RESIDENT PRACTITIONERS

BERNADETTE DORAN, BS, RMT
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

For more than 25 years, Bernadette Doran has been a global catalyst for change, growth and personal and organizational success. A dynamic leader, award-winning writer, and inspiring educator, Bernadette offers a rare combination of expertise in helping individuals and organizations achieve self-perpetuating vitality through leading-edge mind-body medicine.

In 2010, Bernadette received the Mindful Metropolis Readers Choice Award for Best Spiritual Counselor in the Chicago area.

From her undergraduate days as a biology major, Bernadette has pursued a passionate study of bioenergetic principles and therapies. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at Loyola University, Chicago, and pursued postgraduate work at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

Bernadette is a Reiki Master Teacher in the traditional Usui System of Natural Healing (lineage of Phyllis Furumoto) as well as Karuna Reiki (lineage of William Lee Rand), and has practiced and taught Reiki throughout the United States and Australia for more than a decade. She was a member of the faculty of the California Naturopathic College in Del Mar for two years.

She studied hypnotherapy at Boston Hospital, and trained with Brent Baum, developer of Holographic Memory Resolution® (HMR), to become a Level Two HMR practitioner. Bernadette studied with Serge Kahili King, Ph.D., for certification as a Hawaiian huna energy healer, and with Roslyn Bruyere, Deepak Chopra, Joan Borysenko, Elmer Green, and Candace Pert, among other energy medicine leaders.

Bernadette is registered with the International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP), is an active member of the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE), and the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM), for which she served on the ISSSEEM Energy Medicine Task Force. She lectures extensively on a variety of subjects, from stress management to energy medicine.

Before focusing on her bioenergy practice, Bernadette was a senior vice-president with three global corporations, working in Chicago, New York, and Melbourne, Australia, and serving primarily Fortune 100 clients. She gained an international reputation for ground-breaking leadership techniques and won dozens of awards for business effectiveness and creativity.

She is also an award-winning author and has published extensively in local and national publications. Some of her pieces have been included in anthologies, including a U.S. Federal Government resource directory on Viet Nam veterans, a children’s reading program, and Australia: True Stories of Life Down Under. In addition to being the owner and director of EQUILIBRIUM Energy + Education, Bernadette is also the president of Industrial Strength Soul, Inc., Equilibrium’s parent corporation.

VERNON NICOLAS, RMT
RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Vernon Nicolas brings to Equilibrium a mission to research and demystify the power of energy-based therapies.

Vernon’s deep research background is rooted in his education at Northwestern University, where he studied Economics and graduated Summa Cum Laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors. At Northwestern, he was granted a stipend and won awards for his independent research. He later became a Research Director at a leading global research firm, where he has consulted with many of Fortune 500’s top multinational companies for over a decade.

Having witnessed the increasing levels of stress and demands encountered by his colleagues and clients, he sought to learn about the power of energy-based therapies to promote greater balance and wellness.

He pursued a personal journey to study a wide range of energy-based practices, including Reiki, Shamballa Multi-Dimensional Healing, Pranic Healing®, and the Bengston Energy Healing Method™, among others. Vernon achieved certification as a Reiki Master Teacher, Akashic Records consultant, and Shamballa Master Healer, and is in the process of completing his Associate Pranic Healing® Certification.

Vernon also has advanced training in the use of GDV Electrophotonics, a state-of-the-art camera technology that captures, measures and analyzes energy fields to reveal information about a person’s mental, physical and emotional health and well-being. Developed by Russian Physicist Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, the GDV (Gas Discharge Visualization) system uses Kirlian-based photography to capture energetic output from the fingertips, where the body’s energy meridians terminate. The photos create a diagnostic overview of the human biofield that pinpoints very specific information about a person’s current health and potential health challenges. There are just a handful of these cameras now in operation in the US, and Equilibrium is the only center in the Midwest to have one. Vernon has already conducted dozens of case studies using GDV Electrophotonics, building an extensive, proprietary research base for Equilibrium on the effects of energy therapies.

Vernon’s passion is to find greater understanding to the following questions: Can healing be taught and learned by any layperson? What are the mechanisms of why energy-based therapies work? How can we use these modalities to help others in practical, meaningful ways in everyday life? He welcomes seekers and open-minded skeptics alike to experience the same playfulness, empowerment and surprise he’s discovered practicing and measuring energy-based therapies. Recognizing there is much yet to be explored with energy-based therapies, Vernon is proud to call Equilibrium his primary research center for learning and teaching.

JANE ALBRIGHT, RMT

Gifted from birth, Jane Albright discovered that her ability to see human energy fields increased dramatically in her efforts to connect with her younger brother who died very unexpectedly. Soon afterward, Jane took formal training to enhance and expand her natural talents and work professionally as an energy reader and healing, specializing in chakra balancing. Jane is also a certified Reiki Master Teacher.

Much like a computer, the bioenergy field stores virtually limitless information about us, including patterns and choices we have made and are making. This information can be easily accessed by a trained therapist. By reading and working with your energy field, Jane brings to light issues that you are facing, helping you to gain deeper understanding and new awareness. The process allows you to move through limiting issues, break up patterns that no longer serve you, release old energy, and create profound healing for both spirit and body.

SUZANNE FRAKER, BS, RM

A longtime resident of the South Loop with an interest in landmarks preservation, Suzanne Fraker is delighted to be working in the historic Dearborn Station which she watched being restored.

Suzanne holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Michigan and was a journal editor for the American Medical Association for 29 yeas. She has always been fascinated with color and light and has done much study in these areas. She is certified by the International Mandel Institute, Switzerland, as an Esogetic Colorpuncture Practitioner, and is certified by the Aura-Soma International Academy of Colour Therapeutics, England, as an Aura-Soma Practitioner. Suzanne is certified by the Tama-Do (Way of the Soul) Academy of Sound, color and Movement in Malibu, CA, as a Level One practitioner. She is also a crystal healer trained by Melody and certified by the Association of Melody Crystal Healers, Inc.

In addition, Suzanne is a Reiki Master and holds a diploma in therapeutic massage from the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. She has studied energy healing with Roslyn Bruyere and Barbara Brennan. Suzanne has been President of the Women Health Executives Network, a Board Member of the Illinois Women’s Political Caucus, and is profiled in the recently published book, The Courage Code.

SARA JOHNSTON, LMT

Sara Johnston, LMT, is an internationally certified Craniosacral Therapist, healer and teacher who weaves a unique blend of modalities into transformational therapy. Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system, comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

The heart of her work is self-empowerment. Sara’s bodywork focuses on freeing restrictive patterns within the body-mind-spirit and releasing them at the core level. She works with clients to help them reconnect with their true essence, to find their “fulcrum” in life. Sara specializes in Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release, forms of structural bodywork distinguished by focus and gentleness, the foundations of healing.

ANDREA LOPEZ, RMT

Andrea I. Kealohamakalani Lopez devotes herself to helping others heal and grow spiritually. She is a member of the Theosophical Society and the International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP). Andrea is a Reiki Master Teacher in the traditional Usui System of Healing (lineage of Phyllis Furumoto) and a Karuna Reiki Master Teacher, and completed the Shinpiden level of Kaigen Reiki Ryuu. She completed her Akashic Records training with Linda Howe and Christina Cross, and Crystal Healing with Dawn Silver. She continues her Shamanic apprenticeship under Claudia Arredia, pipe carrier and peace chief of White Horse Band, and Debbie Springsteen, pipe carrier and a White Horse Band lieutenant. Andrea has also trained in Tibetan healing practices, Tibetan Bowl Sound Healing, Hawaiian Energetics, and Holographic Memory Resolution.

Andrea has completed 13 year of Pranic Healing® training, including Arhatic Yoga, and is in the process of becoming a Certified Pranic Healing® instructor.

JESUS OLIVAN, RMT

An extremely gifted healer and natural shaman, Jesus Olivan specializes in vibrational therapy. Jesus is certified as a Reiki Master Teacher in the traditional Usui Method of Natural Healing, a 13D Shamballa Master Healer and Shamballa Teacher through the International Shamballa school of Esoteric Sciences, and Kiwani therapist, and has studied many other modalities.

Vibrational therapy is based on the quantum physics principle that all matter vibrates to a precise frequency, and that by using various stimuli with resonant vibration, the balance of matter – including all that affects physical, mental and emotional well-being – can be restored.

Jesus individualizes the therapy based on the client’s needs and issues, and integrates Reiki, Shamballa, gemstone layouts, and such sound therapies as singing bowls, Tibetan chimes, and the Australian didgeridoo, which he plays live at the end of the session.

Jesus is also a certified therapist in Kiwani, the “forgotten art of foot washing,” a gentle, loving and extremely powerful therapy steeped in centuries-old traditions from China, India and the Siberian, Christian and Hopi Indian cultures. Like reflexology, Kiwani recognizes that feet are a microcosmic reflection of the state of our being. Kiwani combines gentle, reverential foot bathing with energy therapy to help remove the physical, mental and emotional blocks that keep us paralyzed and literally prevent us from moving forward in life.

Jesus is dedicated to helping his clients not only come into balance on all levels, but also find an unshakable place of peace and clarity as they move through life’s daily challenges. In addition to being a therapist, Jesus regularly teaches Reiki and Shamballa classes in Spanish at Equilibrium.

JANA SCALZITTI, BS, MA

Jana Scalzitti, BS, MA, JD, RYT-400, is a yoga teacher certified in Hatha and Kundalini Yoga, and she teaches yoga as well as gong meditation classes at Equilibrium, She attained her yoga certifications through the Temple of Kriya Yoga and Spirit Rising Yoga in Chicago. She received her graduate degree from Loyola University and her JD from Vermont Law School. Jana currently practices law at a Chicago law firm.

She is most passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga with others. She believes that yoga and meditation can instill clarity, relieve stress, and strengthen the relationship between the body, soul and mind, resulting in higher states of consciousness. Inspired to teach through her regular yoga practice, Jana’s philosophy is to uplift and challenge each student to his or her highest potential.

ASHLEY STAMATINOS, RMT

As a certified Reiki Master Teacher, Ashley trained at Equilibrium in the traditional Usui System of Healing (lineage of Phyllis Furumoto). Ashley is also certified as a 13D Shamballa Master Healer and Shamballa Teacher through the International Shamballa school of Esoteric Sciences, an Access Consciousness BARS Facilitator, ThetaHealer®, and Akashic Records consultant. Ashley is registered with the International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP).

As well as her deep commitment to helping people heal, Ashley is very passionate about helping animals, volunteering to help save animals for more than12 years. Over the past three years, she has fostered more than 100 underweight, neonatal, sick and injured adult cats and kittens through the organization PAWS Chicago. She uses energy healing to help her foster animals heal and find happy homes.

In 2001 Ashley moved to New York City of pursue her performing arts career, but she became very ill with asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain. These health challenges put her performing arts career to an early end. In her efforts to mend her body, she tried many different healing techniques, combining daily energy treatments with herbal supplements. As a result, she no longer suffers from the chronic symptoms she once had! Overcoming these health issues are a big part of her real “credentials,” and because of prolonged health battle, she relates deeply to her clients’ issues.

Ashley teaches her classes with enthusiasm and patience. It is important to her to make sure every student walks away feeling that they can implement their new tools into their daily life. Ashley lives in the Chicago area, and is extremely honored to be teaching Reiki at Equilibrium.