President and CEO
Brack Jefferys, Ph.D., LCMHC, LCAS, RN, has been working with individuals, groups and families since 1983. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Registered Nurse and has a Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. Jefferys consults with a variety of agencies, primarily in the areas of spiritual emergency, mental health, addiction treatment, PTSD, clinical supervision and organizational development. He has worked in a variety of venues is his 30+ year career in human services including private practice, intensive outpatient treatment, inpatient programs, community mental health, prison based programs and private health care systems for profit and non-profit corporations. Dr. Jefferys has been involved in the development, management and organizational operations of several multi-site treatment systems including Director of Operations for a 23,000 patient, 18 state health care system. He has completed clinical training programs in body-mind approaches at Eupsychia Institute, Grof Transpersonal Training and the Hendricks Institute and is a Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist (NC#44). Dr. Jefferys also has extensive training and personal experience in Mindfulness Based Experiential Therapy and is certified in EMDR through the EMDR Institute. He has written and taught extensively on the the relationship between transpersonal psychology, trauma, spiritual emergency, mental health and addiction treatment. Dr. Jefferys brings his deep commitment to an integrative health care perspective into his professional and personal endeavors.
Brack Jefferys, Ph.D., LCMHC, LCAS, RN, has been working with individuals, groups and families since 1983. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Registered Nurse and has a Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. Jefferys consults with a variety of agencies, primarily in the areas of spiritual emergency, mental health, addiction treatment, PTSD, clinical supervision and organizational development. He has worked in a variety of venues is his 30+ year career in human services including private practice, intensive outpatient treatment, inpatient programs, community mental health, prison based programs and private health care systems for profit and non-profit corporations. Dr. Jefferys has been involved in the development, management and organizational operations of several multi-site treatment systems including Director of Operations for a 23,000 patient, 18 state health care system. He has completed clinical training programs in body-mind approaches at Eupsychia Institute, Grof Transpersonal Training and the Hendricks Institute and is a Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist (NC#44). Dr. Jefferys also has extensive training and personal experience in Mindfulness Based Experiential Therapy and is certified in EMDR through the EMDR Institute. He has written and taught extensively on the the relationship between transpersonal psychology, trauma, spiritual emergency, mental health and addiction treatment. Dr. Jefferys brings his deep commitment to an integrative health care perspective into his professional and personal endeavors.
Psychiatrist/Integrative Medicine
Ron Parks, M.D., is a consultant, teacher and writer in the area of integrative psychiatry, medicine and holistic therapies. Respected for his talents in doing helpful consultations to improve treatment and recovery from physical and emotional problems that have not responded to simple or conventional approaches. Dr. Parks received his M.D. from the University of Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Public Health & Health Service Research from UCLA and Specialty trained in Psychiatry, Internal, Family & Preventive Medicine, with a background in nutrition, and other natural healing arts. His healing interests include: mental, physical, spiritual health, holistic medicine, psychology, psychotherapy, yoga, nutrition, environmental medicine and more. Dr. Parks’ mental health focus includes depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, addictions, ADHD, relationship and family dysfunction and solutions. He is an advocate for an integrative approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and emotional problems. A skilled lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant who has taught in local, national and international venues, Dr. Parks bridges conventional Western medicine and the innovative approaches of Integrative Medicine and Psychiatry into a comprehensive and holistic approach to consultative and treatment service.
Ron Parks, M.D., is a consultant, teacher and writer in the area of integrative psychiatry, medicine and holistic therapies. Respected for his talents in doing helpful consultations to improve treatment and recovery from physical and emotional problems that have not responded to simple or conventional approaches. Dr. Parks received his M.D. from the University of Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Public Health & Health Service Research from UCLA and Specialty trained in Psychiatry, Internal, Family & Preventive Medicine, with a background in nutrition, and other natural healing arts. His healing interests include: mental, physical, spiritual health, holistic medicine, psychology, psychotherapy, yoga, nutrition, environmental medicine and more. Dr. Parks’ mental health focus includes depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, addictions, ADHD, relationship and family dysfunction and solutions. He is an advocate for an integrative approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and emotional problems. A skilled lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant who has taught in local, national and international venues, Dr. Parks bridges conventional Western medicine and the innovative approaches of Integrative Medicine and Psychiatry into a comprehensive and holistic approach to consultative and treatment service.
CSE Program Director
Kim Bella, Ph.D., LCMHC, LCAS, EMDR trained, is a psychologist specializing in transpersonal and expressive arts approaches to mental health. She works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. One of her areas of expertise is using embodied and mindfulness-based practices to uncover and release blocks to mental, emotional, creative, and spiritual well-being. Dr. Bella brings an integral approach to her treatment protocols, which includes traditional-based modalities as well as cutting-edge clinical technologies. She has used these approaches for those with PTSD and trauma, depression, addictions, personality disorders, anxiety, spiritual emergence and spiritual emergencies, as well as other major mental disorders. Dr. Bella is an authority on the use of creative and expressive arts in clinical treatment, and has co-authored a chapter on the use of this modality in the “Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology.” She is also a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Practitioner, which reflects her integral approach to using embodied and somatic approaches to treating the whole person. Dr. Bella holds a doctorate in East/West Psychology and has been a yoga and meditation practitioner since 1997. She is a lifelong artist and is deeply interested in the role of expressive arts and consciousness practices in living a full and rich life based on creativity, vitality, and present-moment awareness.
Kim Bella, Ph.D., LCMHC, LCAS, EMDR trained, is a psychologist specializing in transpersonal and expressive arts approaches to mental health. She works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. One of her areas of expertise is using embodied and mindfulness-based practices to uncover and release blocks to mental, emotional, creative, and spiritual well-being. Dr. Bella brings an integral approach to her treatment protocols, which includes traditional-based modalities as well as cutting-edge clinical technologies. She has used these approaches for those with PTSD and trauma, depression, addictions, personality disorders, anxiety, spiritual emergence and spiritual emergencies, as well as other major mental disorders. Dr. Bella is an authority on the use of creative and expressive arts in clinical treatment, and has co-authored a chapter on the use of this modality in the “Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology.” She is also a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Practitioner, which reflects her integral approach to using embodied and somatic approaches to treating the whole person. Dr. Bella holds a doctorate in East/West Psychology and has been a yoga and meditation practitioner since 1997. She is a lifelong artist and is deeply interested in the role of expressive arts and consciousness practices in living a full and rich life based on creativity, vitality, and present-moment awareness.
Doug Chancey, B.A, CSAC, CAC, graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education in 1978. Since that time he has studied various approaches to healing the human body, mind and spirit. Doug is a certified abuse counselor in the state of Virginia and a certified substance abuse counselor in the state of North Carolina. To ensure the healing of those he encounters, he uses the latest modalities of self-healing including several alternative methods such as yoga, meditation, Holotropic Breathwork™ and the 12 steps to recovery all of which he has been practicing for several years personally and is certified to facilitate workshops both individually and in group.
Corey Costanzo, MA, LCAS, LMBT, has been practicing mindfulness based somatic psychotherapy since 2005. He is the co-owner of Still Point Wellness, an award winning wellness spa in Asheville, NC. He supports individuals, adolescents and families to increase the quality of their lives through discovering and utilizing the body’s (or family’s) natural internal healing mechanisms. He has completed a three-year trauma program in Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing approach and has extensive training in Gestalt therapy from living, working, training and doing his own deep personal work at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, for 6 years. He teaches somatic psychology at the Center for Massage and Natural Health, and co-leads a popular weekly restorative yoga and didgeridoo meditation class at Asheville Community Yoga.
Ted Esser, Ph.D., QMHP, has been a spiritual counselor and the Director of Operations for the Spiritual Emergence Network since 2004. He was a founding pre-launch Team Member of the International Spiritual Emergence Network and was formerly on the Grof Foundation’s Board of Directors. He currently teaches graduate-level Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology classes at Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology) and formerly taught classes at John F. Kennedy University. He received an MA in Philosophy & Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies’ Philosophy, Cosmology & Consciousness program, and a PhD from their East-West Psychology program (Consciousness Studies track). Some of the results and experiences from writing his dissertation, Lucid Dreaming, Kundalini, the Divine, and Nonduality: A Transpersonal Narrative Study were published (as a contributing author) in Lucid Dreaming: New Perspectives to Consciousness in Sleep. For more information, go to: www.tedesser.com.
Jack Hughes, M.Div., LPC, LCAS, LEAP, has been a counselor for over 40 years in private practice and various institutional settings. He holds a Master's of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister. Jack is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist and Licensed Employee Assistance Professional. He has designed and taught counselor training programs for local, state and national organizations. Jack has extensive training in Gestalt therapy, family therapy as well as experiential group work. He also has advanced training in Mind-Body therapy from Harvard. His unique blend of deep compassion, humor and warmth provide participants with permission to risk and grow.
Stephan Martin, MS, NC CPSS, is a certified North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist, Purpose Guide(TM) and Focusing trainer who supports people in living from their highest potential while discovering their own unique gifts and expressing them in the world. His expertise is in helping people see themselves from an expanded perspective while embodying their unique individuality in the moment. Stephan is also an astronomer, educator, and writer who is has explored the intersection of science, spirituality, and sustainability for over twenty years. One of his focus areas is on the transformative potential of the insights of modern science and their integration into personal experience, spirituality, and everyday life. His book Cosmic Conversations, is an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the nature of the universe through interviews with scientists, spiritual teachers, indigenous elders, and cultural creatives. For more information, go to www.cosmicconversations.org.
In Loving Memory of Levi Gardner. It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing away of Levi on August 6, 2017. He will be greatly missed.