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Donna Hamilton –  PhD, MFT, HE, MNLPT

Licenses, Training, Certification & Experience

Dr. Donna Hamilton is a Health Educator and Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in Body Centered Psychotherapy and Trauma Resolution.   She received her PhD in Clinical Hypnotherapy (DCH) from American Pacific University in 2012.  She is a board certified Instructor of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Psychology), and a  Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Hypnotherapy Instructor,  and Hypnotist Examiner, certified by the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners.

Donna received a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Health and Physical Education at Trenton State University and a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Maine.  She completed her postgraduate work in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Nevada, Reno.

After working as a health and physical education teacher, coach, and counselor in high schools and colleges for twenty years, she completed five years of advanced study in body-centered psychotherapy under the supervision of Dr. Siegmar Gerken and Psychiatrist Dr. John Pierrakos.  She then attended a one-year training intensive in Somatic Psychotherapy through the Bodynamic Institute.

Under the guidance of world-renowned trauma specialist Dr. Peter Levine, she participated in a three-year practitioners training program in Trauma Resolution, becoming certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.  Recognizing the importance of being able to treat the earliest stages of trauma, she completed 360 hours of advanced training in Perinatal and Birth Therapy with Dr. Ray Castellino.  Donna is a certified Hypno-Birthing practitioner dedicated to supporting mothers and babies from pre-conception, through labor and birth and during the earliest months of life.

In addition she completed her yoga instructor’s training through the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training Program, and is a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Instructor.  She has completed 700 hours of training in Craniosacral Biodynamic Therapy, and is a certified practitioner.  She completed her massage therapy licensure in Reno, Nevada in 1994.

Donna is an Enneagram in Business Coach, as certified by Ginger Lapid-Bogda, PhD, as well as a certified Enneagram based  Trainer for “Bringing Out The Best in Yourself at Work” and “What Type of Leader Are You?”.

Managerial Experience

Donna was the Director of the Institute for Human Discovery, in Reno Nevada.  The institute provided educational programs in the area of psychology and wellness from 1987 – 1996.

Donna has been in private practice since 1987 and has expanded her practice to include teaching trauma resolution to Body-Centered Psychotherapists in Sydney, Australia, and offering professional training in Hypnotherapy and Neuro Linguistic Psychology.  Her private practice has expanded to include working with chronic pain patients.

Donna is Founder, Co-Director, and Co-Instructor for New Vistas International™ , a training organization focused on empowering counselors and therapists with a powerful new model that helps them see themselves and others for who they truly are.  It is based on the acronym PAUSE, which defines five essential resource states that chart a Path to Wholeness through deeper levels of embodiment, personal awareness, physiological balance, spiritual guidance, and fulfillment.  She is co-author of underlying principles of the PAUSE Model of Hypnotherapy™, co-author of the upcoming textbooks, Mastering the Therapeutic Process™, and Allowing the Magic™, and the novel, PAUSE: The Prayer That Needs No Answer™.

Donna’s Practice and Philosophy

As a therapist and educator I work directly with the Body/Mind Connection through the healing of trauma, unresolved birth issues and character wounds. As a life-long meditator, I recognize the importance of prayer and mindfulness practice in maintaining spiritual, mental and emotional health and balance.

I believe that as we connect to our natural resources, judgment dissolves, suffering ends and healing occurs even in the face of life’s greatest challenges.

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Bud James, PhD, MDiv, HE, NLPT, BLSRT

Current Focus

Rev. Dr. Robert “Bud” James is Co-Director and Co-Instructor for New Vistas International™ , a training organization dedicated to offering inspiring and transformational educational experiences based on the PAUSE Model.  The acronym PAUSE defines five essential resource states that chart a Path to Wholeness through deeper levels of embodiment, personal awareness, physiological balance, spiritual guidance, and fulfillment.  Bud is the co-author of underlying principles of the PAUSE Model of Spiritual Counseling™, and co-author of the upcoming books, Mastering the Therapeutic Process™, Allowing the Magic™, and the novel, PAUSE: The Prayer That Needs No Answer™.

Licenses, Training, Certification & Experience

Specializing in Regression Hypnotherapy, Bud is a  Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Hypnotherapy Instructor,  and Hypnotist Examiner, certified by the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners.  He is a Master Neuro-Linguistic Psychology Practitioner and Instructor, as certified by New Vistas International™.  Bud has advanced Toastmaster credentials (ATM, CL), as well as being a motivational speaker and instructor for Delta-4, a highly regarded organization of primarily ex-military trainers who teach managers how to become successful leaders.  He is also an Enneagram in Business Coach, as certified by Ginger Lapid-Bogda, PhD.

Bud began learning about hypnosis at the age of 12 in order to help himself sleep.  Fascinated by the power of hypnosis, this began his desire to delve deeply into the potential of the mind to improve his life and increase mental self-discipline.  In High School, he enjoyed success in Madrigals, Kenpo Karate, Gymnastics, Springboard Diving, as well as in academics.  It was here that he met his science teacher and first mentor, Mr. Waterbury, who took the time to impart his knowledge of vital self-inquiry and mental disciplines to his young student.

After High School, Bud joined the US Air Force, volunteered for Special Operations and became a Combat Controller.  While in the military, he excelled at skydiving, scuba diving, and learned a great deal about human potential.  While stationed in the Philippines he attained his PADI Scuba Instructor rating and went on to become a Master Instructor (MI#6554) and is an avid diver to this day.  Completing his tour with the Air Force, Bud was hired by California Edison as a Research Marine Biologist and scuba diver, mapping the shallow water shoreline of Southern California via thousands of dives.  Moving to St. Thomas, USVI, he taught resort diving for a year at the St. Thomas Diving Club.  Visit his Scuba website http://AquaticSpirit.com for more dive-related information.

Managerial Experience

Returning to California, Bud received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology (BSIT) from Almeda University and has pursued a 30+ year career in Computers.  He created a small successful software company (MASCo) and sold it after six years to take on leadership roles in Corporate IT.   His skills in design and management allowed him to obtain roles such as Chief Technical Officer of MySpace.com, Systems Architect at Unisys, Global Manager at Oracle, and more.  He retired from Oracle in late 2013 to pursue New Vistas International full time.

A seasoned executive and entrepreneur, Bud has proven expertise in information technology, healthcare, ecommerce, and systems management.  He has created and led highly functional teams throughout his career.  He has designed, developed, relocated, and managed world class data centers.  He has significant product development experience, including software, security, and solutions, and has run large software development organizations.  He has been involved in starting up a number of new companies, such as VARs and commercial software development companies, and consulted for Venture Capital and Angel Investment organizations.  He was a key player in creating internationally-based support teams and has held a broad range of hands-on technical and managerial positions.  Bud has extensive, in-depth experience in successfully running a global technology enterprise in virtually every key area.

Spiritual Journey

Along his path, Bud had the privilege of meeting Michael & Raphaelle Tamura who became important mentors in his spiritual education.  In a multi-year program, the Tamura’s gave this young seeker a deep understanding of several mental and spiritual disciplines, including meditation, psychic awareness, and healing techniques.  Michael is the author of “You Are The Answer”, a “must read” book for anyone on a deep spiritual path.  Bud graduated as an ordained minister after a two-year seminary intensive with the Church of Divine Man in 1992, primarily trained by Michael and Raphaelle, and after 20 plus years continues to attend advanced training classes offered by their organization, Seraphim at Mt. Shasta.

As both a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles for over 30 years, Bud has based the core of his personal and professional work on the teachings of the Course.  He lead a weekly discussion group on ACIM on Monday nights at the Gerber Clinic in Reno, and uses supporting material from Dr. Ken Wapnick, Dr. Jon Mundy, and Gary Renard.

In addition to teaching with New Vistas, authoring books, and studying A Course in Miracles, Bud is a graduate of All Faiths Seminary International (AFSI).  In addition to being ordained as an Interfaith Minister, he received a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) and a Doctor of Divinity (PhD) with an emphasis in Spiritual Counseling. The focus of AFSI is to respectfully explore the deepest connections each Wisdom Tradition has with the Divine.  It is an in-depth, mystical, and heart-centered examination of A Course in Miracles, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shamanism, Sufism, and more.

Bud’s Practice and Philosophy

I feel one of the biggest challenges facing humanity is the illusion of separation, which creates all specialness, suffering, and victimhood in our lives.  Learning that we all have the same basic goal – to give and receive Love – can greatly aid each of us in our physical, mental, and spiritual growth, and assist in the overall healing of our perspective of the world.

The PAUSE Model of Spiritual Counseling™ is the result of synthesizing the best of multiple therapeutic modalities using a Divinity-centric approach.  PAUSE represents the distillation of Dr. Donna Hamilton and my life’s work, and is based on removing the obstacles to the awareness of Love’s endless presence, which is the birthright of everyone, everywhere.

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