Vicki Gratz is director of the webcast for the Crimson Circle Monthly Meetings. She also produced and edited the Quantum Leap video, and directs and edits workshops for Shaumbra Institute.

Her television career began in 1979 after graduation from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in Theater. “I took a six-week job as Production Office Secretary for the PBS film ‘Lathe of Heaven’ and I was hooked! I knew I wanted to work in film for the rest of my life,” says Vicki. Living in Dallas, Texas she found more jobs in television than film, working on shows like “That’s Incredible!” In 1983 she went to work for Holden Production Group creating sports feature programming for cable networks like USA, ESPN and WTBS. “It’s so ironic that I would end up working in sports, because when I was a theater major I was all about Shakespeare and Chekov. I was kind of an elitist snob. But I loved the work. And let’s face it, more Americans have seen baseball than Macbeth.”

She quickly worked her way up the ranks, starting out as a production assistant, moving on to writing and producing and in 1989 was promoted to vice-president of the company. In 1991 she spearheaded the company’s efforts to purchase an Avid editing system, becoming one of the few women editors in Dallas. “But in the early ‘90’s it all started to unravel. I got divorced in 1989, and I was working long, hard hours, so I was starting to fray around the edges.” Television is great, but I wanted something more.” So in 1992 she began work on a Masters of Education in Counseling at the University of North Texas. “I was in therapy after my divorce and everything seemed to be pointing back to my childhood. I felt like if I could heal children, the world would be filled with much happier adults.” She focused her studies on Play Therapy, a method of doing psychotherapy with children.

In 1993 she began her internship at the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center where she worked with physically and sexually abused children. “The play therapy would help to some degree. But I kept looking at these kids and thinking, ‘This is a soul wound and therapy will never heal that.’” Then one day someone handed her Michael Harner’s “Way of the Shaman.” “Shamanism is how indigenous peoples healed themselves – body and soul. I felt it was a natural to use with these kids, but not in the Texas Bible Belt!”

Another critical turning point came for Vicki in 1997. “I came from a very close family -- maybe too close. And I knew if I didn’t get out of Dallas I would never be my own person.” She moved to Manitou Springs, Colorado where she felt freer to pursue her interest in Shamanism. But she was faced with a career choice – counseling or television editing. “I really missed being visually creative. Plus I wasn’t really sure play therapy was the best way to help children heal. It was time-consuming and expensive and a huge burden on families because it was rarely covered by insurance. I had a tough time making a living.”

In 1998 she began editing “Emergency Vets” for High Noon Entertainment in Denver. She’s been there ever since working on a variety of programming for HGTV and Food Network including the popular “Unwrapped” series.

In 2001, someone in Tennessee told her about the Crimson Circle. That year, the meetings where held at the Mile High Church in Denver only a few miles from her home. “I was terrified at my first meeting. But I walked out saying, ‘Wow! I’m not crazy!’ The teachings really made an impact on her at the Sexual Energy School. “In addition to my own healing, I came to understand what I was seeing in the playroom with my child-clients. It was the sexual energy virus at work. I was trying to use an ancient tool to fix the problem. But it really needed a New Energy solution. I am so grateful for that workshop. It really saved my life.”

Vicki continues to work in the television industry as a freelance producer, writer and editor and is branching out into still photography. She is especially proud of her new Nikon digital SLR. “I love images and stories. I think they do so much to help us understand and grow and laugh – especially at ourselves.”