Core Teachers:

• Lori Grace,
  Founder, Exec. Dir.
  
  
• Phil Willcher
• Ritch Davidson
• Katrina Vaillancourt
• Simon Fentress
• Ena Fentress
• Francesca Gentillé

Affiliate Teachers:

• Scott Catamas
• Ellie Schamber
  
• Lewis Griggs
• Bob Plath
• Michael Bailey
  
• Sophia
• Celestine Star
  
• Donny Regal
• Christy Michaels

Lori Grace, M.A.

Lori Grace has been an active member of the Sierra Club, NRDC, EDF and the Union of Concerned Scientists for over 20 years. Lori trained with Al Gore at the Climate Project in January of 2007.  She is committed to sharing with people about global warming. She enjoys teaching people how they can make a significant contribution to our planet by substantially reducing their carbon output.  She actively encourages others to do so as well; all while saving money and having fun!  Lori is a leader in the alternative fuels movement (both ethanol & biodiesel),which she uses in her own cars.

Lori's passion is to inspire people to live a greener life.  She continues to research, and implement, the best solutions that she can find to reducing our carbon footprint.  

Lori is the Founder and Director of Sunrise Center, a popular nonprofit organization that is over 20 years old.  Lori has been studying and teaching approaches to communication and conflict resolution for over ten years.  She is actively involved in practicing & teaching Compassionate Communication (also known as NVC, or Nonviolent Communication). This is an essential part of the skills she uses to connect compassionately with others and herself; to feel peaceful and inspired in daily life.

Phil Willcher, MH, CHT

Phil Willcher is a gifted, certified hypnotherapist, N.L.P. practitioner and life coach.

He is passionate about offering tools for self-empowerment so that people can learn to be more response-able; i.e., make better conscious choices to life situations, instead of being reactive to them, or feeling like a victim.

Phil was one of the first Sylva Mind Control Instructors in the Sixties. Over the past thirty-five years, he has been been involved in human growth potential, Yoga, Martial Arts, and studying and teaching Meditation, NVC (aka Compassionate Communication), and other models of communication.

Phil has a private practice in Marin County and is available for groups, couples and singles. For an appointment with Phil call 415-203-8277.

Ritch Davidson, M.A.H.

Since 2000, Ritch Davidson has been Sunrise Center's Senior Junior Executive Assistant in Charge of Something Sometimes Office Guy. He absolutely relishes the daily opportunities to serve and to be in connection with the larger Sunrise Center community via his role there, be it answering phones, sending e-mail announcements, graphic designing flyers and newsletters, or creating pages and maintaining this Sunrise Center website.

Ritch has been studying Nonviolent Communication since 2002 and in 2005 completed the nine-day International Intensive Training (IIT) led by NVC founder, Marshall M. Rosenberg, PhD and other NVC certified trainers, including Robert Gonzales (see his bio in this section). In 2007 he completed Robert Gonzales' week-long training on the Embodied Spirituality of NVC.

Ritch has been co-teaching Growing More Loving with Compassionate Communication with Lori Grace, co-facilitating Sunrise Center's Practice Groups and Conflict Improv evenings with other SC Teachers since 2005.

Additionally, Ritch Davidson is the Senior Vice Emperor of Playfair, Inc., an international consulting company that offers keynote presentations, management seminars and playfulness trainings to over 100,000 people every year. He is an innovator in the design and presentation of programs that focus on the value and impact of humor in team building, stress management, and living a healthier worklife. Additionally, he helped conduct research for Playfair Emperor, Matt Weinstein's, best selling business book, Managing to Have Fun (Simon & Schuster, 1997).

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Ritch graduated from Kiddie Haven Nursery School in 1955. He has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Humanities and completed a four-year training program in organizational development consulting. Ritch is a published photographer and, each summer since 1979 he travels to Oregon for a five-day river rafting trip to which he has pledged to continue every year for the rest of his life.

Ritch can be reached personally at: Ritch@Playfair.com or through Sunrise Center at 415-924-7824 and Ritch@sunrise-center.org. Please also visit him at Playfair's website: www.Playfair.com where you can send a friend a Standing Ovation!

Katrina Vaillancourt

Katrina Vaillancourt is a mother, an artist, a dancer, a raw desserts chef, a teacher of compassionate communication and massage therapist.

She has been studying and practicing Compassionate Communication for more than 5 years. She is committed to keeping her communications clear with all other people in her life, including her teenage son.

Katrina is the creator of a vast array of amazing sacred sexuality art and heart-centered art. She has also created a simple to use communication tool called, "NVC in a Nutshell" and the Heart Centered Communication card set, a communication tool that supports and trains your emotional intelligence, ability to resolve conflict, and ability to transform any upset in to opportunity and she is the co-creator of a simple two-sided card tool used to facilitate this form of communication and inner transformational work. The cards and guided exercises are based on the principles of Non-Violent Communication, transformation, and universal spirituality.

More on Katrina and her heart-based offerings can be viewed at www.giftofmyheart.com

Francesca Gentillé

Francesca Gentillé has experienced profound loss, discovery, and recovery in her life including disownment, death in the family, adoption, job loss, and addiction. She has extensively studied many communication systems including Nonviolent Communication with its founder Marshall Rosenberg. She brings a deep compassion, passion, and understanding of divine paradox and the quest for meaning & purpose in all things.

Francesca can be reached at RelationshipDiva@gmail.com.

See her website: www.LifeDanceCenter.com.

Christiane Grace Michaels, MA

Christiane Michaels', M.A. is an Ordained Priestess of the Lyceum of Sophia. Her work is devoted to spreading The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, especially as it is mirrored in A Course In Miracles. She has been a student of A Course In Miracles for over 10 years. She lectures around the country, teaching from these two texts.

In 2001, Christy was first introduced to a new story about Mary Magdalene.  She became passionate about Magdalene and has traveled to England, Scotland and France studying and visiting many of the sacred sites devoted to Mary Magdalene. 

It was while visiting the sacred sites devoted to Mary that she discovered why Magdalene felt so alive to her.  She had signs, unmistakable signs along the way, one might call synchronicities, but there were too many meaningful coincidence with the same sign that it appeared that Mary was really present and encouraging Christy to assist in spreading her Gospel.  

She now offers a monthly exploration into the mysteries of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene.  This a rich evening of deep resonate journey into the concepts outlined in the Gospel plus experiential ritual that allows one to deepen and integrate the concepts into the heart.  Sweet with music, chanting, prayers this is a magical night not to be missed.
 
She also honors Mother Mary, as she had a profound and miraculous healing from the waters of the spring of the home of Mother Mary in Turkey, and is deeply grateful to Her for the end of her suffering.

Scott Catamas

Scott Catamas has devoted his adult life to consciousness, communication and education. For fifteen years, he was the founder and president of a successful multi-media company that reached millions of children & teenagers with socially responsible messages. During this time, he wrote and/or produced over 100 original stage & television shows on a wide variety of subjects. Scott won multiple Emmy awards for his PBS television shows, and also produced informational and educational programming for HBO, Showtime, NBC, FOX, and other national outlets. Scott co-founded an Exploration Arts Camp at Jane Fonda's ranch in Santa Barbara, that successfully transformed the lives of thousands of young people.

In the year 2000, Scott was introduced to Non-Violent Communication (NVC) by Lori Grace. He has embraced NVC as a lifelong practice, and has been actively studying and facilitating NVC. Scott has produced video and DVD projects for Dr. Marshall Rosenberg (the founder of NVC), and most recently with Robert Gonzales (a popular NVC teacher). Scott also facilitates classes, workshops and practice groups in the area of Compassionate Communication, which includes his understanding of NVC. His workshops have been well attended throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Southern and Northern California, and several other states.

In 2005, Scott was invited as a guest to the University of Onenessin India, where he was trained in the art of giving "Oneness Blessing". This energy transmission helps people to relax their mind, open their heart and move into higher states of consciousness. Scott appreciates the non-denominational nature of both NVC & Deeksha, while recognizing both as profound & practical paths to spiritual awakening.

In January of 2007, Scott and Lori Grace were invited to become part of Al Gore's Climate Project Presenters team. They attended a private training in Nashville with Mr. Gore and several leading scientists and researchers, and 200 other Environmental activists and leaders. During this time, they learned all about the dramatic effects of climate change. Since becoming an official "Climate Project Presenter", Scott has given presentations at conferences, conventions, fairs, high schools and colleges. He was the Keynote Speaker at the L.A. Conscious Living Expo, and has also co-moderated several panels on Global Warming with Lori.

Learn more about Scott at www.LoveCoachScott.com

Listen to his weekly Compassionate Communication show every Monday at 3 PST on Unity.fm. All shows are saved in the archives and available for free downloading.

Contact Scott at SC@LoveCoachScott.com
or call him at 415-336-1276

Donny Regal

Donny Regal is a composer, musician and recording artist currently living in Marin. He owns and operates an audio/visual facility in Marin as well as Maui, where he draws upon nature for his musical inspiration. A devoted fan of Sacred music, Donny guides people through sound to experience profound levels of spiritual understanding and connection.

Robert Plath

Robert Plath is a practicing attorney in Mill Valley, CA and is the founder and executive director of the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance. (www.forgivenessalliance.org)

Mr. Plath teaches Forgiveness workshops for Marin Services for Women, in Kentfield, for chemically dependant women. Robert also facilitates Forgiveness workshops for Community Action Marin for the mentally ill and the homeless.

Robert considers Forgiveness to be the greatest healer of them all. As Bishop Desmond Tutu says, “Without forgiveness, there is no future.”Studies have proven that Forgiveness has the power to heal every illness.

Robert founded International Forgiveness Day, which will be celebrated globally for the 14th year on Sunday, August 8, 2010.

Michael Bailey

Michael Bailey is a noted conservationist and adventure
program producer who places a high degree of emphasis on action.

Generating news media coverage on CNN, BBC, the New York Times, Reuters, and other agencies, some of Michael Bailey's recent initiatives include helping to secure the Academy Award 'Oscar' for 'The Cove' movie and its presentation of dolphins and the living oceans.

As video production and event producer for Planetviews.com, Michael Bailey provides camera, scriptwriting, editing and other production expertise to create television programs and multimedia events.

A graduate of The Climate Project training program conducted by the honorable Al Gore and his staff, Michael is a knowledgeable presenter on global warming, climate change, rising ocean acidity and related topics. Areas of interest include improving humankind's appreciation of animals, plants and the living earth.

Using experiences gained from being one of the original members of 'Greenpeace' Michael organizes both expeditions and public forumspertaining to endangered species and wildlife. Michael's expertise in domestic and international political matters is exemplified in the successful passage of the United Nations ban on high seas driftnets. An image of Michael trekking the oil fires of Kuwait graces the cover of National Geographic Magazine.

Conducting speaking tours in Japan and abroad Michael provides information about the value of microorganisms in organic farming, bioremediation and human health. Michael is periodically hosted by the 800 year old Myorenji Buddhist temple in Kyoto, whose spiritual leaders similarly support environmental and wildlife protection programs.

Michael’s skills include video and still photography, script-writing and producing. For further information, please contact:

Michael Bailey
Tel: 808-306-4386

Celestine "Golden Dove" Star, D.Div, CHT,

Celestine "Golden Dove" Star, D.Div, CHT, Alchemical Hypnotherapist, Founder of Temple of Light, has successfully offered her powerful, transformative knowledge of Life, Love Health, Healing and the Mysteries to hundreds of people. She is an Ordained Priestess in the Fellowship of Isis. Celestine began her life as a Magickal child born into a modern Occult Family. A Near Death Experience at 6 yrs. enhanced Celestine’s connection and knowledge of dimensions beyond our Earthly Plane. “Beings of Light”, as she calls the Heavenly Guides who have been with her since her journey into the afterlife, giving divine guidance to assist Celestine in her service to Humanity and our Earth. Celestine draws upon her great wealth of studies and life experiences such as the healing arts, including Eastern Philosophies I-Ching, Fung Shui, Tibetan Buddhist meditations and the healing yoga arts. Her abilities and knowledge of the Spirit World is rich with potential to give guidance for those passing or have already pasted over.

In Memory of Gabriele "Shuchi" Phipps-Catamas

~ Certified Watsu Instructor
~ Certified Watsu and Massage Therapist

Gabriele began studying Watsu and Massage at Harbin Hot Springs in 1988 with Harold Dull the creator of Watsu and returned in 1993 to continue her studies, adding different modalities and styles of teachers at Harbin.

She is now a Watsu therapist and instructor.

Over the years she has been part of over 1500 hrs. of classes in Harbin Hot Springs, both as a student and an assistant and has been the staff Aquatic Bodyworker during workshops in Harbin.

Her home is in Lake County, where she maintains an Aquatic Bodytherapy practice. Gabriele Shuchi's sessions are filled with with graceful movements to deeply nurture one's sense of completeness and harmony with existence. She integrates stretching, Massage and Shiatsu, as well as poetic movements and moments of flowing silence.