticed my discomfort with the educational system. In 2015, I co-founded the democratic primary and secondary school LIFE! (Learning In a Free Environment) now called Democratic School Amsterdam—a heart-based school. I use Nonviolent Communication with students and teachers for empathy and mediation. Using the No Fault Zone game© I have been supporting people to reconnect with themselves and each other since 2016, both within my own school environment and elsewhere.

I have been learning and practicing NVC since 2010. It is the most powerful tool I know for creating ease and harmony with those around me. It is also the most powerful tool I know for mediating conflicts and creating peace. It is a life-long project for me to continue to embody this language of the heart and to share it across business sectors, schools, and in families around the world.