Mela Berger started dancing at three and went on to earn her BFA in Modern Dance; dancing professionally for many years. She began her studies in The Rolf Method of Structural Integration when she was nineteen with Dr. Edward Maupin and eventually became his protégé. In 2000, Dr. Maupin assisted Mela in opening The Caribbean Institute of Healing and Cultural Arts (as an independent affiliate of The International Professional School of Bodywork) which later became The International Institute of Healing and Cultural Arts.
In addition to SI, Mela diversified her studies with a focus on healing racialized trauma and bringing the whole person into balance. Mela is currently a student of Bessel Van Der Kolk and the Trauma Research Foundation studying to be certified in neurofeedback and treating traumatic stress. Today with over 50 years of training and experience she is certified by, The International Association of Trauma Professionals, The International Academy of Neuromuscular Therapy, The Yoga Alliance, The Drum Circle Facilitators Guild and board-certified by The National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Mela is also on the board of directors of The International Association of Structural Integrators. and 100% Humane International.
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Henry is a Somatic Therapist and Educator with over 25 years of experience in practice and over 20 in the classroom teaching Structural Integration and movement training. H in addition to having thousands of hours of training in various manual therapy techniques. up an MA in Somatic Psychology.
Henry has a PhD in Civil and Structural Engineering from UC Berkeley and was a nationally ranked Tai Chi athlete, winning multiple gold medals in national and international competition. Henry and Rolfer/Psychologist Dr. Edward Maupin collaborated for 14 years, traveling internationally teaching and co-authoring the ‘A Dynamic Relation to Gravity’ a standard text in the field of Rolfing/Structural Integration.
Henry Kagey
Is a Naprapath, social entrepreneur, business model strategist, consultant, and facilitator with over two decades of working across nonprofit, philanthropic, public, and private sectors in domestic and international markets. She cultivates strategies, relationships and ideas to advance social, economic, racial, food and health equity. . She is a trusted facilitator known for fostering and managing complex, multidimensional relationships. Sheelah provides capacity building and strategic guidance to community-based movements, leaders and organizations seeking to achieve meaningful levels of inclusion, efficiency, growth, and sustainability. Past and current clients include Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, HEAL Food Alliance, TheFirehouse Community Arts Center, National Black Food & Justice Alliance, Union of Concerned Scientists, Castanea Fellowship, Sapelo Square, Good Food for All, and Detroit Justice Center.
While with the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Sheelah managed a $35 million budget for Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sheelah
co-founded Fresh Moves, an award-winning mobile produce market that quickly became a nationally recognized model for healthy food distribution and community power building. This groundbreaking workcombating institutional and structural racism in the food system was featured in The Nation, The Huffington Post, The Story, The Atlantic Cities, NPR, and many other outlets.
Sheelah Muhammad
has worked at the San Diego Center for Children for more than 50 years. As the Director of Music he harnessed the power of rhythm to help Center students adopt new ways of dealing with their anger, emotions and suffering. The powerful inspiration of music used for outcomes that have less to do with music and more to do with health and well-being changing the lives of children at the San Diego Center for Children, restoring trust and hope in children who have suffered trauma, abuse, or have severe behavioral and emotional challenges. Through music, Kata helps these children cope with their pain and destructive behaviors.
Carol A Agneessens MS, has been a practitioner in the art of Rolfing/ Structural Integration and movement for 40 yrs. She began her studies at the Rolf Institute in 1981 and has taught both Rolf manipulation and movement trainings since 1994. Carol expanded her inquiry into ‘dimensions of the body’ to include cranial sacral therapy, the formation of the body through embryology, and the effects of trauma on the nervous system. She teaches both nationally and internationally.
Carol is the author of the book, The Fabric of Wholeness and numerous articles. In addition to writing, she loves to paint abstract figurative art and presently resides in Santa Cruz, CA.
Sundiata Kata
Kriota Wilberg
Kriota received massage certification from the Chicago School of Massage Therapy, is a licensed massage therapist (LMT) in New York State. She holds additional certificates in Personal Training, sports massage, and bioethics. In her first decade of practice, sports massage and injury rehabilitation were the focus of Willberg’s massage career. She was a member of the AMTA’s National Sports Massage Team, and a LMT for the New York Giants football team. Later she worked at The Integrative Care Center affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery, then the Integrative Medicine Service a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. At The Swedish Institute College of Allied Health Sciences, Willberg served as Chair of the Western Massage department and taught massage, anatomy/palpation, and pathology classes. She has taught anatomy in the dance departments of Marymount Manhattan College, Bard College, and NYU, as well as at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Currently she is Artist In Residence at the NYU Langone Department of Humanistic Medicine and the Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mt. Sinai.
Mia trained in Structural Integration at The Soma Institute (1997) and Anatomy Trains (2018).
Mia teaches life-affirming and restorative movement. She is certified in Polestar Pilates in 2011. She has studied traditional dance in Senegal, Guinea, and Brazil.
MIA GLEASON
LICIA SKY
is a co-founder and CEO of the TRAUMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
She is also a somatic educator, bodyworker, artist, and musician. She guides transformational experiences incorporating dynamic observational exercises, music, movement, vocalizing, enhanced listening, and touch, to foster safe, transformative inner and interpersonal connection.
Her methods are informed by over 25 years as an artist, musician, bodywork therapist, yoga practitioner, and dancer; and integrate
poly-vagal theory, parts work, and the latest research on trauma and the body.
