Saturday, September 04, 2010

Author Biography

Marj, 5_09b In It’s Not a Life Sentence, therapist, journalist, freelance writer, and educator, Marj Frazer Lacey addresses the key mental health issue of our time: the loss of connection to our own authentic selves. Only by rediscovering who we are at the core can we make the life changes necessary to become whole and profoundly happy. In her book, Marj provides a personalized guide for a journey of exploration. Working with clear, focused activities of introspection, you will relate the material in the text to your own experience, develop a refreshing sense of self, and begin to make choices that will lead to more satisfying life.

Marj’s interest in the difficulty of living true to the person you are at the core began as she entered her teen years. Realizing that what the world expected of her and what she expected of herself were frequently at odds, she nevertheless tried to meet both sets of expectations with—predictably—only spotty success. In her writing, she draws on her own experience as well as that of clients and students.

Born in Baltimore, MD, Marj spent most of her childhood in Indiana. After graduating from Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY, she returned to the Midwest to earn her Bachelor’s degree in political science from Earlham College in Richmond, IN. A woman of many interests, she later earned two Master’s, one in literature from the University of California-San Diego and another in counseling from San Diego State University.

Marj’s first career was as a newspaper reporter, editor, and photographer on daily newspapers in Indiana and California. She then made a brief foray into the world of the bureaucrat, working as an administrative assistant for the County of San Diego. After starting a family, she became a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer before returning to school to earn a teaching credential.

She taught classes in literature, writing, and decision-making at the high school and college levels before, once more, returning to school to earn her degree in counseling. As a counselor, she has worked in a college health clinic and high school counseling offices in addition to her own private practice. She currently offers on-line life coaching through the website MyTherapyNet.

The mother of three grown sons, Marj lives in Vista, California. Among her hobbies are traveling, photography, and reading.