The Guides

Bob Bilder, Ph.D. - Clinical Neuropsychologist

A widely published, board-certified neuropsychologist with decades of experience researching links between brain and behavior in health and disease, Dr. Bilder directs UCLA’s Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity, studying creative cognition and exceptional abilities that may be important keys to achievement in diverse artistic, scientific, and business domains.

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. - Psychologist

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a psychologist, speaker and author who has published numerous articles, chapters, and blogs, including the bestselling books The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life and A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, and his upcoming book Uncovering Happiness: Breaking the Depression Loop with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. In his work he synthesizes the pearls of traditional psychotherapy with a progressive integration of mindfulness to achieve mentaland emotional healing. He has his private practice in West Los Angeles, California.

Nancy Hyland, MA, LMFT - Psychologist

Nancy Hyland, MA, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist who specializes in working with adolescents, and adults who have been impacted by early relational trauma. Nancy brings an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to her work. In order to support a client's movement towards growth and transformation, Nancy employ's a variety of interventions often including mindfulness, Cognitive and Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Jungian Mandala / Art Therapy and Sensorimotor therapy. Nancy believes we each have our own inner wisdom, and that through a supported process of self-discovery, her clients can learn to handle difficult emotions, and become empowered to take steps towards making the changes they want in their lives.

Susan Bookheimer, Ph.D. -Neuropsychologist

Dr. Susan Bookheimer is Clinical Neuropsychologist and Professor-in-Residence in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Department of Psychology. Dr. Bookheimer specializes in functional brain imaging with PET and functional MRI. Her work has focused on the organization of language and memory in the brain, in healthy adults and children and in neurologic conditions and developmental disorders. Recent work focuses on understanding the neural basis of social communication deficits in autism using functional MRI, encompassing both verbal and non-verbal communication, and focusing on emotional aspects of social comprehension.

Mary Ida Kendall, CHt, OM Behavioral Therapist

Mary Ida Kendall has been in private practice in the field of behavioral science since 1991. She specializes in recovery, post traumatic stress and artist development using holistic trance state modalities that include hypnosis and breath work. She taught in California for 14 years as a state certified instructor of hypnotherapy and is currently working on her first book;"The Pure Heart Brigade: The true story of addiction, recovery and the benevolent narcissist".

Charles Tenshin Fletcher Roshi - Abbot

Born in Manchester, England, he moved to the United States in 1979 to study at the Zen Center of Los Angeles with founder Taizan Maezumi Rōshi, for whom he served as jisha (personal attendant). In 1994, he received Dharma transmission (authorization to teach) in the White Plum lineage from Taizan Maezumi Rōshi. Charles Tenshin Fletcher Rōshi is abbot at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, in the San Jacinto Mountains, near Idyllwild, California. Tenshin Rōshi has trained thoroughly in kōan and shikantaza as well as other more recently developed forms of practice. In addition to his work in the US, he returns to the UK annually to lead a sesshin near Liverpool. Tenshin Rōshi co-authored Way of ZEN with David Shoji Scott (2001).

Cathy Jo Hendricks, OMD- Teacher

Cathy Jo Hendricks, OMD, is dedicated to the premise that “True Healing is Making Whole”. Whether working with individuals or groups, the goal is to help each person find and fulfill their heart’s passions, discover and develop their unique gifts, and find ways to share these gifts in service to our world.After many years of clinical practice, Cathy realized that CREATIVITY is a crucial component of the healing process. This led to the founding of her CENTER FOR CREATIVE RECOVERY. Cathy combines SOUND and movement along with Somatic Experiencing and Trauma Release techniques. Movement and meditation and metta, homeopathy and Bach flowers, art and collage of all sorts, guided imagery, storytelling—all of these play a role in Cathy’s process, serving as a means of connecting herself and her clients with their own infinite wisdom and healing potential. As we transform and heal ourselves, we can transform and heal our world.

James Austin, M.D. - Neurologist, Zen Practitioner

His earlier research was in clinical neurology, neuropathology, neurochemistry, and neuropharmacology. As a Zen practitioner, he has since become keenly interested in the ways that neuroscience research can help clarify the meditative transformations of consciousness.Austin's interest in the psychology of the creative process led him to write Chase, Chance, and Creativity. He has also written;Zen and the Brain (1998), which was followed by Zen Brain Reflections (2006), Selfless Insight (2009), and Meditating Selflessly (2011).

Laurie Ann Levin, Psy.D. - Psychologist

In 1977 Dr. Levin launched her career at what was to become one of Hollywood’s premier talent agencies, Creative Artists Agency. There she was responsible for signing such celebrities as Michael Keaton, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and others. After almost twenty years in show business she made the bold move to follow her true calling as a spiritual healer and obtaining her doctorate with the intention of bringing spirituality to the field of psychology.Dr. Levin founded Moonview Sanctuary, a highly respected treatment and research institute, in 2004. Each Moonview program was created through the careful integration of modern medicine, psychology and neuroscience, together with ancient knowledge and healing spiritual practices from around the world. She published her first book in 2009, God, The Universe and Where I Fit In. Dr. Levin lives with her husband, Jerry, in Washington, DC, and mid-coast Maine.

Beryl Nozedar - Spiritual Motivator

Beryl studied Natural Medicine, Numerology, Hypnotherapy, Cranial Sacral Therapies, using knowledge, left brain, complemented by her right brain intuitive gift. She has been working in all of these fields successfully for over 33 years. Her Tarot readings are by phone, for people all over the world, which are as accurate, if not more so, than in person.Her readings are designed to inspire and empower people to have self worth and to encourage them to develop their own individual Creativity to enhance their every day lives.

Ron Thomas - Sensei

Sensei Ron Thomas is the author of Positive Thinking is for Sissies and The Best You Can Sucks, Five Reasons Why and What to Do about It. He is the founder of The Mastery Boot Camp, a transformational personal development program;The Mindset Academy for Athletes, peak psychology training for competitors who want to win;and PIVOT, 360-degree empowerment coaching for entrepreneurs. For these works and his background of personal and professional achievement, Sensei Ron is recognized as a leading authority in Human Potential and Personal Development. As a Motivational Celebrity Speaker and Mindset Expert, Sensei Ron Thomas is uniquely positioned in the marketplace to deliver a blend of Inspiration, Focus and Empowerment to his audiences and students. By combining Esoteric and Inner Development principles from the martial arts, Breakthrough strategies from human behavioral modalities like NLP, and Focus and Mindset approaches from high-performance athletes and entertainers, he delivers a punch unlike other experts in his field.