bios
bios

Rocky Rager- joins the staff as a Recovery Coach with a particular wealth of experience, he returns to us as an alumni. Now an avid bodybuilder and athlete, Rocky brings his passion for fitness and recovery to the young people of The Packard Institute.

Roy Nicholson, Jr.
royjr1969@yahoo.com My passion is to become successful by helping others get the things they want. I believe that by showing or helping others become focused on the good that they want,the bad will start to disapear. I have varied interests which include, strength training, bowling, personal development. My biggest passion is learning through personal development and sharing that knowlege with others that are interested in the same thing. My ultimate goal in life is to be recognized as a person who has positively influenced the lives of many people, young and old." Roy holds a business degree from American InterContinental University and has been certified as a Personal Trainer. We welcome him to the P.I. family


Elizabeth Hayes

Dave Zagar, LICDC, ICCS
Dave brings a rich pantheon of experience to us, as he's been in the field since 1982. In addition to his professional counseling experience, Dave has had a colorful and checkered musical career - currently focusing on traditional blues. Dave has extensive experience working with adolescents, and we are grateful he brings his unbridled passion to the institute.

Nancy Green
At our institute we believe the key to a rewarding, sustainable recovery is in healing the body, mind, and spirit. Nancy's recovery coaching can include fitness/wellness coaching, career development, spiritual support... or all three. Nancy is a woman who came to embody the very spirit of recovery. Her enthusiasm is infectuous, and she brings a healing smile to all she encounters.

Chrissie Hynde
-Akron's native daughter Chrissie Hynde needs no introduction. We are grateful Chrissie brings her passion, energy, and vision to The Packard Institute, Inc. board as we continue to offer Ohio's unique and engaging counseling interventions.

Gail M. Hudson
Certified Reflexologist was trained in 1997 by Berit Nillson of The Reflexology Science Institute in Columbus, Ohio. After receiving her certification, she began a small practice in Fairlawn, Ohio. Many wonderful results were obtained with clients of all sorts. Currently, Ms. Hudson practices at Stewart's Caring Place, Fairlawn, Ohio, with cancer survivors. She is the staff reflexologist at The Packard Institute, Inc. where the teens and families benefit from her treatments each week. Gail welcomes new clients to experience the amazing benefits of this healing therapy.

Melissa Ferrato
Tailored body work for your individual needs. Melissa went to massage school in Arizona where she learned a variety of modalities including shiatsu, deep tissue, polarity therapy, cranial sacral, swedish massage and connective tissue. She is also a certified yoga instructor, reiki practioner and herbalist. She has a healing intuitive touch and believes in the incredible healing potential within each person. She is ever fascinated and in love with nature and life's potential. Please contact Melissa directly at melissa.ferrato@gmail.com to schedule at P.I.

Tina Levene, B.A.,
Tina continues to motivate and challenge our area youth through the www.prideyouthprograms.org This is a world where safe, drug-free youth are equipped to lead healthy, productive lives. The Packard Institute, Inc. is dedicated to offering a Pride chapter as yet another recovery choice for the young people here.

iAnthony Gamblin
Tony's mission with The Packard Institute, Inc. is to provide athletic and educational opportunities to the youn people at P.I. while fighting obesity through mentoring. Tony's track club helps young people prepare for local races, build self-esteem, and encourages setting and achieving personal wellness goals. As an area educator and volunteer, Tony can provide ACT/SAT preperation, as well as college visits.

Eric Snyder, L.A.c., Licensed Acupuncturist
We have lured Eric out from the Rocky Mountain Institute to practice with us here in Akron. Eric brings his impressive healing skills to the young people and families at The Packard Institute, Inc. With a focus on substance abuse and the mood disorders, as well as more traditional muscular-skeletal treatment, we will endeavor to treat the whole person on their way to wellness.

Bernard G. Labbe
-Beegee Age 62; Sign Pisces; Mid to later in life, Beegee made a career change, and began working in the field of therapy. He has a MS Ed., Masters in Education, from the University of Akron, in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Certificate in Addictions Counseling. He is licensed in the state of Ohio as a Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC), and an Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (IMFT). He is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and completed the level 1 training in Internal Family Systems, through the Center for Self Leadership. Professional and clinical memberships include: The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; and National Board of Certified Counselors Often the approach is talk therapy, however, other interventions such as journaling, art, music, and a more holistic stance is delved into with the client. Beegee will also consider retreat work for families, and groups. Help is available for parent-child conflicts, school problems, depression and anxiety, marital and couple conflicts, premarital concerns, building harmony in blended families, building self confidence, stress, intra and inter personal communication, loneliness, age-related adjustments, mid-life issues including career concerns, drug and alcohol issues.

Bekey Hewit Massage Therapist/Reiki Master
- has been licensed to practice Massage Therapy by the State of Ohio since 2005. She has studied Deep Tissue, Relaxation, Hot Stone and Ayurvedic massage. She has practiced Reiki since 2004 and in 2008 received her certification as a Reiki Master. She is a certified herbalist and is a certified teacher of herbology. Bekey incorporates Reiki into all massage sessions at no additional cost, as she believes that in order to heal one's physical body, one's energetic body must too be healed.
Bekey volunteers her time to provide the teens at P.I. free massage/reiki treatments outside of their scheduled appointments. The treatments may take place before or after their counseling appointment or on a separate day. Bekey feels that massage/reiki treatments work in tandem with counseling to allow oneself to mentally, physically, and energetically purge oneself of their addiction or presenting issue on a conscious and subconscious level.

Sandra Thompson, LICDC, ICCS,
Is currently the Program Director and Director of Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services at Alternatives Agency, Inc., a community correctional facility located in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to her appointment at AAI, Ms. Thompson served as a SAMI coordinator with the Department of Mental Health at the Northcoast Behavioral Psychiatric Hospital, in Cleveland, Ohio, where she developed and coordinated program services for patients suffering with addiction and psychiatric illness. Ms. Thompson worked as a parole officer for 17 years with the State of Ohio as well as for private AOD facilities. She is a graduate of the University of Akron and has degrees in Criminal Justice/Juvenile practice and Business and Organizational Communication.

Pat "Nia" Green
As a resident of Cleveland Hts., Ohio, Coventry area in the 1970's, I was an active community participant in the alternative life-styles movement during that ea ra. Cooperative markets, holistic healing bookstores and shops opened up a new way of thinking about health maintenance. After moving south to New Orleans, Louisiana in the winter of 1978, I joined Unity Church and became acquainted with their metaphysical teachings and bookstore. It was at Unity that I met Guru David Dorshin, who became the founder of an ashram and who taught yoga and meditation to the teachers at McDonough #15 elementary School in the French Quarters, where my eldest daughter was attending. I found myself living in his ashram for the greater part of the 1980, and was taught the principles of Kundalini and Hatha Yoga, and meditation there.


Sarah Bartle
- graduated from the University of Akron in 2007 with a degree in psychology. Sarah is a social activist hoping her everyday actions will generate the change needed to make this world better for everyone. Sarah is a key volunteer at P.I., contributing hundreds of hours assisting
Ursula Rauh-
works as a mentor and facilitator of P.I.’s Creative Expressions group. She is an artist by profession and has travelled extensively with her art career. Her experiences have given her a wealth of insight and many tools for healing and personal growth. Ursula is also a Reiki II practitioner, a certified Hynotherapist, and is currently pursuing her studies at the University of Akron. Her own experiences and her work with people with addictions have added to her dedication to aiding the recovery process for others. Ursula strives to bring creativity in to the healing or recovery process, and to help each individual at P.I. to remember their own personal power and means of self-expression.
Jessica Lofthus-
is a visual and fiber artist originally from the Southwest. She holds a Bachelors in Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and specializes in oil painting, children's portraits and murals. Jessica has studied diet, holistic and alternative therapies for many years out of the need to repair her own body, mind and spirit. She has a working knowledge of most reparative and detox protocols and has personal experience with many of them. Jessica cares a great deal about helping people learn how to honor their body's symptoms and heal themselves holistically.


Alannah McCarthy
- When Alannah McCarthy is not volunteering at The Packard Institute, she is a full-time graduate student at The University of Akron, where she is studying to earn her Masters in Community Counseling. In addition, she is also a professional actor, who most recently has appeared in Duck Crossing Film's, Knotted Dawn. She also works and studies at The Houde School of Acting, in Cleveland Heights, and is a volunteer-foster parent for Akron's pet rescue group, Paws and Prayers. In her spare time she enjoys Irish step dancing, reading, going to museums, knitting, studying politics, and watching classic films.



The Four Seasons by Vivaldi by American Baroque