Judith Duerk was born in the Midwest and reared in a family with strong religious ties. As a child, she loved music, and when she was a young woman, earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from The Julliard School. She studied, as a postgraduate, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at Indiana University, and taught music at the university level for several years before beginning preparation for her latest work as a psychotherapist.