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Department(s) for Holistic Health Careers (Clear list to search all): Holistic Health StaffPractitioner Office Staff

Mary Jo Ruggieri, PhD, RPP

CEO/Director, Founder

Mary Jo earned a doctorate degree from the University of Cincinnati after completing her undergraduate work at Kent State University. She has a 30-year background in all facets of education with a focus in health science, physiology of exercise, sports training, and physical education. Mary Jo is a retired assistant professor of 25 years from Ohio State University where she also coached national and Olympic athletes in synchronized swimming. She was a two-time Olympic coach in 1988 and 1992.

Mary Jo is the founder and director of Columbus Polarity, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and the Institute of Holistic Health CareersTM, which trains and educates students as Energy Medicine Practitioners, Polarity Practitioners and Holistic Health Practitioners.

She teaches complementary and holistic healthcare therapy and integrative health and conducts wellness seminars at several medical schools. She has been teaching CAM modules for the medical humanities department at The Ohio State University Medical School to first-year medical students for twenty years. She also supervises fourth-year medical students for rotations in CAM studies. Mary Jo has taught and established classes at Hocking Technical College, University of Utah, Bellevue Hospital, Blue Sky Educational Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and internationally in Austria, Germany and Greece.

She has maintained a private Polarity and Health and Wellness practice for 15 years and is frequently invited to speak about Holistic Health, Complementary and Alternative Health Care, and Energy Therapies at the local and international level.

As a special interest, Mary Jo has practiced Kundalini Yoga and studied Ayurvedic Health Care for over 30 years. Other interests include educational concerns for preventive healthcare and promoting awareness of the benefits of Complementary, Holistic and Integrative Healthcare systems

Philip Belunzce PhD, ND, LSMFT, RPE CPC

Adjunct Faculty

Phil is an integrative psychologist, naturopath, registered polarity practitioner, educator and author. He derives great satisfaction in serving a Higher Purpose of facilitating individuals, couples, families and groups through transitions in their life journey and transformations for growth, healing and well being.

Letitia Bunge BA, ER, RPP

Recruiting Director and Faculty Intern

Letitia is the Recruiting Director of the Institute of Holistic Health Careers. Letitia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. She started classes at the Institute of Holistic Health Careers in 2007 and became a member of the staff in 2008. She was recently graduated from the Registered Polarity Practitioner Program and is pursuing her Holistic Health Practitioner Diploma as well as her Registered Polarity Educator Certification. She will be faculty in the Associate Polarity Practitioner program.

"Here Be Healing"

Sally Collamore RPP, RPE

Specialty Faculty

Sally has been an IHHC faculty memeber for 13 years. Her credentials include Registered Polarity Practitioner and Registered Polarity Educator. She also holds a certification in Elemental ReflexologyTM. Her skills as a former music teacher enhance her Polarity work with children. Through Polarity, energetic bodywork, the child receives benefits physically, emotionally, and mentally resulting in positive changes

Charoula Dontopoulos BA, RPP, RPE, ER

Senior Faculty

Charoula has a BA from Vassar College. She is the director of teh Herbal Education program and has been practicing Polarity Therapy for fourteen years. Charoula is also a Reiki Master, an herbalist and organice gardener with over twenty years experience in herbology. She grows most of her own herbs and makes her own herbal formulas.

Charoula has been a member of the faculty at IHHC since 1996. She also leads complementary medicine seminars at The Ohio State University Medical School to first year medical students.

"If you don't have chaoswithin, you can't give birth to a dancing star." (Nietzsche)

Damon Fazio ND, LMT, RPP, RPE

Homeopathy and RPP Faculty

Damon Fazio is the Director and faculty of Homeopathy at IHHC and faculty for the Registered Polarity Practitioner program. He is also the Founder, Director and Instructor of Earthwise Polarity Programs in New Mexico, Texas, and Illinois and the Director and a former Instructor of Polarity Programs at the Santa Fe Institute of Polarity Therapy. He maintains a Private Practice as a Naturopathic Physician, Massage Therapist, and Polarity Practitioner in Chicago, Illinois. Damon teaches nationally as a Guest Faculty Member of numerous Polarity Therapy Schools including the Institute of Holistic Health Careers. Dr. Fazio is a frequent presenter at national conferences on Wellness and Holistic Healthcare. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Polarity Therapy Association. Damon’s specialty and expertise is in the detailed development of Spatial Polarity Process Oriented bodywork which he shares in-depth with our students.

Nadine Feighan RPP

Adjunct Faculty

Nadine is a Reiki Master and Registered Polarity Practitioner who also practices Elemental Reflexology and Holistic Counseling with an emphasis on stress related issues. She is a CEU Facility Member of the Institute of Holistic Health Careers. Nadine has a Masters Degree in Social Service Administration and many years experience in community and relationship building. She is a 20 year member of the Cuyahoga Community College Board of Trustees. Nadine is currently working on advanced master's diploma as a Board Certified Holistic Health Professional at the Institute of Holistic Health Careers, State/National Accredited School.

Lalei Elizabeth Gutierrez PhD, RPP, SMFT, RPE

Adjunct Faculty

Lalei is a Holistic Psycologist, Registered Polarity Practitioner, Life & Wellness Coach, Body Process Therapist, Holistic Health Educator, Certified Healing Tao Instructor and Reiki Master.

She has a psychotherapy, consulting, training and coaching practice and is a professional faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as at the Diversity Management Program of the Department of Psychology at Cleveland State University. She is a Gestalt therapist, a certified Hypnotherapist, an EMDR practitioner, and an Energetic Bodyworker.

Stephanie Haslinger RPP, RPE

International Faculty

Since 1990, Stepahnie has had a clinical practice at the Vienna Private Hospital. She has experience in several Massage techniques and Lomi-lomi-nui. She is a Registered Polarity Practitioner with the Austrian and American Polarity Therapy Associations and a Registered Mediator. She is the founder of "Dr. Randolph Stone College" in Vienna 2006. Stephanie was the President of the Austrian Polarity Association from 2003 to 2009. She has been teaching and working with IHHC for 5 years.

Eric Hutchison, MBA, Reiki Master, APP

Business/Marketing Faculty

Eric holds a BA in Marketing from Kent State University and an MBA from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH. Eric has more than 15 years of corporate experience in the Financial Industry and is in his seventh year as an Adjunct Professor in the Marketing Department at Franklin University, in Columbus, OH.

As a student at the Institute of Holistic Health Careers (IHHC), Eric is currently working on an Advanced Master’s Diploma to become a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP).

As faculty, Eric will be teaching courses in Business Principles and Small Business Marketing.

Paul Johnson ER

Faculty Intern

Paul Johnson is training to become a Registered Polarity Educator and is an intern in both the APP and ER programs. In 2003, he became interested in Polarity Therapy and other areas of alternative healthcare. He is a certified APP and RPP. In addition to Polarity Therapy, he practices Elemental Reflexology ™ and is a Reiki Master. He is now working toward a Holistic Health Practitioner diploma at IHHC. He also holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Devry University.

When he's not working in healthcare Paul enjoys reading, spending time with his family and hiking in the beautiful Hocking Hills.

Vicki Kuhns BS, RPP, ER

Faculty Intern

Vicki received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Akron. She is faculty with IHHC for Reiki and for CEU Intro classes in Introduction to Polarity. Vicki is a faculty intern in Elemental Reflexology and Polarity. She is completing her Board Certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner under IHHC. Vicki has a private practice in Reiki, Polarity, and Elemental Reflexology.

Sarah Lahoski RPP

Faculty Intern

Sarah Lahoski has received both levels of polarity training (APP and RPP) through the Institute of Holistic Health Careers and is registered through the American Polarity Therapy Association. She is pursuing her HHP and will graduate in the spring of 2012. She is the owner of the Gatehouse Connection Holistic Center in the valley of Akron, Ohio. She has been a Reiki Master since 1996; and has certification’s in Total Sensory Integration, Advanced CranioSacral, Relaxation Massage, Aromatherapy, and Reflexology through IHHC. Additional certifications were received for Angel Therapy Practitioner with Charles Virtue and Matrix Energetics with Dr. Richard Bartlett. She believes in using all of these tools to help an individual on the path into wellness through mind, body and spirit.

Sarah also has received her Bachelors of Art for Speech Language Pathology through the University of Akron.

Diane Manos MD, RPP

Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology Faculty

Diane is Director and faculty of Orthodox Anatomy/Physiology at IHHC and brings with her a history in sports, medicine, and the health arts. In 1978 she received a BSN in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She has worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ohio State University Hospital. Earning her Medical Degree at OSU in 1987, she pursued three-year residency training in family practice. She became Board Certified in Family Medicine in 1990, and had a private medical practice in Columbus until1996. In addition to conventional medical therapies, she began pursing alternative therapies in 1976, and currently provides Reiki, Polarity and acupressure.

Lily Merklin RPP, RPE, CST, Psychologist

International Faculty

Lily Merklin earned a degree in psychology from Albert Ludwigs University (Freiburg) in Germany. She holds a diploma in Polarity, Cranio Sacral Therapy and various forms of massage. She has been a body worker for more than ten years and has a 15-year background of education.

Her primary interest is to share her knowledge with students. One of her goals in practicing and teaching Polarity and Cranio is to bring across enthusiasm for and interest in life and health. Lily aims to get students hooked on these topics, to make them start questioning and finding about their own way to personal growth. What she likes most about Polarity is that it is simple and complex at the same time and that it can be used by everybody in order to add quality to his or her life by doing very simple but conscious things.

Lily loves movement and moving. She likes running, skiing, dancing and hiking, especially in the Swiss Alps. She loves interacting and getting to know different people and cares deeply about all living beings and nature in general. Her great love for animals shows in her work as a riding teacher and massage therapist for horses.

Carol Murphy LMT, RMT, RPP, ER

Reiki and Relaxation Massage Faculty

Carol has been in healthcare for more than 35 years, she has a background in nursing as an LPN and 15 years experience as an LMT. Carol conducts CEU classes at the Menorah Park Center for Ageing, and teaches at the Rose Institute and Stone Garden Assisted Living where she has a private practice.

Carol has been on our faculty since 2009. She is the Co-Director of the Relaxation Massage program and also teaches Educational Usui Reiki, Aromatherapy, and is an intern in the RPE program for APP and Elemental Reflexology. Carol will complete the Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner's training at IHHC this year.

"Simply stay on the path as steadily as you can, and like minded others will assist you". Taken from the I Ching - A guide to Life'sTurning Points.

Katerina Papakonstantinou ESQ, Certified Aromatherapist

Aromatherapy and International Faculty

Katerina has more than twenty years experience as a practitioner and instructor of Holistic Aromatherapy and Creative HealingTM. She is a member of IFPA (International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists) and of the HAA (Hellenic Association of Aromatherapists) and is on the faculty with the Academy of Ancient Greek and Traditional Chinese Medicine since 2003, where she is the director of Holistic Aromatherapy Practitioner and Subtle Aromatherapy courses. Katerina owns her own essential oil distillery in Ancient Olympia and has been a Reiki Master since 2005. She teaches Holistic Aromatherapy in several European countries as well as at IHHC. Her main interest is in combining the subtle and physiological properties of essential oils with TCM and Creative HealingTM.

Judy Tancinco RPP, RPE

Elemental Reflexology Faculty

Judy Tancinco has more than fifteen years’ experience in energy healing and bodywork. She is a certified Yoga Therapist and Elemental ReflexologyTM Practitioner, as well as a Registered Polarity Practitioner and Registered Polarity Educator with the American Polarity Therapy Association. Judy has been on faculty with the Institute of Holistic Health Careers since 2008 and is the Director of the Elemental ReflexologyTM program which she also teaches. Her expertise is in the application and integration of the energetic principles of Polarity with the ancient art of reflexology. Additionally, Judy Tancinco is the Director of Medina Holistic Health, in Medina, Ohio, where she teaches introductory holistic classes and maintains her private practice.

Irina Tatarintseva MA, RPP, RPE

Reiki and Polarity Faculty

Irina has 19 years' experience in energy healing , esoteric science and bodywork. She is a certified NIA teacher and a certified Karuna Reiki Master , as well as a Registered Polarity Practitioner and a Registered Polarity Educator with the American Polarity Therapy Association. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Parapsychology in Moscow, Russia.

Irina has been on Faculty with the Institute of Holistic Health Careers since 2005 and is the director of the Reiki Education program which she also teaches. Irina skillfully brings her talent of integrating exercise, NIA dance and the Art of Visualization with the five elements of the polarity system.

Cynthia Taylor LMT, APP

Herbal Education and Relaxation Massage Assistant Faculty

Cynthia just completed a two year (450 hour) clinical herbal training with David Winston Center of Herbal Studies. She has studied herbs, nutrition, bodywork (Massage, Polarity, Thai Massage) and holistic healing for five years and likes to consider herself a holistic consultant and educator. Cynthia is an LMT licensed in Ohio and NCBTMB. As faculty for 3 years at the IHHC, Cynthia teaches the Herbal Education and Relaxation Massage classes. Prior to working in the holistic field, Cynthia was a corporate trainer and business consultant. She has a degree in interpersonal communication and psychology.

Tracy Troendly, APP

Biodynamic Craniosacral Faculty

Tracy Troendly is a certified Polarity Practitioner and Reiki Master Practitioner. In 2011 she completed a two year certification, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training with the STAR Institute, and is in the process of completing her board registration, as well as completing a board certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner and RPP with IHHC. Her private practice is in Coshocton, Ohio. Reflexology and Homeopathy are additional services she provides. Stress management and pain reduction are benefits of her healing arts practice. Her passion is helping her clients gain better quality of life, with holistic health solutions, that support the whole person, as well as trauma resolution by supporting the nervous system.

Janet Shila Wilson RPP, RPE, RCST

Senior Faculty

Janet (Shila) Wilson RPP, RPE, RCST® has been on the faculty of The Columbus Polarity Therapy Institute and then Institute of Holistic Health Careers since 1996. Shila is program director for the APP program, the Craniosacral Therapy program, and teaches communication skills, Elemental Energetic Assessment, Elemental Reflexology, and Energetic Food Awareness. She brings to her teaching a background that includes 12 years at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health where she taught personal growth and health related programs. Shila maintains a private practice in Marietta, OH as a Registered Polarity Practitioner, Registered Craniosacral Therapist and yoga instructor.

Echo Wright RPP, RPE

ESI and Polarity Faculty

Echo is Director and Faculty for the ESI program as well as faculty for the APP and RPP programs. Echo is a T’ai Chi student of Master David Schenk of Tallmadge, OH (1993 to present), as well as a student of Mind-Will Chi Kung. Echo completed both APP and RPP studies at OIES, and is licensed through the American Polarity Therapy Association. She has completed her Ohio qualifications as a Certified Polarity Educator. She is a Reiki Master, and is certified as a facilitator for Levels 1 through 4 of the Melchizedek Method™ meditation classes. She is also certified as a teacher of the Level 1SomaEnergetics™ tuning fork technique. Echo earned an BA in Mathematics and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1993, and keeps her practicing license current.