MEET THE STAR STAFF

FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Personal Message from the Director

The Value of a Personal Growth Retreat

What Therapists Say About STAR

Attachment Disorder and Relationship Problems

Anger Management

Attacking Anxiety and Depression

Childhood Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress

Barbara Findeisen, M.A., M.F.T.

Barbara is director of the STAR Program. A graduate of Stanford University, she has been in private practice since 1972. She is vice-president of the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, and is internationally recognized for her creative and dynamic work in pre- and perinatal psychology and regressive psychotherapy.

In the course of STAR, I think what I’ve been doing is putting together a program that can at least open the doors, if people are ready to walk through them.– Barbara Findeisen

Lynette Danylchuk, Ph.D.

A member of the STAR Leadership Team, Lynette received her Masters degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a doctorate from the California Graduate School of Psychology. Lynette has been a hospital chaplain, a therapist at a Vietnam Veterans Outreach Center, and has worked intensely in the treatment of severe trauma (physical, sexual, and emotional). She served on the Board of Directors for Survivorship, a non-profit devoted to providing resources for torture survivors. She has been adjunct faculty, teaching and chairing dissertation committees, at graduate school level, and is currently a Research Faculty Member at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and works in private practice in San Mateo, California. Lynette has been on the STAR staff since 2000.

Peter Danylchuk, D.Min., M.F.T.

Peter Danylchuk, MFT A member of the STAR Foundation Leadership Team, Peter has been practicing counseling and therapy for over 25 years. After graduating from West Point, experience in the Army and service in Vietnam, he studied pastoral counseling at Princeton Theological Seminary. Later he trained in psychotherapy and marriage and family therapy at the Institutes of Religion and Health in New York. He has experience with a wide range of therapies, including regression, gestalt, family of origin, inner child, and primal therapies, and has worked extensively with couples, families, childhood trauma, and abuse issues. His theological training has also given him an appreciation of the influence and meaning of religious and spiritual belief systems in therapy. He has been active in the leadership of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Peter is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in San Mateo, California, and has been on STAR staff since 2000.

Candace Rosen, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

A member of the STAR Leadership Team and on the STAR staff since 2000, Candace is a very experienced psychotherapist, who has been in private practice since 1994. She has worked extensively with trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as all serious mental illnesses. She is highly trained in Gestalt and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, certified in Grief and Bereavement, and received her Master's degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. She uses a wide variety of therapeutic interventions in her work and is very interested in working somatically. She enjoys working with all types of issues and has done work with couples and families. She worked for five years in an inpatient/outpatient psychiatric hospital, where she received extensive training in group, individual, couples, families, and all adult issues. She has done grief workshops with Native Americans in Arizona. Her hobbies are oil painting and other art forms, as well as dancing, swimming, and reading. Candace brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her work at STAR and is a deeply spiritual, loving presence.

Alison Teal, M.A., M.F.T.

Alison Teal A member of the STAR Clinical Oversight Committee and on STAR staff since 2003, Alison also contributes to program development. She is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and a life-long artist. Alison blends Western psychology with Eastern approaches to healing the mind/body. She is trained and skilled in a variety of modalities which include: Expressive Arts Therapy, sandtray, somatic and sensory processing, psychodrama, Gestalt, Reichian and Grove metaphor work. Additionally, she is an internationally certified EMDR therapist and consultant, and facilitates in trainings throughout the United States. She has been in private practice working with individuals, couples, and families for 25 years as well as leading workshops, teaching graduate school, and presenting at conferences. Building on a solid foundation of traditional therapeutic technique and intuitive wisdom, Alison uses dynamic and creative approaches to move beyond the realm of cognitive insight—understanding needs to reflect itself in one’s being and echo throughout one’s life.

Kenny Ball

Kenny Ball Kenny built and ran a business in Los Angeles/Irvine/Century City for 15 years. He sold it in 1996 and has been on the STAR staff ever since. He ended up at STAR after years of working on his own issues—which he still works on in one way or another. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute working on his dissertation in prenatal and perinatal psychology—specifically the experience of reconnecting to one's core self or essence while in therapy. His hobbies include surfing, acting, hiking with his dog, and playing scrabble with his wife.

Diana Barrett

Diana Barrett Diana participated in STAR in 1977 and has worked with STAR in several capacities ever since. She is the Executive Director of the STAR Foundation and is responsible for all administrative aspects of the Foundation including enrollment of participants for STAR. She attends all workshops to see that everything runs smoothly for both participants and staff. Diana has also enjoyed working as a reader/facilitator for many years. She holds a baccalaureate degree in cellular biology from the University of California at Berkeley, her hobbies include walking her dogs, jig-saw puzzles, Sudoku, and reading, and she is very active in supporting her community..

Patty Binns Farinola

Patty Binns Farinola Patty attended STAR in 1989 and had a profound, life-changing experience. She has since returned to be on staff to help others through their own transformational process. Patty’s professional history includes executive-level management, as well as marketing, sales, and client management with industry-leading Fortune 100 corporations and privately held firms. After a successful corporate career, Patty left the corporate world to become a life coach. She has been coaching since 1998 in the areas of leadership, communication, team-building, career development, spirituality, achieving life goals, and creating profoundly fulfilling relationships. Patty is an experienced speaker and seminar leader as well; she holds workshops in addition to individual sessions. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Jerry, and their four “furry, four-legged children.”

Chris Brandon

Chris Brandon Chris has been on STAR staff since 2000. He is president of CB Builders, Inc., a member of the Board of Trustees for the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, chairman and trustee of a private nonprofit foundation, and a member of the Board of Directors for Canine Assistants, Inc. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1961 with a B.A. degree, and from the School of Banking at Louisiana State University in 1970. Mr. Brandon has business experience in the banking, retail, and construction industries.

Mo Ford

Mo Ford Mo participated in STAR in 2003 and again in 2004. His life was so touched by the process that he immediately began ‘giving back’ by volunteering to work on the STAR Staff twice in 2004 and continues to work on Staff two to three times each year. Prior to STAR, he participated in a variety of programs including the Onsite Living Centered workshop. He continues to participate in a monthly men’s STAR support group in Nashville as well as the annual Mentone Men’s Gathering hosted by John lee in Mentone, AL. Mo’s previous volunteer work includes serving as an adviser to a local Red Cross Chapter, Junior Achievement and as a board member of various youth athletic organizations and booster clubs. When time and weather permits, Mo enjoys riding his Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Cruiser. Mo has his own consulting company specializing in employee benefits and retirement plans for small companies. He graduated from The University of the South at Sewanee, TN, with a BA in Economics.

Laura Hegeman

Laura Hegeman Laura received her Master's degree in Social Work in 1986. For several years she worked with severely emotionally disturbed children and their families in a residential setting. Currently she is a stay at home mom who volunteers at school on various committees and continues on her own life journey. She enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and playing with her kids. She feels lucky to have found STAR a few years ago. It was such a heart experience that she has been involved as a reader ever since.

Kiel Hemenway

Kiel Hemenway is a certified Holotropic Breathwork practitioner trained by Dr. Stanislav Grof. She has been studying means of tapping the transformational potential of expanded states of consciousness for more than 15 years. As part of that study, she has also trained in the Hakomi Method of Body-Centered Psychotherapy, The BodyTalk System of energy medicine, and in various methods of birth regression and shamanic healing. Her work blends teachings from the fields of modern consciousness research, new physics, depth psychology, and established spiritual practices, using an intuitive, heart-centered approach that focuses on experiential bodymind healing and transformation. A member of the Association for Holotropic Breathwork International and the International BodyTalk Association, Kiel leads breathwork retreats, sees individual clients, and holds public presentations on the nature of consciousness and personal development. She has been a member of the STAR staff since 2002.

Jeff Kohn

Jeff Kohn Jeff attended STAR in 1996 and has since made STAR an important part of his life, serving as a staff member since 1999. As a 1978 graduate of New York University School of Law, Jeff practiced tax law until his recent retirement. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has been so listed since its inception. He resides in Atlanta and donates legal services to non-profits which support causes and missions for whom he shares a passion. In addition to yoga (he's a certified yoga instructor) and dedication to personal and spiritual growth, Jeff enjoys movies, plays, art, golf, travel, and the outdoors.

Patsy Lewellyn

Patsy Lewellyn Patsy earned the M.B.A. and D.B.A. from Louisiana Tech University and was a professor of accounting and information systems for 25 years. Her participation in STAR in 2003 led to her seeking a position on STAR staff following her retirement from the Business School faculty of the University of South Carolina Aiken. STAR provides an opportunity for her to continue her lifework of facilitating individual learning and growth. She currently serves her local community on the Boards of Directors of Southern Bank & Trust and the Aiken Center for the Arts. Her passions include her family, travel, and bridge.

Pat Martin

Pat Martin Pat has been a member of the STAR staff since 1988. Her past experience has been in research and development for a high-tech firm; as a portfolio manager for a financial firm; and as executive director for a classical music organization. Her volunteer work includes establishing a girls’ softball league, developing a modern language program for elementary school children, and providing administrative support for the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health international congresses. She served as president for the San Luis Obispo Girls’ Softball League and for the Mozart Festival of San Luis Obispo, and is presently president-elect for the University of California-Berkeley Women’s Club. She studied in the social sciences at the University of Colorado and University of California at Berkeley. She loves to travel. Her passion is STAR as it gives her an opportunity to support individuals on their path to healing.

Alec McDonell

Alec McDonell Alec participated in STAR in 1996 and has been a member of the STAR staff since 2001. After a short stint as an officer in the U.S. Navy and after practicing as a Wall Street lawyer, Alec was a middle school and high school teacher in New York City for 20 years. When he retired from teaching English at The Calhoun School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the English prize was named after him. He finds a significant correlation between his work as a teacher and his work at STAR as a reader/facilitator, as both involve a deep commitment to the personal growth of the people he works with, and of himself as well. Alec holds a BA from Harvard College, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an MA in Media Studies from The New School; he has also been trained as a Certified Spiritual Director, has a Certificate in the Sacred Art of Dying, and has run grief groups for the local Hospice. He and his wife Jane helped to found and run a grief group for children, “My Friend’s House,” which was eventually incorporated into the local Hospice programs. He currently splits time between Bend, Oregon, and Scottsdale, Arizona, and his personal interests include a deep commitment to friends and family, particularly the 10 grandchildren he shares with his wife, and lots of motorcycling, birding, and hiking.

Dan Sewell

Dan Sewell Dan is retired from the recreational marine industry in Vancouver, Canada. He was third generation in a multifaceted Marina business and twice presented with the prestigious Industry Leadership Award. He developed a crisis management training program which has been adopted by many marinas. Through his volunteer work, Dan has advised numerous Federal and Provincial Ministers of Fisheries, Environment, and Transport. Dan turned to STAR a number of years ago and was so impressed with the program and people involved, that he has volunteered as a reader ever since.

David Warburg

David Warburg David runs a consulting service that focuses on the needs of small business owners, non-profit organizations, and individual clients. He specializes in marketing, grant research and development, human resource issues, succession planning, conflict resolution, change management and customer satisfaction. Prior to establishing his consulting business, he was President and CEO of a medical transportation company with 150 professional and non professional employees serving a three county area. He holds a degree in Social Work, is a clinical hypnotherapist, and is completing an MA program in Human Resources & Organization Development. He has been a member of the STAR staff for 18 years.

Katharine Weber

Katharine Weber Katharine is the author of four novels. She has taught fiction writing at Yale, the Paris Writers Workshop, and elsewhere, and is a thesis advisor in the graduate writing program at Columbia University. She lives in Connecticut and spends parts of the year in Ireland and France. Katharine first participated in STAR in 2002 and has remained involved ever since.

Bill Williams

Bill Williams Bill trained as a STAR Reader in 1996 and has served on staff twice a year ever since. Prior to this, he participated in a variety of programs including the Onsite Living Centered workshop, Al Peso’s Psycho-Drama workshops, and two STAR workshops. Bill hosts a monthly men’s STAR support group in Nashville, and attends an annual Mentone Men’s Gathering hosted by John Lee. He developed a love for Rumi poetry after listening to readings by Robert Bly, Coleman Barks, and John Lee; his appreciation has grown to include the works of many great poets. Another of Bill’s loves is riding his Harley Ultra Classic Cruiser. Bill is president and CEO of a mechanical construction firm with offices in Nashville, TN, and Huntsville, AL.

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