We're honored to present our faculty.

Elliot Abhau, M.A., M.S.T., holds a Master’s Degree in Communications and is a licensed massage therapist in Annapolis, MD. Zero Balancing gave her the means to better serve her clients, including neonates, hospice patients, and persons with ALS and fibromyalgia. A ZB instructor since 1996, she delights in offering students a protocol, community, and an adventure that never ends. Elliot has applied the principles of ZB to her work as a riding instructor and horse trainer incorporating touch, alignment, balance, and movement. She also teaches Alchemy of Touch, Geometry of Healing, and Freely Movable Joints.

Karl Ardo, M.F.A. is a Certified Five Element Medical Qi Gong Instructor, a Zero Balancer and ZB Advisory Board member. He teaches Qi Gong, Meditation and has a private practice. He began his studies in 1974 and is currently developing Qi Gong programs for developmentally disabled children at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Bevin Clare, M.S., AHG is a faculty member and clinical herbalist at Tai Sophia Institute. She received her undergraduate degree in Ethnobotany from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, and her master of science degree in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  Clare serves on the governing council of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) and on the board of directors of United Plant Savers.

Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., is a well-known health educator and an award-winning writer, consultant and lecturer. She is the founder and CEO of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City, which offers career programs and public classes in health-supportive cooking and natural healing. Dr Colbin is the author of Food and Healing and other books. Her latest is The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones: A Holistic Approach. Her column "Food and Your Health" has been appearing in New York Spirit Magazine since 1988, and her articles have been published in the U.S. as well as abroad. Dr Colbin offers private wellness consultations, and is generally recognized as an expert in the uses of food for health.

Dianne M. Connelly, Ph.D., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM) is Co-founder and Chancellor Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, and a practitioner of traditional acupuncture since 1973, Dr. Connelly received her master's qualification from the College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK) in 1979. She earned a doctorate in crosscultural medicine from Union Graduate School in 1975, a master's degree from New York University School of Education in 1970, and her bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College in 1967. An international lecturer (she lectures regularly in Italy and Germany), Connelly is the author of Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements (1975), All Sickness is Homesickness (1986), Medicine Words: Language of Love for the Treatment Room of Life (2009), and with Katherine Hancock Porter, Alive and Awake: Wisdom for Kids (2003). She is the mother of Blaize, Jade, and Caeli, as well as grandmother to Tamar, Lennox, Rianna, Roman, and Maxim.

Jack Daniel, M.Ac. has a long history at Tai Sophia Institute as one of its founding practitioners and faculty. He brings knowledge of the Classics with the eye of an adept clinician. His teachings ground his students in the clinical skills that are at the heart of Chinese medicine. Jack received his Master of Acupuncture from the College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK) in 1979, the same year he received his California acupuncture license. He has practiced and taught acupuncture in the United States and England since 1973. Jack has been awarded the title of Acupuncturist at Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital by their Board of Trustees. He has authored newspaper and journal articles, and has appeared numerous times on television and radio. He has also served as an expert witness in legal venues, including the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI in U.S. District Court.

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM) is Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

Peter Eckman, M.D., Ph.D., M.Ac., is a physician with a specialty practice in acupuncture.  A graduate of NYU Medical School (his Ph.D. is in physiology), he began studying acupuncture in 1973 with several Korean masters, including the founders of Korean Constitutional Acupuncture and Korean Hand Acupuncture.  He earned his Master of Acupuncture from Professor  J.R. Worsley and also studied with teachers from Japan, China, Vietnam, India, and France.  He has taught around the world (including at Tai Sophia Institute) and is the author of numerous books and articles, including In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor: Tracing the History of Traditional Acupuncture.  Dr. Eckman maintains a full-time practice in the San Francisco Bay.

Charles Eisenstein, B.A., is a teacher, speaker, and the author of numerous works, including Transformational Weight Loss, The Yoga of Eating, The Ascent of Humanity, and most recently, Sacred Economics. His writing focuses on themes of holistic health, consciousness, economics, and civilization. A Yale graduate in philosophy and mathematics, Mr. Eisenstein has served on faculty at Penn State's Department of Science, Technology, and Society, and is currently on the faculty of Goddard College's Health Arts and Sciences Program.

Penny Friedberg, MBA, CHHC, received her professional Holistic Health Counseling certification at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a division of Columbia University's Teacher's College. She also graduated from the Food Therapy program with Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D. at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Penny takes a holistic approach to nutrition, helping clients make healthy changes to increase their energy, stamina, and wellness. She focuses on eating whole, real foods that work for each individual and eating in a balanced manner. Penny teaches holistic nutrition in the Integrative Health Sciences Department at Tai Sophia Institute and was on the Curriculum Design Committee for the new Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program at Tai Sophia.

Lonny S. Jarrett, M.Ac., M.S., FNAAOM, is an international recognized author, practitioner, and teacher of Chinese medicine. He has been active in the field of Chinese medicine since 1980, teaching and publishing in leading professional journals. He holds masters degrees in both acupuncture and neurobiology. A founding board member of the Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts, in 1993 he was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is a graduate of the Traditional Acupuncture Institute and studied pulse diagnosis intensively with Dr. Leon Hammer from 1986 through 1995. Lonny maintains his full-time practice of acupuncture and herbal medicine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Lonny moderates NourishingDestiny.com, an online community for 3000 practitioners of Chinese medicine.

Celeste Homan, M.S., M.Ac., LAc., received her acupuncture degree from Tai Sophia Institute in 1998 where she has been teaching since 2002 and is a member of the Core Faculty. She has completed trainings in advanced acupuncture and Chinese medical aromatherapy with Jeffrey Yuen in New York. Celeste holds a certificate in advanced massage and bodywork from the Baltimore School of Massage and is certified in Zero Balancing. She recently wrote an article titled “The Use of Zero Balancing within the Context of Acupuncture.” This article appears in the Fall 2011 edition of The American Acupuncturist, AAAOM’s official publication for practitioners of Oriental Medicine.

Kaiya Larson, M.Ac., L.Ac. is a graduate of the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now Tai Sophia Institute) and has been practicing acupuncture since 1998. Ms. Larson is core faculty in Tai Sophia's Master of Acupuncture program, a supervisor in the Faculty-Supervised Student Clinic, and is an acupuncture practitioner at Tai Sophia's Natural Care Center.  Much of her practice focuses on women where she supports both the physical and emotional aspects of women's gynecological and reproductive health.  Due to years of her own fertility issues, she gained a deep understanding of the struggle that many women experience. Having found acupuncture to be an excellent support (resulting in two beautiful children), she was naturally drawn to treating women with their own fertility issues.

Ashley Litecky, M.S., RYT is a graduate of the Tai Sophia Master of Science degree in Herbal Medicine and has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and has studied with world renowned teachers Ravi Singh and Roger Cole.  Combining her passion of world travel, plants and yoga, Litecky has studied and taught yoga in Australia and Costa Rica while studying native plants of those regions. 

Tricia McCauley, M.S. uses her creativity and passion for plants to inspire people to take charge of their health through food and herbs. She earned a Master of Science in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute and is a certified health coach. McCauley aspires to forge relationships between plants and people through her work with clients and her work as the resident herbalist at Common Good City Farm in Washington, D.C.

Heidi Most  M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. has been teaching the NCCAOM Board Certification course since 2002.  She is a Core Faculty member at Tai Sophia, teaching Theory, Point Location and Integrated Sciences classes.  She is a graduate of Tai Sophia, and a certified Qi Gong Instructor.

Robert Notter, B.S. , CHHC, AADP, Robert is founder and president of Robert Notter Business Coaching, a company devoted to empowering health and wellness entrepreneurs to build successful and fulfilling businesses. Based in New York City, he works with clients all over the world. His practice is focused on helping individuals attract clients, increase income, and enjoy long-term personal and professional success. He has worked with and taught over 9,000 people nationally. As a faculty member at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, he leads the Marketing Education Program.

Rose Payne, CHHC, AADP, is founder of High Level Wellness, a holistic health and nutrition center in Cherry Hill, NJ. In private practice, she offers assistance to people throughout the country. She is also the Director of the Immersion Graduate Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Her passion is helping clients to transform their lives through the power of nutrition. Her sense of humor combines with a kindhearted, intelligent and practical approach to guiding people to vital healthy lives. Rose is also the original author of the Food & Mood column for Cuizine Magazine.

James Snow, RH(AHG) is the director of the Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. He has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1986, completing the herbal residency program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1991. Before moving to Maryland in 2002, he was the primary clinical instructor at the California School of Herbal Studies. Snow has been in private clinical practice since 1994, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern research perspectives. He has a strong belief in integrative healing, having worked in consort with physicians at the Santa Rosa Medical Group and Sonoma County Indian Health Services. His favorite experience as a teacher is helping students learn to think for themselves.

Rebecca Snow M.S., LDN, RH(AHG), CNS is a clinical herbalist and licensed nutritionist at Tai Sophia Institute's Natural Care Center.  She also serves as Program Director of Tai Sophia's new herbal graduate certificate programs.  After acquiring her Master of Science in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute, Rebecca practiced for 4 ½ years in an integrative medical office where she gained a wealth of clinical experience with complex health concerns.  Since 2004, Rebecca has delivered a host of community course offerings that combine her wealth of clinical experience and her passion for sharing the gifts of herbs and healing foods.  Rebecca’s herbal program offerings are always fun, blending great coursework with practical applications in wellness.

John G. Sullivan, Ph.D. is Powell Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Elon University and is the principal designer of Tai Sophia’s Transformative Leadership and Social Change master's degree program. He is the author of To Come to Life More Fully, Living Large: Transformative Work at the Intersection of Ethics and Spirituality, and The Spiral of the Seasons: Welcoming the Gifts of Later Life.

Cheryl Walker, M.L., MCCC is Program Manager for Tai Sophia Institute’s Health and Wellness Coaching graduate certificate programs, a faculty member in the Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change program, and an independent leadership development consultant. Ms. Walker has a Master of Leadership from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and holds a Master Certified Coach (MCC) certification from the International Coach Federation.

Chan Zhang trained in her native China. After her doctor advised her to learn Qi Gong to treat a heart condition, Zhang mastered this ancient art. She has conducted Qi Gong classes in Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Zhang is also a lecturer in the Master of Acupuncture program at Tai Sophia Institute.