The ARC Institute

The ARC Institute
Board of Directors

Pietro Abela, is the visionary and co-founder with his wife Melanie, of The ARC Institute. He has been an ARC Bodywork Practitioner since 1990. He is also a distinguished teacher, mentor and workshop leader.

Following careers as a professional musician and school teacher, Pietro began an intensive two year training in nutrition in 1986. During his internship he discovered an aptitude for hands-on healing work. This led him to study with teachers throughout North America, particularly Barbara Brennan, Rosalyn Bruyere and Ron Kurtz. During this time, Pietro also studied complimentary modalities such as acupressure, NLP, kinesiology and bodymind counseling. Pietro’s studies and research on stress, emotional issues and their connections to physical well-being led him to development of ARC’s powerful self-healing methods.

Many of his clients approached him to learn his healing techniques which led to the creation of the first ARC class in 1994. The classes grew and developed into a 2 year program and became The ARC Institute in 2000, as a school of consciousness.

In addition to maintaining private practices in Canada and the United States, Pietro travels internationally with his wife Melanie, teaching for The ARC Institute. Pietro is currently writing his book titled: “A Return to Consciousness.” Pietro enjoys a hobby of transforming leisure travel videos into mini-movies under the name “ARC Entertainment Productions.”

Melanie Abela, M.A. is the co-founder, President, and Spiritual Director of The ARC Institute. Her career encompasses 25 years in the healing arts. She has a B.A. in psychology from Ohio University, M.A. in Art Therapy from Wright State University, and a postgraduate diploma in Spiritual Direction from Chalmers Institute. Melanie established art therapy programs at Charter Rivers Psychiatric Hospital and Thoms Rehabilitation Hospital. She taught psychology at Midlands technical College and has given creative arts workshops for various outreach programs serving emotionally, physically and mentally disabled groups. Internships in holistic health, intuitive training and her hospital art therapy experiences led her to develop a successful practice applying the creative arts process in the medical community as a spiritual mentor. She has received acclamation from such notable sources as the governor of North Carolina and Self Magazine for her work.

Melanie currently has a practice in Spiritual Mentoring in Seattle, Washington. As a teacher of The ARC Institute, Melanie gives classes on Spiritual Deepening and Self Care in Canada and United States.

When not teaching, Melanie’s passion involves creating assemblage and collage art from recycled materials, sacred mementos and mixed media.

Jo-Ann Svensson is ARC's Community Relations Director, a Certified ARC Health Practitioner (CAHP) and an ARC Teacher. Jo-Ann brings with her seven years of experience working with chronic mental health and addiction issues. She proposed and initiated an ongoing government contract for energy practitioners and conducted research studying the efficacy of ARC Bodywork with people in early recovery from substance abuse. Her work has been written up in Massage Magazine and Vancouver's Georgia Straight. Jo-Ann has an ARC practice in both Naniamo and West Vancouver, B.C.

In her spare time, Jo-Ann writes, walks and enjoys the fine art of eating dark chocolate and drinking coffee.

Kristen McHenry, LMP, is a Director and the ARC Newsletter Editor. She brings a wealth of experience to The ARC Institute. Kristen is also the Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for The Hope Heart Institute bringing heart health awareness and education to the public.

Kristen graduated from Evergreen State College in 1994 with a BA in Performing Arts and Filmmaking. Kristen studied Laban Movement Theory, and eventually went on to attend the Brenekke School of Massage. Kristen also pursued a two-year Mind-Body therapy certification at the ARC Institute. From there she worked as a mind/body counselor and massage therapist.

In 2001, Kristen joined the Depression Wellness Network. As Program Director, she developed programs for adults with depression, led support groups and taught workshops. She also implemented a volunteer program which trained clients of the Network to provide peer support to others with depression while actively working on their own healing. In her “spare” time, Kristen writes fiction and poetry, and creates fine art for her side business Roaring Rose Designs. thegoodtypist.livejournal.com

James J. Clauss, Ph.D, is a Director and graduate of the ARC Institute. Jim came to us with experience in Chi Kung and Reiki. He has assisted in the establishment and development of the Institute by virtue of his experience as a university professor and administrator. Jim is a Professor of Classics at the University of Washington, where he also served as departmental chair and will serve as Director of the Honors Program starting in the Autumn of 2007. He is the author of The Best of the Argonauts and he has written articles and reviews on Greek and Roman literature and history.

Heather Faris is a Director for the ARC Institute and the ARC Representative for Alberta. She is a Certified ARC Health Practitioner and ARC Institute Instructor. Heather brings to ARC a wealth of experience evolving out of a commitment to her own creative healing process and spiritual journey. Over the last sixteen years she has studied and explored various healing arts including Hakomi, Reiki, Chi Gong, Kabbalah, Creative Visualization and Journey Work. Heather is currently in private practice as an ARC Bodywork Therapist in Calgary, AB.

Heather is passionate about working in circle and uses it as a creative vessel to offer workshops. She develops and facilitates Corporate Circle Workshops for Lululemon Athletica (Calgary) and is the originator of the in store environmental program.

Heather has a degree in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria and is a graduate of ARC’s Spiritual Deepening and Self Care Program. She has a love of animals and the natural world and practices animal communication. When Heather is not working she creates sculpture and 3D collage using stones, branches, bones, fabric and varied materials.