David Beares, M.Ac.
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David Beares is a licensed acupuncturist who runs a practice and teaches in both the Acupuncture and Transformative Leadership and Social Change master's degree programs at Tai Sophia. Coming from an educational background in environmental politics, he has spent extensive time in the outdoors, including being a counselor at a wilderness camp for incarcerated youth, hiking the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail, and studying wilderness survival at Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School. David brings a strong background of both educational and experiential knowledge to the Recovering Oneness with Nature unit.
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Douglas G. Drewyer, D.D.S., M.A.
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Douglas Drewyer received his B.S. in Biology from James Madison University in 1978. He continued on to the University of Maryland Dental School, earning his D.D.S. in 1982. He enjoyed a partnership with his father, Darwin, in their General Dentistry practice, and is now in private practice with an emphasis in General Dentistry and Implant Prosthetics in Silver Spring, MD. In January 2002, Douglas began his studies with the inaugural class of the Applied Healing Arts program, becoming its first graduate in 2005. His Project of Excellence has continued as an annual course offering at the University of Maryland Dental School: "What is Possible, and How Might We Build on That? Transforming What It Means to be a Dentist in the 21st century." Douglas is a member of the dean's faculty at the University of Maryland Dental School, a Transformative Practice Group mentor and faculty advisor at the Tai Sophia Institute, coordinator of coaches training for HCYP Baseball, and coach of the Laurel Post 60 American Legion Baseball Team. He is husband to Elaine, father to Douglas, Jr., Danielle and Austin.
Douglas declares with his initial acknowledged breath of each and every day, that he is on vacation, whether at his beloved schools, with his cherished teams, his staff and patients, family time or amongst the tribe of troubadours that follows him on his life's path. |
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Susan Duggan, M.Ac.
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A graduate of Skidmore College with a specialization in Health and Human Services, Susan has practiced bodywork since 1986 and taught at the Potomac Massage Therapy Institute in Washington, DC. She holds a Master of Acupuncture degree from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now Tai Sophia Institute) and teaches classes on the arts of living and dying. Prior to her studies of acupuncture and bodywork she coordinated educational programs at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Susan is an alumna of the Academy for the Love of Learning. |
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Gail Geller, Sc.D., M.H.S.
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Gail Geller, Sc.D., M.H.S. is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine with a joint appointment in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a core faculty member in the Berman Bioethics Institute (BBI). As a social & behavioral scientist, her main interests center around communication and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, and social and cultural differences in values and beliefs about health and illness. The overlap of these two interests, coupled with her training in Tai Sophia Institute's SOPHIA® program has pointed her in the direction of research and education regarding complementary & alternative medicine. She developed and co-directed the educational component of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Study of Complementary & Alternative Medicine in Cancer. She is also the ethics representative on the Data Safety & Monitoring Board of the National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). In 2000, she received a fellowship from the Kornfeld Foundation to explore the intersection between bioethics, complementary medicine and healing. Gail co-directs a course for Hopkins’ medical students called the “Healer’s Art” (established by Rachel Remen at UCSF). She is an adjunct faculty member (and ombudsperson) at the Tai Sophia Institute where she and Bob Duggan co-direct the “New Science, New Thinking” course in the Transformative Leadership and Social Change master’s degree program. |
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Robert Gordon, M.S., M.A.
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A graduate of the Applied Healing Arts program, Bob Gordon also holds an M.S. in Organization Development from American University in partnership with the NTL Institute of Applied Behavioral Science and is doing graduate study in multifaith pastoral counseling at Loyola College of Maryland. After 25-plus years in the adult learning, leadership, and organization development field, Bob's master's studies at Tai Sophia inspired him to take an early retirement from federal management and launch a second career as a coach and counselor to individuals, couples, and organizations. |
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Ellie Isaac, M.A., L.Ac.
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Elizabeth “Ellie” Isaac received her B.A. in psychology from Russell Sage College and her Master of Acupuncture at the Tai Sophia Institute where she’s been teaching since the summer of 2005. Ellie taught the combined acupuncture and herbal medicine mentor groups for three years; served in the acupuncture student clinic as the third member (or second as needed) on the teaching team; and is a co-leader of a Transformative Practice Group and serves as an advisor in the Transformative Leadership ans Social Change program.
Ellie practices acupuncture in English, Assyrian, Farsi and Spanish in Baltimore at Ancient Arts Wellness Center and at her home office in Greenbelt. She also makes house visits by appointment.
As a child Moma Penna, Ellie’s grandmother, would say “My headache is gone just because you walked in the room.” She would respond, “That’s because you love me.” As an acupuncturist, she hears her patients say, “I already feel better. You don’t need needles.” It has become Ellie’s deep awareness and her joyous practice to own, hone and craft her healing presence in the world.
Ellie has lived and studied in Iran and Spain and traveled to Asia, Europe, Africa and Central America. She bows to the mystery in God’s creation of all beings and is nourished in our oneness.
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Allyson Jones, M.Ac., L.Ac.
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Allyson Jones is a licensed acupuncturist and co-owner of Point Well Taken Acupuncture Center in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a Master of Acupuncture from Tai Sophia Institute where she continues to serve on the faculty in both the Transformative Leadership and Social Change and Acupuncture degree programs. Allyson also teaches Tai Sophia’s “Redefining Health” workshops to business and community groups, both nationally and internationally. She is a Diplomate of Acupuncture with the National Certification Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Allyson’s prior work experience includes clinical social work, child advocacy and corporate public affairs consulting. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in Russian Studies from the University of Virginia. |
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Diane B. Kane, M.Ac., L.Ac.
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Diane Kane is a licensed acupuncturist and an associate faculty member in both the Master of Acupuncture and the Master of Applied Healing Arts programs at Tai Sophia Institute. In addition to teaching and conducting a private practice, Diane supervises interns at a West Baltimore clinic and contributes to the medical community as a lecturer and a resource to physicians. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1990 from Towson University and a Master of Acupuncture in 1998 from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now Tai Sophia Institute). A great honor to her has been her role as mother to her son who was born in March of 2006. |
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Sarah Kirk, M.A.H.A
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A graduate of Randolph Macon Woman's College with degrees in Psychology, Human Services, and Dance, Sarah Kirk is also a graduate of the August 2002 class of the Applied Healing Arts program. She joined the faculty in the role of Transformative Practice Group faculty in 2005. Sarah came to Tai Sophia through their partnership with Kennedy Krieger Institute where she worked for six years. In addition to her faculty position Sarah is currently tending the future generation as a stay-at-home mother and building her energy therapy practice. |
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Stacey MacFarlane, M.Ac.
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A graduate of the Acupuncture master's degree program at Tai Sophia, Stacey MacFarlane has been joyfully practicing and teaching since 2001. Prior to her studies of acupuncture, she spent 15 years engaged as a performer and creator in the theatre arts. She studied, worked, and performed in the US and abroad. The unique intersection of these passions, theatre and acupuncture, has helped her to understand that the creative arts are healing and the healing arts are creative. Same river, different shape -- it's all about living fully and truly. |
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Helen Mitchell, Ph.D.
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Helen Buss Mitchell is professor of philosophy and director of women's studies at Howard Community College, as well as a core faculty member in the Transformative Leadership and Social Change program. She earned her Ph.D. in 1990 from the University of Maryland, two master’s degrees from Loyola College [in 1979 and 1974] and her B.A. degree from Hood College in 1963. Her text in world philosophy, Roots of Wisdom, is now in its 5th edition and has been translated into Spanish and Chinese. She also created, scripted, and hosted a 25-lesson telecourse in philosophy, "For the Love of Wisdom", distributed nationally by Dallas Telelearning. With her husband and life partner, Joe, she co-authors readers in world history, dedicated to Jason, their "first successful collaboration." |
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Nancy Takahashi, M.Ac.
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Nancy Takahashi has served in the human services and community health fields and counseled in outpatient and college settings for over 16 years. She received a master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute; practices in Ashton, MD; and teaches in the Acupuncture and Transformative Leadership and Social Change programs. |
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Jill Weinknecht Wardell, M.A.
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Jill Weinknecht Wardell is a 2009 graduate of Tai Sophia Institute’s Applied Healing Arts master’s degree program. Her Project of Excellence for the program was a pilot relationship course for romantic couples entitled: “The Art of Partnership: Practices, Questions, and Rituals to Build Conscious Relationships.” She is a coach, facilitator, and trainer, and in her current role as Training and Development Specialist, is creating dynamic professional development opportunities for faculty and staff at UMBC. Jill is also a 2003 graduate of the International Coach Federation accredited “Coaching for Professional and Personal Mastery” and “Ontological Pathways” programs, both coaching programs through the Newfield Network. She has developed and taught the following courses at Tai Sophia Institute: “The Essence of Creativity” and “East Meets West: The Art of Coaching.” In addition, Ms. Wardell is a professional vocalist and is currently preparing for her first solo jazz vocal album. She resides in Catonsville with her husband, Tom, and their soon-to-be son, Alexander. |
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