UC San Diego

Kate Van Riper, CCHT, is a LIGHT practitioner and instructor who is also a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in private practice at her office in Encinitas, California, Innerscape Wellness. She personally practices LIGHT, which has provided a profound sense of well-being and even physical healing for her. Kate is a natural healer. Ever since she was a child, she had hoped to become a professional healer of some kind, probably a psychologist. The realities of supporting and raising a family meant she had to take a detour from her professional healing path and so she decided to channel these energies into a suitable replacement career in business. Kate spent many rewarding years leading Human Resources for San Diego companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and other industries before starting her wellness business.

Along the way, she obtained a degree in psychology from San Diego State University and attended San Diego University for Integrative Studies. In addition to hypnosis and LIGHT, she has training in alternative healing programs and methods such as integrated East-West transpersonal therapies, neurolinguistic programming, energy healing, circling, and more. Kate loves to cook and travel, especially to areas with “real” weather, having grown up in the Midwest. She and her partner enjoy storm chasing in the local mountains during the season, always hoping for the thrill of a real downpour with thunder and lightning.

With over three decades of experience in the art and science of mind-body wellness, Jack helps others discover how to take their lives to the next level “using the natural, inner technology they were born with”.

He is Board Certified as an Instructor of Hypnotherapy, a Coach Trainer, an NLP Trainer, and a Master Time Line Therapy® Trainer.

Jack is also the founder of the Center for Advanced Life Skills in Los Angeles—a Board Approved School of Hypnosis and Board Approved Institute of NLP and Time Line Therapy®—where he teaches and certifies others to work with the subconscious mind in both a holistic and practical way.

In his private practice as a clinical hypnotherapist and mind coach, he specializes in stress reduction, habit control and self-improvement—with additional expertise in men’s issues, personal breakthroughs, life transitions, and the release of fear and anxiety. He also has clinical certification in biofeedback for stress, anxiety and self-regulation.

Jack has a lifelong appreciation for what the conscious use of choice, inner focus and imagination can bring to one’s life.

As a teen, he received his foundational teaching in the mind’s power when his mother, a nurse anesthetist, became a hypnotherapist. (He had been training in martial arts since he was eight, and he could blend what his mother taught him with his martial arts practice to great effect.)

Jack has also been incorporating strength training and bio-hacking into his way of life since his Pre-Med studies in college four decades ago. He is still a passionate advocate for physical fitness and healthy living and holds multiple certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine® (including specializations in fitness nutrition, mixed martial arts conditioning, performance enhancement, personal training and corrective exercise).

As a classically trained artist, he enjoys making art in all its forms (songwriting, graphic design, filmmaking, and more).

Po-Hung Tseng is a seasoned counseling psychologist with a master’s degree in counseling from the Department of Applied Psychology and a background in French language studies.

He is a licensed psychologist in Taiwan (License No. 005697). Specializing in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples and individuals (EFIT), he has received international training to help clients improve emotional regulation and relationships.

As the CEO of the Blue Ocean Hypnotherapy Research Institute, Po-Hung has over a decade of experience in hypnotherapy, holding certifications as a hypnotherapy trainer and supervisor. His skills in hypnotherapy are widely applied in therapeutic work, supporting clients in achieving inner balance.

He offers a variety of counseling services, including individual therapy, child and adolescent guidance, and bilingual services in Taiwanese and English, ensuring that clients from different language backgrounds can comfortably express themselves.

He is especially dedicated to gender issues, supporting individuals of various genders and orientations with a deep understanding of diverse cultural needs, creating an inclusive and respectful therapeutic space.

Additionally, Po-Hung is a certified instructor of JPHAA Japan Harmony Pastel Art, as well as an IFPA and NAHA aromatherapist and sound bowl healing practitioner. He integrates creative and stress-relief activities into his sessions, helping clients achieve emotional relaxation and inner peace.

As a culturally diverse Eastern European avidly immersed in philanthropy, Mitzi’s purpose is to create a healing space for individuals prepared to overcome past traumas, raise self-awareness, and surpass limiting beliefs to thrive and contribute to the betterment of humanity.

Mitzi is a Reiki Practitioner and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. With her LIGHT professional training, she joins our team of educators and practitioners. In her personal experience with LIGHT, Mitzi has regained profound overall well-being, considering her childhood traumas and deep family losses. Mitzi has extensive experience working with people in the hospitality industry and in organizational management. She graduated with a degree in Management for Trade and Banking from Alpha University, Serbia. As an avid meditator, she has cultivated an expertise in crystals, sound healing, and aromatherapy.

You will most likely always see Mitzi smiling and consistently spreading her positivity to make everyone feel a great sense of calm and harmony around her. She loves sports. One of her favorite things is to walk on Swami’s beach and watch beautiful sunsets with her friends. Mitzi has a genuine kinship with nature and loves hiking, whether in the mountains or throughout the Red Rock Canyons.

Athena Sees is one of the first official LIGHT Educators and Professionals (LEAP). She specializes in using LIGHT for personal growth and helping children overcome growing pains. Using LIGHT’s novel mind-body self-care protocol, Athena has witnessed a lasting change in her clients’ physical and mental well-being.

Before becoming a LEAP, Athena was a hairstylist. After completing a hypnotherapy program over 10 years ago, her clients often referred to her as a Hypno-hairapist. Athena graduated from SDSU with a BA in Economics. With these fields combined, she has an in-depth understanding of rational human behavior and subconscious (or unconscious) behaviors.

Her soothing voice activates the imagination in ways that have led even harsh skeptics into a relaxing hypnotic trance. As a new mom herself, Athena enjoys working with children and parents to overcome physical and emotional challenges. Expect to leave her sessions with a fresh perspective and an encouraging inner voice.

In her free time, Athena enjoys being with her little girl, venturing around Balboa Park and other areas around town. She has two cats and is an avid animal lover. Athena enjoys ceramics, art, nature, and, most of all, learning.

Patrick J. Ryan is a former Buddhist monk who practiced in Southeast Asia. He is now a registered clinical hypnotherapist (RCH), life and executive coach, family enterprise coach, leadership trainer, vision quest guide, entrepreneur, and author, bringing over twenty-five years of proven track record as a coach and hypnotherapist to the public, the private sector, entrepreneurs, and executives worldwide.

Patrick operates by intuitively calling upon the wisdom of ancient traditions and a wealth of advanced training systems, including coaching, hypnotherapy, medical hypnosis, relationship coaching, community mediation, restorative justice, and the study of the Enneagram. His passion lies in aiding his clients to develop a more profound understanding of their personal experiences and guiding them toward success, health, and happiness.

Patrick has volunteered at San Quentin Prison, the oldest operating prison in California, directing the men towards living an awakened life of meaning and purpose. He has practiced and presented his workshops in London, Tel Aviv, Spain, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Amsterdam, Dubai, Egypt, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, and throughout North America. He resides in Victoria, BC, Canada, and works with worldwide clients via Zoom.

Jacqueline Rindone has remained fascinated by the power of the human mind throughout her twenty-plus years as an owner and entrepreneur in different business sectors in Switzerland and California. She studied and practiced as a coach and became a certified hypnotherapist subsequently. She also has a master’s in personal, business, and education coaching from the Ecole Internationale de Coaching in Geneva and a Guided Empathy Meridian Tapping (GEMT) certification from the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy. Jacqueline is fluent in French and English and practices these wide-ranging methodologies in North America and Europe. The UC San Diego Centers for Integrative Health has certified Jacqueline as a LIGHT professional. She is leading the development of the French-speaking worldwide market for the certified LIGHT professional program. Being the mother of two young adults with part-Indian heritage has uniquely expanded her vision of the world.

Lata Ramesh, MBA, CCHt, is a board certified Clinical and Medical Hypnotherapist, LIGHT practitioner, and a Heal your Life® Teacher and she combines these modalities as well as coaching to help her clients experience shifts and bring more healing into their lives.

Lata grew up in India in a loving and nurturing family and has been blessed to be introduced to a spiritual way of living very early in life. As a result, spirituality is the foundation not only of her work but of her entire life. Having been a stay at home mom for many years, Lata brings into her practice the multi-faceted empathy-based skills of being a mom and a home manager.

Many years back, Lata had a back surgery, and her resulting health challenges helped her discover the mind-body healing space. The mind is infinitely powerful and when we are connected to the powers of our sub-conscious as well as the super-conscious mind, we can truly realize our infinite potential.

With the knowledge she gained about mind-body healing, Lata has brought greater healing, balance and equanimity into her own life and she seeks to share this wisdom with her clients.

Lata works with clients using hypnosis and coaching, specializing in anxiety and stress management. She has seen phenomenal breakthroughs in her clients using the LIGHT protocol and is excited to introduce LIGHT to more of her clients.

Credentials and trainings she has received:

Certified Clinical & Medical Hypnotherapist from Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy, California. Board certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist with the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (ACHE). Certified LIGHT Practitioner from the Center of Integrative Health, UC San Diego. Certified Anxiety Coach from the S.T.I.L.L method (UK). Trained in advanced methods of hypnotherapy like Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, Medical Hypnotherapy, GEMT and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Certified and licensed teacher of the Louise Hay philosophy: Heal Your Life® Teacher and Workshop Leader. Certified as a Mindfulness Teacher from the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy. Positive Discipline Parent Educator from the Positive Discipline Association, USA. Trained Bach Flower remedies practitioner (Ananda Unconditional, India). Trained in energy healing modalities like Pranic Healing and Reiki. Trained practitioner in the PK method (Phyllis Krystal method).

Lisa Petrocchi is a medical and master hypnotherapist with a BA in history from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the administrative director at the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy (PASOH), where she received her hypnotherapy training and has worked for 11 years. She manages the school’s master and community outreach programs.

As part of PASOH’s community outreach program, Lisa oversees the group guided imagery sessions at Hope House, a women’s rehabilitation center in Redwood City, California. She has also been a guided imagery facilitator at Stanford Health Care (SHC) in Palo Alto, California, for five years. She has worked with patients and their families and the hospital staff at the bone marrow unit and in oncology. In addition, Lisa has been a guided imagery facilitator for the Bay Area Cancer Connection (BACC) in San Mateo, CA, for over five years, where she offers a bi-monthly healing guided imagery support group for cancer patients and survivors.

She is a native Californian and grew up in the Bay Area, appreciating the unique energy of the landscape and embracing the region’s diversity. She acknowledges the personal history we all carry with us and how dealing with our past may lead to guilt, shame, anger, or judgment. Unfortunately, we judge our past from today’s perspective. Lisa prepares her clients for the future by helping them better appreciate their history.

“There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C. S. Lewis

Sallie Perez Saiz began her studies with LIGHT-Induced Guided Healing Therapy (LIGHT) in 2018 from the University of California San Diego Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health. Sallie has since continued her studies working closely with other LIGHT and LEAP practitioners in San Diego. She also has completed levels 1-3 in Ekagra Kamma Apara Antara (EKAA) hypnotherapy training. Sallie plans to continue mind, body, and spirit studies as these practices help to ground her, especially during this period of uncertainty, unrest, and isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sallie is an English Professor who holds an MFA in Creative Writing and an M.A. in English Literature from CSU Fresno. Sallie is the recipient of a National Endowment of the Humanities Award and received a Fellowship in 2014 to study Pictorial Histories and Myth-Histories: “Graphic Novels” of the Mixtecs and Aztecs in Oaxaca, Puebla, and Mexico City. She has taught English composition, literature, and creative writing courses for over 14 years at Fresno City College.

Sallie, like so many other educators, works from home in a new online environment and is a daily practitioner of the LIGHT as she readies herself to work and support her students at the community college. Sallie is an avid writer and studies Mesoamerican codices, spirituality through mind, body, spirit connections, the feminine, and identity making, applying thematic aspects in her written work and in the curriculum she teaches. Sallie has three beautiful daughters, and a (grandson) Dachshund named Bear, who she enjoys spending time with during her spare time. She also enjoys meditating, taking walks, riding her bicycle, horseback riding, and tending her garden in between working in front of her computer, and she encourages her students and her daughters to do so too!