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Practitioners at the Center
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Mary Jo Ruggieri, Polarity Practitioner, Holistic and Integrative Health Educator and Consultant.
Mary Jo has a doctorate degree from the University of Cincinnati and did her undergraduate work at Kent State University. She has a 30-year background in all facets of education with a focus in health science, physiology of exercise, sports training, and physical education. Mary Jo is a retired assistant professor of 25 years from Ohio State University where she also coached national and Olympic athletes in synchronized swimming. She was a two time Olympic coach in 1988 and 1992.
Mary Jo is the founder and director of Columbus Polarity, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies and Bodywork, which trains and educates students as Energy Practitioners, Polarity Practitioners and Holistic Health Educators.
She also teaches complementary and alternative therapy and integrative health and wellness seminars at many medical schools. She has been involved for twenty years in teaching CAM modules for the medical humanities department at The Ohio State University Medical School to first year medical students. Mary Jo has also taught and established classes at Hocking Technical College, University of Utah, Bellevue Hospital, and Blue Sky Educational Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
She has had a private Polarity and Health and Wellness practice for 15 years and is frequently invited to speak about Holistic Health, Complementary and Alternative Health Care, and Energy Therapies at the local and national level.
As a special interest, Mary Jo has practiced Kundalini Yoga and studied Ayurvedic Health Care for over 30 years. Her special interests include educational concerns for preventive healthcare and creating an awareness of the benefits of complementary, Holistic and Integrative Healthcare systems.
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Laura Ann Bergman is a Registered Polarity Practitioner with the American Polarity Therapy Association, and a graduate of the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies' RPP and APP programs. Engaged in Polarity therapy since 2005, her philosophy as a Polarity Practitioner is to "Nurture the Light Within" each person, assisting client s in accessing and catalyzing their internal resources to achieve a balance of body, mind, and spirit that is both unique and appropriate for each individual. The full scope of polarity tools is integral to her practice: bodywork, dialogue, energetic exercise, and nutrition, as well as an orientation towards connections with the natural world.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, and orients much of her family life around animal husbandry and organic food production. She is the mother of two children.
Laura Ann works with a broad range of clients, and has core interest with parent-child interactions , couples, and the elderly. She can be reached directly via email at: auramadre@msn.com.
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Martin Brown, Feldenkrais Practitioner
Martin is a graduate of the Feldenkrais Professional Teacher Training Program of Montclair, New Jersey in July 2003. He was involved in four years of study in the theory and practices of the Feldenkrais Method®. Martin had the distinct privilege of studying with world-renowned Feldenkrais teacher and practitioner, David Zemach-Bersin. Zemach-Bersin is one of Dr. Feldenkrais' original American students and worked closely with Dr. Feldenkrais from 1973-1984 in the U.S., Europe and at the Feldenkrais Institute in Israel.
Upon graduating, Martin worked at the Wellcare Center for Health for four years. As a Feldenkrais Practitioner with Wellcare, Martin had the opportunity to work with a diverse population which included athletes, musicians, cancer patients, seniors, and individuals seeking to improve their quality of life through increased efficiency of movement and posture. He continues to work with this broad range of clientele at the Columbus Polarity Center.
In addition to his knowledge in the Feldenkrais Method®, Martin has a background in competitive sports where he played professional tennis on the satellite circuit of the United States Tennis Association. He is also an avid musician who enjoys playing electric bass.
Other Resources and Information on the Feldenkrais Method:
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Sally Collamore, Polarity Practitioner
As a Student Coordinator, Sally recruits and assists entering students with any need that they may have in starting classes. She provides encouragement and assistance to students througout their entire program at OIES. A former teacher, Sally has a passion for children with language processing difficulties and is interested in how Polarity Energetic Bodywork may be beneficial to them. Life experience has taught Sally that many behavioral issues are the results of the child's inability to redirect their energy physically, mentally and emotionally in a positive manner. Sally studied three years at the Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio and consequently, her sensitivity and awareness in the moment allows her client's energy the freedom to reorganize itself into new patterns. Positive changes are subtle during the sessions and can be profound over time. Sally received her BME from Baldwin Wallace College and taught music in Westport, CT for seven years. Sally is mother of three adult children and grandmother to one very energetic grandchild! |
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Charoula Dontopoulos, Polarity Practitioner
Charoula studied Polarity with OIES, obtaining her APP and RPP certifications. She has been practicing Polarity Therapy for seven years. She is also a Reiki Master, an herbalist and an organic gardener. She has twelve years experience in herbology, grows most of her own organic herbs and makes her own herbal formulas which are sold at our center under the name of Wiseheart Herbals. Her practice includes Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy, Reflexology, Energetic Lymphatic Balance, and Energetic Foods Awareness, with a focus on cancer prevention and education through helping clients improve their immune system. Charoula is a member of the faculty at OIES, having completed a 300 hour Certified Polarity Educator Program. She also teaches complementary medicine seminars at the Ohio State University Medical School to first year medical students. She offers workshops on wellness, self-help and herbal therapies, both at OIES and on her farm in South Central Ohio. Charoula, as an advanced Herbalist, has instituted the unique program of Integrative Polarity and Herbal Therapies. Charoula has a BA from Vasser College and is a certified Polarity Educator.
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Irina Tratintseva, MA, RPP, Polarity Practitioner
Irina holds a Master of Arts in English and American Literature and Education (Kharkoo State University, Kharkoo, Ukraine, 1986). Irina completed both APP and RPP level studies at the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies & Bodywork (Columbus, OH) and is registered through the American Polarity Therapy Association. She is completing her Ohio Qualifications as a Certified Polarity Educator. Irina is also a graduate of the Institute of Parapsychology in Moscow, Russia and holds a White Belt in Nia. Irina skillfully brings her talent of integrating exercise and dance with the five elements of the polarity system.
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