PAMELA CAPPETTA, EdD, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and a certificate in Mindfulness from Duke Integrative Medicine. She has been in private psychotherapy practice in Williamsburg, Va. since 1985 and teaching mindfulness since 2011. Cappetta continues to practice psychotherapy, write, travel, and bring mindfulness into a variety of arenas.

Cappetta’s early career as a psychotherapist centered on children, their families, and health & wellness. She provided family therapy clinical supervision for graduate students at the College of William and Mary for three years while working on her doctoral degree, and she served as coordinator of the family counseling center in the School of Education. Her passion for mind/body medicine grew, and she began exploring the family dynamics surrounding childhood illnesses and seeking solutions for these children and families.

“My life and career have been dedicated to exploring the invisible links that tie together the emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental health of an individual through the healing journey of life itself,” said Cappetta.

After researching current children’s books on mindfulness to use in her practice, Cappetta discovered that they lacked an engaging narrative that would appeal to children. She decided to write a picture book with a gentle story—Mindful Moments with Maude—that weaves mindfulness, her love of animals, and a close bond between a girl, her grandmother, and a dog. The title character, Maude, is a dog inspired by the author’s beloved Australian Shepherd. Cappetta also introduces the concept of Mindfulness Day—a day without electronics and busyness.

Cappetta has studied with iconic family therapists such as Salvador Minuchin, Virginia Satir, and Carl Whitaker. She has also worked extensively with Czech psychiatrist and transpersonal psychology pioneer Stanislav Grof.

Through working with Grof and Jack Kornfield, PhD, an internationally known author and teacher of Buddhism, and hearing the Dalai Lama offer teachings on the Discipline of the Mind, Cappetta became deeply affected by mindfulness and Buddhism. She brought meditation and mindfulness into her practice in 1998.

Cappetta’s degrees include a Doctor of Education in Professional Counseling from the College of William & Mary plus several professional certificates. She is a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors and practices in Williamsburg, Va. accompanied by Kramer, her new toy Australian Shepherd and therapy dog. When Cappetta isn’t working, she might be found in her flower garden, with her family and friends, or just watching the wind blow.