Haven Faculty

Haven Faculty are the heart and soul of our programs. Each has proven experience, and insight into these personal development and professional development programs. Haven Faculty live what they teach and in doing so are in a unique position to take The Haven's teachings and show the real world implications. They are not teaching out of a textbook, they know from personal experience that The Haven principles of awareness, self-responsibility work, and can work for you.

 

 

 

 

core faculty

 

Haven faculty members are among the most gifted leaders, educators and group facilitators in the world. They are highly qualified and widely experienced, and are committed to living the principles they teach.

 

	Carole Ames BES, DipC, MTC is the founder of Creative Pursuits through which she provides facilitation, counselling and consulting. Her excellent communication skills, creativity and insight have been key in her 30 year career working with people. Associated with The Haven for over 20 years, she has assisted and led Come Alive and Living Alive Phase I since 2000, as well as her own programs such as LaughteRx:  it works!. For the last 10 years she has also been channeling her humour and passion into theatre as an actor and director.  Learn more about Carole at www.creativepursuits.ca .
	Al Chambers has a PhD in Therapeutic Counselling, a Masters in Counselling Psychology, a Diploma in Counselling and a degree in Business. He has worked for 25 years in therapy and psychology, has taught at universities and colleges, and leads many programs throughout Asia and Canada. He is also a trained trauma counsellor. Associated with The Haven since 1983, he has led Come Alive for 12 years.
	CrisMarie Campbell BS, MBA, DipC, Martha Beck Certified Coach is co-founder of Thrive! Inc. with Susan Clarke. Together they work with organizations and teams to create trust, effective communication and strategic alignment. As an Olympic rower, CrisMarie knows what it takes to create a championship team. She also knows the importance and joy in tapping into her own intuition and creativity as an artist and actor. Associated with the Haven since 1998, she leads the Couples Alive Series. Learn more about CrisMarie at www.thriveinc.com.
	Susan Clarke MA-ABS, DipC is co-founder of Thrive! Inc. with CrisMarie Campbell. Together they work with organizations, teams to develop trust, effective communication and strategic alignment. Her journey through a life-threatening illness has given her a depth of experience and a commitment to living life full out. At Haven since 1984, she has been leading Come Alive for over 20 years, Living Alive Phase I and now the Couples Alive Series. Learn more about Susan at www.thriveinc.com.
	Ian Curtin BComm, DipC, MTC is President of IC Possibilities Consulting Inc., a Victoria-based company specializing in facilitating dialogues within and between organizations, relational leadership and teamwork and the art of living change. He believes communication habits form the building blocks of family relationships, work teams, and entire organizations. He has been associated with The Haven for 17 years and has assisted and led Come Alive since 1999. Learn more about Ian at www.icpossibilities.com, and read about a special project he's working on called The Inner Activist.
	Wayne Dodge MD, MPH, DipC is a family practice physician in Seattle, Washington. He has been the Clinical Director of an 18-practitioner Medical Clinic and currently administers the AIDS program for a large medical organization. Associated with The Haven since 1981, he leads Come Alive, Living Alive Phase I, and New Horizons: Phase III. He also teaches Self-Compassion, Skills 1 and Skills 2.
	Ruth Emerson MD, DipC is a family physician from Seattle who works for a large not-for-profit health plan. She has been associated with The Haven for more than 25 years, contributing her time, skills, knowledge and energy to the development of many programs, including Relationships and Sex and Identity.
	Gillian Enright RMT, MTC, BA, DipC, Cert Gerentology is an accomplished teacher in health body dynamics.  She is most recently the creator and owner of Inspired Health Retreat Centre in Nova Scotia.  She has 23 years of post-traumatic counseling experience with youth, families and communities.  Her educational path and life experience has led to her passion in evoking the conscious awakening of the body's full expression of life.  She has been associated with The Haven for 20 years and leads Come Alive, Sensational Contact, and Connective Touch, programs with compassion, curiosity and humour.
	Denise Goldbeck MA, DipC is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Masters in Developmental Psychology and is a candidate for a PhD specializing in social and moral development in children. She is the creator of the Kids in the Spotlight program in its 26th year at The Haven, with five programs running back-to-back through the summer. With Toby Macklin.
	Maria Gomori MSW, DipC, PhD is the world's foremost practitioner and teacher of Satir processes. She is an Approved Supervisor with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and a retired Associate Professor of the University of Manitoba. She studied and worked with Virginia Satir for over 20 years and has been an advanced trainer in the Satir Global Network since 1981. She has taught at The Haven since its foundation in 1983 and now leads Journey to Self, and  Family Reconstruction.
	Susa Holt ND, PA-C, DipC, is a naturopathic physician with over 20 years experience blending western allopathic and alternative medicine and body/mind awareness.  Associated with The Haven for more than 20 years, she recently received a Master’s degree in Organizational Design and Renewal and has a special interest in designing and supporting systemic change in organization, groups and individuals.   Susa has led Come Alive since 1996 and co-leads Couples 911 with her husband and organizational consulting partner, Bryan Croeni.
	Wendy Huntington PhD, MA, LMFT, DipC is a family therapist, group facilitator, and teacher. She specializes in addiction issues and works clinically with people in group settings and in private practice. She has been associated with The Haven since the early 1990s. In addition to Come Alive, Being Alive and Living Alive Phase II, she has led a range of other programs at The Haven for more than eight years, including Effective Boundaries, The Power of Direct Mirroring, Healing Stitches, and most recently, Creative Aging: Embracing the Second Half of Life.
	Derek LaCroix QC, PhD, DipC practiced law for many years and has been an entrepreneur and a corporate executive. He is the Executive Director of the Lawyers Assistance Program of B.C. Since 1987, Derek has made personal development, spiritual growth, and working with others his life focus. He has assisted and led Come Alive since 1994.
	Toby Macklin MA, DipHCS leads Come Alive and Living Alive Phase I, as well as Dynamic Empathy and Communication Fundamentals. He has worked on a wide range of programs in Canada and China. As a writer, editor and graphic designer he has collaborated closely on several books with Haven founders Ben Wong and Jock McKeen, with whom he also co-leads Reflections for Mandarin speakers. He lives on Gabriola Island with Rachel Davey and their two children.
	Sandey McCartney MA, DipC is a compassionate and skilled facilitator, educator and therapeutic counselor with over 35 years’ experience. Associated with The Haven since its foundation, she co-leads several Haven programs with her life-partner of 30 years, David Raithby. Together they have designed and led numerous personal and professional development programs in Canada and Asia including Transforming Anxiety and Stress, Living with Passion, Passion for Couples and the Couples Alive series.
	Jock McKeen MD, LicAc(UK), DLitt, co-founder of The Haven and Faculty Emeritus, is an accomplished presenter and author. Starting out as an emergency physician, he studied acupuncture at the College of Chinese Acupuncture, Oxford, England. After establishing a complementary medical practice in association with Bennet Wong, they collaborated in the development of The Haven. Together they created Come Alive, the Living Alive Phase programs, and a number of other central Haven programs. Jock continues to co-lead Reflections and Mandarin Reflections at The Haven. You can read more about Jock at the Wikipedia entry devoted to him and the work he's done.
	Cathy McNally BSc, DipC is an accomplished and creative communication specialist with over 30 years' experience in management, training, consulting, and counselling. She and her husband Ernie McNally draw much of their teaching from their own relationship. In addition to Come Alive, Being Alive and Living Alive Phases I and II, Cathy has led a range of other programs at The Haven since 1998, including Effective Boundaries and The Power of Direct Mirroring. She has 20 years' experience with Satir-based approaches to personal growth.
	Ernie McNally DipC has worked with people both personally and professionally for over 40 years. Ernie's natural ability to communicate with humour and heart make him a sought-after group leader and counsellor. He and his wife Cathy draw much of their teaching from their own relationship and together lead Relationships, Sex and Identity, Communication Fundamentals, and Reflections. Since 1998 he has led Come Alive and Living Alive Phases I and II at The Haven and for the first time in 2009, he and Cathy are leading Being Alive, and programs in the new Couples Alive Series.
	Linda Nicholls DipC, MTC, PhD focuses on personal transformation and strengthening relational skills.  She has developed and taught energetically engaging seminars in five continents.  In addition to leading Come Alive, Body, Breath and Energy, Teens Alive and Breathe! with her friend and colleague of many years David Raithby, and Conscious Sexuality with Elfi Dillon-Shaw and Gary Dillon, Linda also leads Shadow Play, Depression: Conscious Alternatives, Grieving: Change and Growth, Relationships Review and Renew and Mandarin Phase I and II.
	Jane Olynyk DTCM, BA, DipC is a seasoned counsellor, licensed acupuncturist, group facilitator and is currently the Director of Intern Training for the Haven. She leads Five Elements Practicum, Sensational Contact and Connective Touch, as well as Come Alive, New Horizons: Phase III and Dynamic Empathy.
	Bob Owen DipC, LMP, CMHC is a massage practitioner and certified mental health counsellor in Seattle. His marriage to Ruth Emerson has been his greatest challenge and joy, and is the inspiration for his work with couples. Associated with The Haven for 25 years, Bob and Ruth were instrumental in the development of programs including Relationships and the Sex and Identity section of Living Alive Phase II, both of which they continue to co-lead.
	David Raithby DipC, MEd, RSW has an intuitive and heartfelt style, and values honest and caring relating. He brings a wealth of skill and experience into creating and leading his many personal and professional development programs at The Haven and internationally. Associated with The Haven since 1979, David leads and co-leads a diverse range of programs with his life partner of 30 years, Sandey McCartney, as well as with Linda Nicholls.
	Leslie Whyte MTC, DipC, Certified Calling in "The One" Coach. Drawing on her vast life experiences, Leslie brings a natural curiosity and caring to her work as a group facilitator, counselor and Calling in "The One" Coach. Her capacity to integrate and embody a wide range of lived experiences and feelings, allows her to engage with others, generating relatedness, deep caring, and inspiring those she works with to transform. Leslie has been associated with the Haven since 1989, where she has been assisting and leading Come Alive since 1999 and Body Stories: Choices for Health. Learn more about Leslie here www.lesliewhyte.com
	Cathy Wilder PhD, MEd, RCC, Dip C is a creative and compassionate group leader, counsellor and coach. Her capacity for embodying a deep range of human experiences and feelings has opened pathways for others in personal transformation and professional development, resulting in greater health and more satisfying communication and relationship experiences. She began assisting Come Alive in 1994 and now leads Come Alive, Being Alive, Coaching: Engaging Relationships and Body Stories: Choices for Health.
	Bennet Wong MD, FRCP(c), DLitt, co-founder of The Haven and an Emeritus Faculty member. He studied at the Menninger School of Psychiatry before practising as a psychiatrist specializing in problems of youth and adolescents. After establishing a complementary medical practice in association with Jock McKeen, they collaborated in the development of The Haven. Together they created Come Alive, the Living Alive Phases, and a number of other Haven programs. Bennet continues to co-lead Reflections and Mandarin Reflections at The Haven with Jock. You can read more about Ben on the Wikipedia entry devoted to him and his work.

other haven faculty

 

Haven Faculty members teach a wide range of programs. Most are Haven-trained and all have had long and close involvement with The Haven.

 

Joann Byres MTC, DipC and Eric Byres P.Eng. have been involved with The Haven for more than 20 years and have worked with couples and individuals in many different contexts.  Their own relationship offers unlimited opportunities for deep connection, conflict, challenges, joy and growth.  They bring this experience to their work in leading Couples 911 (formerly Couples in Conflict).
Bryan Croeni M.Arch, MA, trained as an architect, has followed the migration of his interests, from buildings to the people who live in them, recently completing a masters program in organizational design and renewal . He brings curiosity, respect and a designers mind to his work with teams, couples and individuals, assisting them in accessing their innate creativity in service of clarity in what they truly want. He co-leads Couples 911 with his wife and organizational consulting partner, Susa Holt.
	Marlies Dahler DipC has been intrigued with the concept and practice of 'embodiment' since first coming to The Haven in 1995. Learning how to be 'in her body' has been crucial for her personal growth. For more than thirty years, she has been passionate about working with marginalized people, many of whom communicate by non-verbal means. Marlies leads Our Body's Tell which is new for 2012.
	Elfi Dillon-Shaw RMT, DipC is a registered massage practitioner, bodyworker and educator with 20 years' experience fostering experiences of pleasure and well-being. She is The Haven's Bodywork Coordinator and teaches programs on sexuality, body practices and stress management, such as Stirring the Cauldron, For Play (with her husband Gary Dillon). She has worked at The Haven since 1983.
	Catherine Fallis has more than 25 years' experience using movement and the expressive arts in her work with individuals and groups, both in her private practice and in the public school system in the Vancouver area. She studied Dance/Movement Therapy at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and has a PhD in movement therapy and spirituality from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She leads Spirit Body, Soul Dance at The Haven.
	Marlyn Farrell CJEA, CLSC, DipC is a trainer of lay counsellors and employment facilitators, with 16 years' experience designing and leading creativity-based healing workshops. She works with such diverse groups as professionals, at-risk youth, and people with mental illness. She has been associated with The Haven since 1984 and leads Befriending your Inner Critic, Inner Wisdom for Women and Career Revisioning. Read about Inner Wisdom for Women on Marlynn's Website www.primalnudge.com.
	John Fleury Dip.C. has a thirty year association with The Haven. He has lived, worked and facilitated courses there for many of those years and brings his lived experience of the Haven to the workshops he now leads. John’s kindness and directness are well known to many who visit the Haven. He lives on Gabriola Island and is the co-creator of Nothing Left Unsaid,  a workshop designed to deepen existing relationships through personal transparency with the awareness that this is our one and only life.
	Duncan Fraser M.T.C.  DipC.  Is a passionate and compassionate facilitator that has been associated with Haven since 1988.  He has carried the principals of Haven to many other groups and workshops in Canada, USA, Japan, and Europe.  Retiring from International travel in 2006 he has created a sanctuary for healing in his home on Gabriola Island.  He leads workshops for men in the pivotal time of stepping into their masculine. Man Time the quest of Visioning for inspiring young men (19 - 25), is designed for men who want embrace their inner knowing and respect the world around them.
	Greg Gurel became involved with the Anger, Boundaries and Safety Program in 1994 lead then by the program creator and Director of Education at The Haven the late Joann Peterson.  Using his passionate enthusiasm for anger exploration and fun nature, Greg now leads the Anger, Boundaries, and Safety program. Learn more about Greg at www.RightTimetoTalk.ca.
	Jennifer Hilton CEC, DipC is an empathetic coaching practitioner and facilitator. Her passion is building relationships and enabling people from all walks of life to reach their full potential. Her professional background includes developing leadership programs and transforming organizational culture. Jennifer has a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University. Jennifer teaches Coaching: Engaging Relationships with Cathy Wilder. Learn more about Jennifer’s passion for holistic movement at www.nianow.com/jennifer-hilton.
	Mary Holdgrafer MEd, DipC is a skilled creativity and meaning coach, group facilitator as well as an accomplished contemporary quilt artist. She specializes in working with women in mid-life and beyond. She is particularly interested in using creativity as a means of personal growth and healing. Mary incorporates kindness, warmth and gentle humor into all her work. She has been associated with The Haven since the early 1990's. She has taught at The Haven for more than 10 years.  She co-leads Healing Stitches with Wendy Huntington as well as a new program, Creative Aging, with Wendy and her husband Gary.
	Gary Holdgrafer PhD is an accomplished educator and experienced group facilitator. He is a Professor Emeritus the University of Alberta. Gary has made a successful transition in early retirement from a professional career to a rich variety of other meaningful pursuits and experiences. He has applied his strong teaching skills and interest in learning to personal development. He co-leads Creative Aging with his wife Mary and Wendy Huntington.
	Ellery Littleton BEd has been offering programs at The Haven since 1992, primarily in intensive journal-writing. The supportive non-judgmental atmosphere of his programs encourages people to take creative risks with their writing and in their pursuit of self-awareness. He co-leads The Survival Kit with Mary Helen Littleton, as well as leading From Memory to Memoir and The Spirit Journal, an intensive inner-active personal writing program, which will be offered for the first time at The Haven in 2012. His most recent book, Hummingbird Tattoo, has been nominated for an American Haiku Foundation Distinguished Book Award and is available in The Haven's bookstore.
	Mary Helen Littleton BA, BEd is an experienced teacher with a relaxed and accessible instructional style. She is a certified practitioner and teacher of Specialized Kinesiology, Touch for Health and The Bowen Technique. She is a long-time student of yoga and Zen Buddhism and co-leads Pro-D for the Self and The Survival Kit with Ellery Littleton. Read Mary Helen's article "Surviving the Busy Life" on the Shen Blog.
Bob Matthews BSc, DipC and Karin Matthews BA, MA, JD, (LL.B) are dedicated to exploring how relationships work, how intimacy can be strengthened, and how to move through conflict.  They bring their training in systems counselling and psychology from the Leadership Institute of Seattle, their Haven training, and their own experience together to leading Couples 911.
Rich Wilmer and Wenshwu Lee, DipC. They have had years of personal experience related to various forms of addiction and recovery. Rich struggled with alcoholism before joining AA in 1999 and started his Haven training around the same time. He has been supporting Junior-AA members on their paths to recovery for 8 years. Wenshwu suffered an eating disorder and has been a workaholic. She began training at the Haven in 1997, and received her DipC and Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching in 2008. She is now an executive coach, program leader, and assists Haven programs in Canada and China.
	Randy Wong BSc, MEd has worked for Adult Mental Health Services in Victoria providing community based counselling in a multi-disciplinary team setting since 1993. He has also been involved as coordinator and a supervisor of a masters' level practicum at the mental health clinic where he works. Randy incorporates into his clinical work and parenting, caring, warmth, humour and a keen interest in intra and interpersonal process and dynamics.

I've learned to communicate, to practice self-compassion, to live in the present, to be responsible for my own health, to state my boundaries, to connect more deeply with others, to be vulnerable, and mostly to be honest with how I feel.

 
Louise Forget - [read more]

 

Your tuition may be tax deductible

The Haven is a certified educational institute and is registered with the BC Private Career Training Institutions Agency. All eligible participants will receive a T2202A in January. For more information contact the registrars:

Email: register@haven.ca

Phone:     1 800 222 9211 ext 1