ARC Institute Teachers
Pietro Abela
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
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 practices in Spiritual Mentoring for children and adults in Qualicum Beach, BC and Seattle, Washington. Melanie co-teaches with her husband, Pietro for The ARC Institute.
When not teaching, Melanie’s passion involves creating assemblage and collage art with recycled materials, sacred mementos and mixed media.
Jo-Ann Svensson
Jo-Ann Svensson is a Director for The ARC Institute, an ARC Instructor (2007), a Certified ARC Health Practitioner (2000), and the founder of the Creative Codependence™ Workshops. Jo-Ann initiated a government contract for energy practitioners and conducted research studying the efficacy of ARC Bodywork with people in early recovery from substance abuse. Her work was documented in Massage Magazine and Vancouver's Georgia Straight. Jo-Ann is committed to helping others find safety and joy within, bringing to ARC a wealth of knowledge of how to begin this journey. She teaches throughout the west coast and has a private practice in West Vancouver. She is a published writer and, most importantly, a connoisseur of the fine things in life like dark chocolate and rich coffee.
For more information check out her websites and blog at:
www.jo-annsvensson.com
www.creativecodependence.com
www.creativecodependence.blogspot.com
Heather Faris
Heather Faris, BFA, is a Director for the ARC Institute, an ARC Institute Instructor and a Certified ARC Health Practitioner. 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, Authentic Movement, Creative Visualization and Journey Work. Heather uses her creativity to connect and expand the ARC community. Her role supports her commitment to facilitating ways for people to live more embodied, heart-centered lives.
Heather is passionate about working in circle and uses it as a creative vessel to offer workshops. She developed and facilitated Corporate Circle Workshops for lululemon athletica (Calgary) and is creator of the ARC Circle workshops. She believes we all have rich inner worlds and recognizes the value in being acknowledged or witnessed in a deep respectful way. Heather has been meeting in and calling ceremonial circles for over 16 years and has been in private practice as an ARC Bodywork Therapist since 2003.
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.
lululemon Corporate Circle Series, Nov 2006
“I felt like I learned so much from the series…in terms of “constant consciousness”- I feel like I have the ability to live very powerfully because of the content I learned. I feel empowered and excited to take these learning pieces and apply them to my life. I recognize the importance of living fully and I am deeply grateful to have been given a new set of tools to be present and aware day to day.”
- Holly Higgins, Marketing and Community Relations, lululemon athletica
lululemon Corporate Circle Series, May 2006
"Over the course of this series I've been able to witness myself without judging, acting out of my regularly occurring habit patterns...things that weren't on my radar now are. It has affected all relationships in my life this month"
- JB, lululemon Manager
April Inness
April Inness is an ARC Instructor and a Certified ARC Health Practitioner (2002). Her determination to pursue her personal healing journey brought April into the realm of many spiritual, self help and personal growth experiences. These have provided her with a broad foundation of knowledge, skill and insight. In addition to her ARC studies, April is a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner and has completed course work for Loving Presence, Hawaiian Huna, Therapeutic Touch, Energetic Anatomy and Physiology and, Developing Your Intuitive Mind. For nine years April has had a healing practice in Powell River. As well, she has a bookkeeping and accounting business.
April discovered that improving awareness of her inner Self increased her personal empowerment as well as improved her parenting and relationship skills. This led her to become an ARC Instructor and also to develop and teach a course called “Who Am I?”
As a facilitator and teacher April is committed to helping others awaken to a stronger sense of Self, thereby assisting them to recognize and embrace the power in their own personal journey.
Her passion in teaching both for the ARC Institute and the “Who Am I” classes comes from her belief that we all have access to inner strength and personal power. April’s heart is nourished by helping others to obtain the tools that support the journey of enhancing emotional and physical health.
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