Richard earned a BA in Psychology at UC Berkeley during the social unrest of the late 1960’s. With a motivation to find a path to a peaceful society, he travelled to India. Going overland from Europe to spend a year in India and Nepal, it was not until reaching Australia that he met the Tibetan Buddhist Lamas, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in 1974. They taught a psychology that he had not encountered in the West. It offered a developmental path to compassion and wisdom for all. In Australia, Richard completed two month-long Kopan style courses and a two-month retreat.

Returning to the USA, Richard got involved in building a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center, Vajrapani Institute, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. During the 35 years at VPI, he served on its Board.  When he was VPI’s director, His Holiness Dalai Lama came to the center. His Holiness urged the residents to find ways to help in the community. This inspired Richard to go to graduate school and earn a higher degree in Counseling Psychology and become a Marriage, Family, Child Counselor. He then spent 22 years as a school-based therapist in a high school.

Richard resides in Santa Cruz, Ca with Bev, the person he loves, admires, and lives with.