Ilene L. Dillon wears many hats: psychotherapist, author, Internet radio host, coach, continuing education provider and professional speaker. Recently, someone asked her to prioritize these roles. She responded, “I love them all.”
Trained as a Social Worker, Ilene graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1972. and holds two California licenses–an MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist; MFT 4757) and an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker LCS 7035). She also holds a lifelong teaching credential for California Community Colleges. As a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association since 1984, Ilene served four years on the Northern California Chapter’s Board of Directors, and was Member of the Year in 1993-94.
Ilene’s personal mission is to teach people (including herself!) about Love. As part of that quest, she has learned about all emotions: why we have them, how to allow and work with them, how to learn from them and why it’s important to then let them go. She has collected 35 years of clinical information about human lives, problems and triumphs, which she uses in her work with groups, classes and in psychotherapy. She, like all of us, reports that she is “still learning.” Ilene is completing a manuscript entitled “Born to Learn,” which depicts our human role as learners, and is her 16th book.
Ilene lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has resided since 1968. An avid gardener, skier, backpacker, swimmer, animal lover and cook, Ilene lives with three cats and a dog and her husband, neurosurgeon Dr. Robert (Bob) Fink. Together, Bob and Ilene’s blended family includes 6 children, 3 “children-in-laws” and 4 grandchildren, all of whom are fantastic individuals who add to the quality of this world. Ilene believes much of her wisdom in helping others has resulted from living as a married, divorced, single, step and adoptive parent, as well as being herself a child of divorce.
Ilene’s work is very powerful because she has for over 30 years based it on spiritual principle. Now coming into vogue (at last!), working with spiritual principle enables a person to focus on what is truly important, our soul’s development and growth as we live in harmony with Principle.