Meet My Co-Writers

(left to right) Jody Bellant Scheer, Kathy Masarie and Kathy Keller Jones

Jody Bellant Scheer, MD, (far left) is a pediatrician whose dream is creating healthy relationships and peaceful co-existence within all families, institutions and communities of the world.  She has worked for over 27 years with sick newborns, premature infants and their families in Portland, OR.   She is co-founder of the Medical and Educational Relief International Association (MERIA), Inc., a nonprofit working to provide essential medical and educational services worldwide.

Dr. Scheer regularly volunteers as a physician in developing countries, serves as a volunteer and Board member of numerous non-profit organizations, is a foster parent, and teaches Compassionate Communication skills to medical, parent and community groups.  She loves spending time in nature through hiking, kayaking, and traveling to diverse corners of the world.

She lives with her husband on a houseboat in Oregon, where they enjoy frequent visits from their three adult children and large extended family.

Kathy Keller Jones, MA, (far right) is a developmental psychologist and licensed school counselor.  For over 25 years she has supported elementary and middle schools by teaching social-emotional skills to students, conducting group and individual therapy, consulting with staff and parents, and creating school-community connections.

She currently teaches parenting classes and consults with parents on the many challenges of doing their job well. In addition to working with children and families, Kathy has worked as a writer and a research psychologist. She is interested in the individual’s search for meaning and the importance of one’s connection to nature. She has an MA from Ohio State University and post-graduate training in her areas of special interest: Jungian/archetypal psychology and play therapy.

She and her husband live in Oregon and share the joys of nature with their adult children and their partners.