Esteemed Colleagues and Graduates
This page contains info, biographies and contact information of gifted individuals who are both Lyn's esteemed colleagues and talented former students.
Graduates
Level 3 Graduates
Vicki Panagotacos, PhD FT
Phone: 650-793-0868
Email: vickipanagotacos@gmail.com
Website: www.vickipanagotacos.com
Blog: www.talkinggrief.com
Book: www.gainingtractionbook.com
Scope of professional work
Author, educator, grief group and workshop facilitator with private counseling/coaching practices in Los Gatos and Walnut Creek, CA.
Formal Education
Doctoral: PhD in Thanatology
Masters: Transpersonal Psychology
Masters Program – Holistic Health Studies -1 year
Bachelors: B.S. in fine arts education and K-12 Teaching Credential
Certificates:
Wellness and MindBody Counseling
Grief and Loss, UC/Berkeley
Hypnosis and Guided Imagery
Advanced Ericksonian Hypnosis
Medical and Clinical Hypnosis
Hypnosis and CBT - 100 hr. in-class training, plus supervision and master class)
with Michael Yapko, PhD (2009, 2010, 2011)
Certified:
Degriefing Practitioner - Levels I, II, III
ADEC Thanatologist (2005)
ADEC Fellow (2012)
EFT Practitioner
Ontological Life Coach - Post-graduate year
Reiki Practitioner – Levels 1, 2 and 3
Additional Professional Training
Mindfulness Meditation, 9-week practicum w/Bob Stahl
Cultivating Presence, Metta Institute (40 hrs) w/Frank Ostaseski
Energy Medicine Foundational w/Carolyn Myss, Ph.D.
Hospice Training
Published
Gaining Traction: Starting over after the death of your life partner (2014); “Defining and Envisioning Self in Techniques of Grief Therapy” in Creative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved (edited by Robert Niemeyer), Routledge, 2012;Effect of Multigenerational Family and Social Systems on Meaning-Making. Verlag, 2010.
Deb Gitlin
San Jose California
Debgit@aol.com
1-408-226-0937
Assistant Bereavement coordinator
KARA, Palo Alto, CA
Deb believes in children and their innate power to love, to inspire, and to heal. She has worked for 24 years as a teacher and tutor. Deb listens to children as they talk about their losses...from teeth, to pets, to loving family and friends as a result of divorce or death. As a a group facilitator at Kara in Palo Alto, she supports children who have experienced the death of a parent. Deb respects and appreciates the individual beauty of each child and uses art, play, music, and sand to "meet them where they are." With the use of these friendly tools, Deb accompanies children as they create their own unique healing process...restoring and replenishing... happy and healthy... bodies and minds.
Deb has a BA in Psychology; Early Childhood Education Certification; California Teaching Credential; National Certification in Degriefing Level I; Death and Grief Studies Certification Program with Alan Wolfelt - Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Grief; UC Berkeley Certificate in Grief and Loss; and University of Integrated Learning Masters program candidate: Children and Grief
Carolyn Tague
Carolyn Tague MA CMT is a San Francisco based practitioner and teacher who specializes in Degriefing bodywork, Oncology massage, Craniosacral therapy and other integrative modalities. Carolyn is a Recognized Education Provider of Oncology Massage through the Society for Oncology Massage and of hospital based massage therapy through NCBTMB. Carolyn offers individual sessions, practitioner support groups, Retreats for individuals or groups, and Oncology Massage courses. Contact: 415-994-3666 www.tagueconsulting.com Carolyn@Tagueconsulting.com FB: TagueConsulting
Vicki Panagotacos, PhD FT
Phone: 650-793-0868
Email: vickipanagotacos@gmail.com
Website: www.vickipanagotacos.com
Blog: www.talkinggrief.com
Book: www.gainingtractionbook.com
Scope of professional work
Author, educator, grief group and workshop facilitator with private counseling/coaching practices in Los Gatos and Walnut Creek, CA.
Formal Education
Doctoral: PhD in Thanatology
Masters: Transpersonal Psychology
Masters Program – Holistic Health Studies -1 year
Bachelors: B.S. in fine arts education and K-12 Teaching Credential
Certificates:
Wellness and MindBody Counseling
Grief and Loss, UC/Berkeley
Hypnosis and Guided Imagery
Advanced Ericksonian Hypnosis
Medical and Clinical Hypnosis
Hypnosis and CBT - 100 hr. in-class training, plus supervision and master class)
with Michael Yapko, PhD (2009, 2010, 2011)
Certified:
Degriefing Practitioner - Levels I, II, III
ADEC Thanatologist (2005)
ADEC Fellow (2012)
EFT Practitioner
Ontological Life Coach - Post-graduate year
Reiki Practitioner – Levels 1, 2 and 3
Additional Professional Training
Mindfulness Meditation, 9-week practicum w/Bob Stahl
Cultivating Presence, Metta Institute (40 hrs) w/Frank Ostaseski
Energy Medicine Foundational w/Carolyn Myss, Ph.D.
Hospice Training
Published
Gaining Traction: Starting over after the death of your life partner (2014); “Defining and Envisioning Self in Techniques of Grief Therapy” in Creative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved (edited by Robert Niemeyer), Routledge, 2012;Effect of Multigenerational Family and Social Systems on Meaning-Making. Verlag, 2010.
Deb Gitlin
San Jose California
Debgit@aol.com
1-408-226-0937
Assistant Bereavement coordinator
KARA, Palo Alto, CA
Deb believes in children and their innate power to love, to inspire, and to heal. She has worked for 24 years as a teacher and tutor. Deb listens to children as they talk about their losses...from teeth, to pets, to loving family and friends as a result of divorce or death. As a a group facilitator at Kara in Palo Alto, she supports children who have experienced the death of a parent. Deb respects and appreciates the individual beauty of each child and uses art, play, music, and sand to "meet them where they are." With the use of these friendly tools, Deb accompanies children as they create their own unique healing process...restoring and replenishing... happy and healthy... bodies and minds.
Deb has a BA in Psychology; Early Childhood Education Certification; California Teaching Credential; National Certification in Degriefing Level I; Death and Grief Studies Certification Program with Alan Wolfelt - Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Grief; UC Berkeley Certificate in Grief and Loss; and University of Integrated Learning Masters program candidate: Children and Grief
Carolyn Tague
Carolyn Tague MA CMT is a San Francisco based practitioner and teacher who specializes in Degriefing bodywork, Oncology massage, Craniosacral therapy and other integrative modalities. Carolyn is a Recognized Education Provider of Oncology Massage through the Society for Oncology Massage and of hospital based massage therapy through NCBTMB. Carolyn offers individual sessions, practitioner support groups, Retreats for individuals or groups, and Oncology Massage courses. Contact: 415-994-3666 www.tagueconsulting.com Carolyn@Tagueconsulting.com FB: TagueConsulting
Graduates
Level 2 Graduates
Janet Axler
19610 Van Aken Blvd #3x, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122, Phone # 216 509 9933 Fax 216 921 9442 email jjaaxler@ameritech.net.
Janet Axler, MA, LSW,LPCC,CT. is licensed and certified to counsel and teach individuals, couples and groups searching for answers to life problems. With twenty years of experience I have come to believe that most stress comes from LOSS...loss of a loved one, loss of youth, loss of a marriage, loss of a job, loss of identity, loss of direction, etc. No two people experience the same loss or cope with it in the same way. Therapy has to be custom made to fit each person. My basic assumption is that all people have the potential to heal and grow. Our minds ad our bodies are intimately connected. One can't be sick and the other healthy. I am passionate about educating by example and the use of learning tools how to get in touch with their unique gifts...their power...to lead a healthy and rewarding life. Degriefing is a custom made therapy.
Christine Brusati, CMT, RMT
San Rafael, CA
cbrusati@sbcglobal.net
415-699-7197
http://www.christinebrusati.massagetherapy.com/
Christine Brusati is a Bay Area native who has been practicing massage since 2005. She uses an integrative blend of healing modalities. Her work includes a range of massage therapies, including a special commitment to providing touch for well-being, comfort and support to the elderly, medically frail and those at the end of life. She is a graduate of the Integrative Medicine Education Program at CPMC’s Institute for Health & Healing where she completed a one year internship focused on bringing skilled touch to the bedside in a hospital setting. She has experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Craniosacral Massage and Oncology Massage, Energetic Bodywork and is a Reiki Master teacher and practitioner. She is also certified in Degriefing Bodywork, a therapy that aims to restore a sense of balance and harmony after grief and loss. Christine has been providing massage to hospice patients since 2007. In her practice she seeks through intuitive touch to connect body and spirit by creating a safe environment rich in therapeutic presence and healing energy.
Jane Clark
Cancer Exercise Specialist, San Francisco Bay Area, jane.clark@sbcglobal.net, 415-722-5314 I'm a certified personal trainer (ACSM, NASM, ACE) Degriefing level II training graduate, and specialize in the field of cancer & exercise. I've been in the fitness industry about 14 years. I believe movement is essential, and have a personal commitment to making it fun!
Jenny L. Johnson
IMPACT Coordinator / Personal Fitness Trainer, Bay Club Marin, B.S. Exercise Science, Certified ACSM, ACE, and Degriefing Practitioner Level II My goal is to guide you through an exercise program that will help you work with and transform your grief.
I will meet you where you are at in terms of your grief and exercise level, and create a program to assist you and support your healing using your grief as fuel for your personal transformation.
ACSM - American College of Sports Medicine and
ACE - American Council on Exercise.
Libby Palomeque
lpalomeque@trainerwortham.com
Libby Palomeque, CFP, CDFA, CGRS is a financial advisor who specializes in working with the newly bereaved and the newly divorced. She is a Certified Financial Planner, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and a Level II Degriefing Practitioner. She has worked in the industry for over thirteen years.
Libby's personal journeys in grief have shaped her life. By surviving and overcoming these experiences, Libby has come to the belief that grief can be the single most transformative experience in the human emotional lexicon. Libby is hard at work on her first book: "You're in Charge Now: A guide to taking control of your financial life in a time of loss."
Born in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, and raised in Southern Louisiana, Libby now lives in Alameda, California with her husband, daughter, and a variety of animals. In her free time, Libby practices yoga, writes short stories, hikes and gardens. Libby is a black belt in Kuk Sool Won, an accomplished scuba diver and an amateur naturalist. She is conversationally fluent in four languages.
19610 Van Aken Blvd #3x, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122, Phone # 216 509 9933 Fax 216 921 9442 email jjaaxler@ameritech.net.
Janet Axler, MA, LSW,LPCC,CT. is licensed and certified to counsel and teach individuals, couples and groups searching for answers to life problems. With twenty years of experience I have come to believe that most stress comes from LOSS...loss of a loved one, loss of youth, loss of a marriage, loss of a job, loss of identity, loss of direction, etc. No two people experience the same loss or cope with it in the same way. Therapy has to be custom made to fit each person. My basic assumption is that all people have the potential to heal and grow. Our minds ad our bodies are intimately connected. One can't be sick and the other healthy. I am passionate about educating by example and the use of learning tools how to get in touch with their unique gifts...their power...to lead a healthy and rewarding life. Degriefing is a custom made therapy.
Christine Brusati, CMT, RMT
San Rafael, CA
cbrusati@sbcglobal.net
415-699-7197
http://www.christinebrusati.massagetherapy.com/
Christine Brusati is a Bay Area native who has been practicing massage since 2005. She uses an integrative blend of healing modalities. Her work includes a range of massage therapies, including a special commitment to providing touch for well-being, comfort and support to the elderly, medically frail and those at the end of life. She is a graduate of the Integrative Medicine Education Program at CPMC’s Institute for Health & Healing where she completed a one year internship focused on bringing skilled touch to the bedside in a hospital setting. She has experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Craniosacral Massage and Oncology Massage, Energetic Bodywork and is a Reiki Master teacher and practitioner. She is also certified in Degriefing Bodywork, a therapy that aims to restore a sense of balance and harmony after grief and loss. Christine has been providing massage to hospice patients since 2007. In her practice she seeks through intuitive touch to connect body and spirit by creating a safe environment rich in therapeutic presence and healing energy.
Jane Clark
Cancer Exercise Specialist, San Francisco Bay Area, jane.clark@sbcglobal.net, 415-722-5314 I'm a certified personal trainer (ACSM, NASM, ACE) Degriefing level II training graduate, and specialize in the field of cancer & exercise. I've been in the fitness industry about 14 years. I believe movement is essential, and have a personal commitment to making it fun!
Jenny L. Johnson
IMPACT Coordinator / Personal Fitness Trainer, Bay Club Marin, B.S. Exercise Science, Certified ACSM, ACE, and Degriefing Practitioner Level II My goal is to guide you through an exercise program that will help you work with and transform your grief.
I will meet you where you are at in terms of your grief and exercise level, and create a program to assist you and support your healing using your grief as fuel for your personal transformation.
ACSM - American College of Sports Medicine and
ACE - American Council on Exercise.
Libby Palomeque
lpalomeque@trainerwortham.com
Libby Palomeque, CFP, CDFA, CGRS is a financial advisor who specializes in working with the newly bereaved and the newly divorced. She is a Certified Financial Planner, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and a Level II Degriefing Practitioner. She has worked in the industry for over thirteen years.
Libby's personal journeys in grief have shaped her life. By surviving and overcoming these experiences, Libby has come to the belief that grief can be the single most transformative experience in the human emotional lexicon. Libby is hard at work on her first book: "You're in Charge Now: A guide to taking control of your financial life in a time of loss."
Born in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, and raised in Southern Louisiana, Libby now lives in Alameda, California with her husband, daughter, and a variety of animals. In her free time, Libby practices yoga, writes short stories, hikes and gardens. Libby is a black belt in Kuk Sool Won, an accomplished scuba diver and an amateur naturalist. She is conversationally fluent in four languages.
Level 1 Graduates
Frances Holmes
Frances Holmes is a Certified Nutrition Consultant, a member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and an Integrative Grief Therapy Practitioner. She received her Certification as a Nutrition Consultant from Bauman College in Berkeley California. She has a life long interest in health and wellness with and emphasis on nutritional support or the bereaved.
Frances studied under the guidance of Lyn Prashant to obtain her Certification as an Integrative Grief Therapy Practitioner. Her training in personalized applications of integrative therapies to promote balance while coping with the extremes of bereavement allows her to include practical techniques and tools that address the accompanying emotional mood swings related to loss of any kind. As an integrative practitioner, she includes practical techniques and tools to assist the body, mind and spirit of a griever, through the delicate journey of loss.
Her passion for helping others fuels her drive to research and find solutions. She has a practical and realistic approach to incorporating lifestyle changes with an emphasis on nutrition as a primary tool for optimal health management. She is passionate about her work and takes great care to assist in the success of others.
Laura Amazzone
Laura Amazzone received her Degriefing:Integrative Grief Therapy (I.G.T.) certification from Dr. Lyn Prashant and Yoga for Grief Relief Certification from Antonio Sausys in the fall of 2013.
Laura’s grief counseling sessions are influenced by two decades of devotion, practice and research on the Shakta Tantric tradition and Goddess Durga, a Goddess who transforms difficulty, fear, sorrow, grief and loss, as well as her work as an intuitive healer.
She has a Master’s degree in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality & Asian Comparative Studies. She is also the author of an award-winning book, Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power. She maintains a private practice and teaches in the Yoga Philosophy Program at Loyola Marymount University.
Catherine Abby Rich
Catherine Abby has been a professional herbalist and herbal educator for 42 years. She trained as a folk medicine maker in the Bavarian Alps, Mexico, the U.S. and in India, where she apprenticed well known Ayurvedic physician, Dr. Vasant Lad.
Living in Larkspur, CA since 1987 Catherine Abby was a founding member of the Marin County Farmers Market and for 23 years was their resident herbalist. Her "Combining Forces” products are wild crafted, organic and enhanced with flower essences. Sharing her knowledge through teaching local plant medicine, to all ages, is one of her most cherished talents and her delight.
In the year 2000, Catherine Abby began combining her herbal knowledge with the new remarkable science of quantum medicine. She has become a respected practitioner of Quantum/ SCIO Biofeedback and through this medium she is able to utilize her knowledge of both ancient and modern wisdom, helping others further their quest for optimal health and well-being. Read interviews about her work in the SF Chronicle: May 2012 & August 2002
Mark C. Bigley
Address: 792 Keith Salem Rd., Ringgold, GA 30736 Ringgold is 10 miles south of Chattanooga, TN. Phone: 423-509-2674
Credentials:
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker); CCA (Certified Clinical Aromatherapist; M.Div., M.A. in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling; HTCP (Healing Touch Certified Practitioner; Certified Yoga Instructor.
Background:
Hospice clinical/medical social worker and grief counselor; mental health therapist; aromatherapy for physical, emotional and spiritual healing; spiritual direction; Yoga/somatic/breathwork for grief, psychological and spiritual distress; vibrational healing (chant and tuning forks).
Susan Bradford
LVN, Doula,CCE, Childbirth Ritualist, 415-453-0251 (San Rafael, Marin Co.,Ca.)
birthpagan@earthlink.net Susan has worked in the childbirth field for over 30 years supporting mothers and their families from pregnancy through labor and onto babycare in a holistic (a body-mind-emotion and spirit ) approach. She has completed Level One of the Degriefing Certification Training. birthpagan@earthlink.net
Toni Lynn Cormier
MA
Provides Spiritual and Grief Counseling. Sacred Journey
Serving Marin and Alameda Counties. VM (510) 273-9448, Email toni790@sbcglobal.net
Kym Ferrari
Ordained Minister, Owner of Ferrari of Marin; Systemic Enzyme Consultations 415 883-6925, Novato, Ca. Grieving the loss of your physical health or ailing body? In chronic pain? I've been there, I offer support, mind & body techniques & tools to help you re-balance your life and reduce or manage your pain. Restoring Smiles 1 Life at a Time!
Allison Krizner
Oakland, CA, allisonkrizner@yahoo.com, 310-213-3667 Allison is an Ordained Interfaith Minister, hospital chaplain, spiritual counselor. She integrates a variety of therapeutic, massage and energetic modalities in her Degriefing® Practice. She offers support to a variety of populations, creating space for individuals to connect to their own natural healing energy.
Peg Krome
Email pkrome@earthlink.net
Tel 650-804-0166
Address-Palo Alto, CA I am a Spiritual Director who guides individuals and groups of all backgrounds as they deepen their connection to what is holy and has meaning for them in their lives. I am also a Grief Counselor working with individuals who have suffered loss.
Lou Leet
Bittter Sweet Animal Hospice & Grief Recovery, (415) 760-9462, www.bitsweet.org, lou@bitsweet.org Grief counseling and coaching for those who are losing and who have lost animals through support nights, grief recovery workshops and private counseling. Offering support throughout your animal's dying process (practical care management and emotional grounding), whether natural or euthanasia at some point, as well as your own unique grieving process - sessions are available in person and via telephone/email.
Certifications & Education: Degriefing Certification Degriefing Counselor, San Anselmo, California
Grief Recovery Institute, Certified Grief Specialist, Sherman Oaks, California
Healing Arts, San Rafael, California
Hospice of Petaluma, Trained Volunteer, Petaluma, California
B.S., Earth & Environmental Sciences
Lori Lue-Melero C.M.T., C.C.
Certified Wellness and Life Purpose Coach, 1124 Ballena Blvd. Suite B, Alameda, Ca 94501, (510) 914-3691 Learn to create Balance and Wellness in your life. "Live your life to it's fullest potential!"
June Lynch M.S. Psychology, Certified Grief Counselor
Oakland, CA, E-Mail: juntim@aol.com, Telephone: 510-835-2026 Ten years counseling experience with adults and couples; grief work as a theme throughout. A spirit filled, holistic approach illuminated by a clear, open and loving heart. Worked for 5 years with Namaste, a Grief Group which grew out of the Shanti Project. Nine years of counseling experience with adults and couples. (this work was not predominantly grief oriented) Presently developing a practice with the over 65 population. Greatest strength has proven to be an ability to connect with clients at a visceral, deeply connected, spirit filled way
Kathy McGinnis PT, CMT, MSW, HTP
Aromatherapy Certification through ISHA (Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy/connected with Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry) Social Worker for Heartland Homecare, Ohio (www.heartlandhomecare.com); Certified Amrit Yoga Instructor, Yogi Amrit Desai. katmac7200@yahoo.com
Terri Mongait LMT, NCTMB
Your Well Being Massage Therapy, 909-489-9654, With an emphasis on Degriefing I am a licensed and national certified massage therapist and offer Degriefing in conjunction with the following modalities:
Swedish Massage: A system of strokes, kneading and friction techniques on specific muscles and connective tissue, combined with active and passive movements of the joints for relaxation or therapy.
Cranio/Sacral Therapy:A non-invasive manipulation of the cranial and sacral bones, incorporating subtle movements and energy work.
Reiki: Reiki is a Japanese form of stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is a healing energy that affects us on all levels ~ body, mind & spirit ~ working to make us whole and complete.
Rebecca Plum
Perinatal Educator, Postpartum Doula, & Apprentice Midwife,
San Francisco, California, Http://www.RebeccaPlum.com, RebeccaPlum@gmail.com, (415) 250-6845 I offer in home care to families in the postpartum period, including newborn care guidance, emotional support, lactation assistance, and much more. I am also in apprenticeship to become a homebirth midwife, which will allow me to offer care to those who choose to birth at home, as well as to women who wish to experience compassionate, empowering, individually paced well-woman care (also known as the yearly obgyn exam).
Norma K. Pomerance
MFT, Certified Loss and Grief Counselor
1214 Lincoln Ave. San Rafael, CA 94901
(414) 456-6880 Specializing in the trauma of multiple losses such as infertility, illness, death, the empty nest/failing parent, and retirement. Strategic help for maintaining the self while suffering multiple losses.