

Dr. Viktor Benedek, MDFounder, Academic Dean Dr. Viktor Benedek was born in the Soviet Union on April 3, 1954. Viktor began his medical studies in 1971 at a medical school in Beregovo, Ukraine, where he finished in 1973 with an Honours Diploma. For 2 years following his studies, he was a Military Medical Officer. Viktor then went on to medical university, studying at the State Medical University in Izhevsk, Russia, and earning his Doctorate in Medicine in 1982 from St. Gyorgy University of Medical Sciences in Szeged, Hungary. Viktor then spent the next 6 years as a medical doctor in Hungary and concurrently earned physician's specialization training for general practitioners from the University of Budapest. Viktor immigrated to Canada in 1989 and spent the next 2 years as a primary health care provider in Winnipeg. He moved to the West Coast in 1992, settling on Vancouver Island. For the next 3 years he was the manager of a 79-bed, multilevel care facility with 53 employees in Victoria. He and his wife also owned and managed a health care facility in Qualicum Beach. During this period Viktor began his career as a college instructor. Over the last 14 years he has been an instructor of biomedical sciences, earning the distinction of being one of Victoria's most revered teachers in health sciences. In 1999 he earned a diploma in a provincial instructor program at the Vancouver Career College. Outside of medicine, Viktor enjoys nature most of all. He is an avid skier and outdoorsman and loves to cook using foods grown in his own garden or foraged from the wilderness. He even finds time to make twig furniture. Viktor is multilingual, speaking English, Hungarian, Russian and Ukrainian. He is a loving husband and a proud father of three boys. |
Todd N. Howard, BSc, DTCM, RAcFounder, President Todd Howard was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountain range in the eastern United States. He began his formal medical studies at West Virginia University where he graduated with distinction from the undergraduate School of Medicine, completing a thesis on the role of Complementary and Alternative Medicines in sports therapy. He has since explored the world pursuing studies in indigenous medicines. He has traveled on 5 continents in 30 countries, including a year of work at the world's busiest clinic of Acupuncture and Homeopathy in Sri Lanka, 3 months interning in hospitals in China, 4 months as an Acupuncturist and lecturer on a world-class cruise line and 2 months as a medical volunteer in East Africa. Todd earned a Doctorate of Acupuncture from the Open International University of Complementary Medicine and a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Victoria, British Columbia. He was one of the youngest people ever to be named a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (OMD) in West Virginia and is currently a Registered Acupuncturist in British Columbia. Todd moved to Victoria in 2002 where he founded Grassroots Holistic Healing, which supports various local and international humanitarian groups and projects. He has been a college instructor since 2004 and was was a faculty member of the University of British Columbia's School of Pharmacy Continuing Education in 2006. In addition to his academic and career accomplishments, Todd is an elite distance runner with international racing experience. He was the top North American finisher at the 2006 and 2007 Real,- Berlin Marathons, winner of both the 2007 Vancouver Island Race Series and the 2007 BMO Vancouver Half Marathon and eighth finisher at the 2008 AT&T Austin Marathon. He has placed in the top 5 in 5 international marathons. In the future, Todd intends to pursue a Doctorate in Medicine with a specialty in infectious diseases. He hopes to provide sustainable medical care in poverty-stricken regions of the world. |
James Christian, BSc, MNIMH, RHDean, School of Phytotherapy James Christian is a fully qualified and licensed Medical Herbalist, having studied with the College of Phytotherapy in the UK and achieved a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Herbal Medicine. This program was a 4-year, full time program involving rigorous training in western medical sciences, diagnostic skills, pharmacy and materia medica (the study of individual herbs) and extensive clinical training in their London Clinic. James maintains professional membership in the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) in the UK, which is the oldest professional body of practicing medical herbalists in the world. The NIMH was founded to maintain high standards of practice and patient care. James is also past-President of the Modern and Traditional Herbalists Guild of BC and a member of the Canadian Herbalists Association of BC. He is working on establishing licensing of Herbal Medicine and Herbalists within BC and Canada. James also sits on the Board of the Canadian Council of Herbalists Associations (CCHA) and works at a national level to promote and protect Herbal Medicine. James has traveled throughout South Korea and studied Oriental Herbal Medicine with Oriental Medical Doctors and Pharmacists there. At the same time he lectured in Western Herbal Medicine at CHA Hospital and University in Seoul to both Western and Oriental Doctors and Pharmacists. James is very passionate about nature and the environment. He travels to various parts of the world to study their use of indigenous medicines. Aside from working with medicinal plants in South Korea, James has spent time in Peru where he met with shamans in the rainforest to talk about their use of plants as medicines. |
Brea Segger, BA, Dip Fin Mgmt Director of Operations and Admissions Brea has extensive experience as a Business and Organizational Manager in a variety of fields including organizational development, business development, performance management and human resources. In early 2005, Brea joined Kirschner Consulting Inc. as a Senior Consultant, focusing on Merger and Acquisition Due Diligence and Strategic Candidate, Employee and Organizational Assessments. Brea subsequently founded a consulting firm and has been successful in providing organizational and human capital assessments pre- and post-Mergers and Acquisitions for multi-million dollar businesses primarily in the environmental and construction sectors of the USA, Canada and the Cayman Islands. Brea holds a BA with distinction from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Corporate Finance from the British Colombia Institute of Technology. |
Brenda Loew, MAc, LAcDirector, Japanese Acupuncture Certificate Program Brenda Loew graduated from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine in 1991. Specializing in Japanese acupuncture systems - particularly Manaka Yin Yang Balancing Therapy, Shonishin Pediatric Acupuncture and Toyohari Meridian Therapy - she operates a successful practice in Seattle. Brenda has traveled annually to Japan since 1996 for advanced studies with senior Japanese teachers and attends annual national trainings in the US. In Amsterdam in 2005 she completed the first Advanced Toyohari training offered outside of Japan. Brenda is the current President of the Toyohari Association of North America (TANA), President of the Seattle Branch of the Toyohari Association, and an authorized Toyohari instructor. She was on the faculty of NIAOM from 1994 to 2002, is on the Continuing Education faculty of Bastyr University, and teaches Japanese acupuncture across the United States. She is a co-founding member of the Japanese Acupuncture Institute, LLC, which offers a Certificate in Japanese Acupuncture. |
Nikki Manzie, BScDirector, Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork program Nikki Manzie is the Director of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork program at Pacific Rim College. She has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Integrated Sciences, is a Certified Yoga Teacher, an Ayurvedic Medical practitioner and educator, and is trained as a Traditional Thai Massage teacher and practitioner. A meditation practitioner since 17 years of age, in 1998 Nikki founded Yanumoja Yoga, a practice of self-exploration through movement, breath, meditation and reflection on seasonal themes. Since then she has provided professional training for yoga teachers and, in more recent years, has expanded her teaching to include traditional Thai massage and Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (acupoints in the Indian tradition). Nikki is also passionate about wild-crafting herbal medicine, rock-climbing, hiking, camping and art! |
Janette Baugh, MAc, LAc, LMPJanette Baugh earned a Master's of Acupuncture from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM) in Seattle. She also holds a Master's in Education from the University of Washington. She earned her Japanese Acupuncture Toyohari Certification in 1997 and has since trained yearly with senior Toyohari Masters in the US and Japan. She has served as a faculty member of Japanese Acupuncture since 1996, teaching at NIAOM, Bastyr University, and Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, and is a co-founder of the Japanese Acupuncture Institute, LLC. Janette brings 30 years of teaching experience, a clarity of presentation, and great enthusiasm to her teaching. She maintains a private practice in Seattle specializing in Japanese Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage, Cranial Sacral and Yoga Therapeutics. |
Fiona Hamersley Chambers, BA, MEDes, MScFiona was born in Vancouver and spent much of her childhood around coastal BC. Most of her formative years were spent with her family at the old Dididaht village site of Clo-oose (in what is now Pacific Rim National Park Reserve), in the UK countryside, and in the Penelakut community on Kuper Island near Chemainus, BC. It is this early experience in nature and with First Nations communities that she attributes her life-long interest in ethnobotany. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria in French and Environmental Studies (1994), a Masters of Science in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University (1998), and a Masters in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary (1999). Speaking English, French and Spanish, she has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Mexico and Central America and has a strong interest in learning about traditional plant uses wherever she can. Fiona has taught Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria since 1999, and currently divides her time between teaching, running a small organic farm and nursery in Metchosin, writing books and academic papers, working as a naturalist, and raising two energetic boys. She enjoys outdoor pursuits like hiking, camping and playing with her children, and is especially fond of foraging for wild foods to cook with her family back at home. She also plays the guitar and sings. |
Malcolm ClarkMalcolm Clark has practiced and taught Tai Qi Chuan and Qi Gong for 10 years. Malcolm brings awareness to students' structural imbalances through body movement. He discovers where tension resides in the body by warming up the senses within. Experimenting with body movement opens pathways of understanding and an expanded field of possibility in the moving body. Some of the techniques used include physical listening, following, spiraling, and falling into space. Malcolm runs a practice of healing energy and bodywork at his studio in Victoria, BC, where he lives with his wife and two sons. |
Conrad Crockett, RAcConrad Crockett completed a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program in Victoria, BC, and has been a yoga instructor since 2003. He is currently an acupuncturist at Cedar Hill Sports Therapy Clinic, and employs his knowledge of yoga and of the meridian and nervous systems to help his clients experience radiant health and vitality. Using his post-graduate studies and teaching experience in sports therapy, Conrad teaches Orthopedics and Traumatology at PRC. |
Marta Donovan, BSc, RPBioMarta Donovan is a Registered Professional Biologist who currently works as a botanist in Victoria managing information on the status and distribution of rare plants in BC. She holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Environmental Technology from Camosun College. Over the past 20 years she has amassed impressive knowledge about local medicinal plants. Before moving to Victoria in 1987, Marta owned and operated one of Toronto's premier natural food markets dedicated to providing organic foods and natural health care products and promoting organic agriculture. |
Martin Feldman, LAcMartin Feldman graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1982 and has been an ardent student of various styles of Japanese acupuncture ever since. He has studied Toyohari Meridian Therapy for nearly 2 decades, including 4 trainings in Japan, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Toyohari Association of North America. A nationally-renowned lecturer and teacher, Martin is the former Chair and current faculty member of the Japanese Acupuncture Department at the New England School of Acupuncture in Boston. |
Reuven Freesman, DTCM, TCMPReuven Freesman earned a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Victoria, BC, and completed post-graduate training in Tianjin, China. Reuven's passionate interest in the human condition has taken him from ancient wisdom through modern science and beyond. His knowledge and training in dozens of healing systems compliments his years of in-depth of study in other areas, encompassing virtually every major world religion and philosophy. Greatly influenced by the work of Integral visionary Ken Wilber, Reuven's goal is to distill the essence of all this knowledge into a fully integrated healing session that gives each patient precisely what they need to reach their fullest potential. His natural gifts as a teacher make him an inspiring presence to students and patients alike. Reuven has trained with many pre-eminent experts in the field of Chinese Medicine, including Dr. Michael Greenwood, Lonny Jarrett, Neil Gumenick and Dr. Fang Liu in Tianjin, China. Reuven runs a highly successful Chinese Medicine practice, incorporating Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, at Alembic Healing Arts Center. In his free time, Reuven enjoys writing and playing the guitar. |
Dr. Michael Greenwood, MDMichael Greenwood trained at St. John's College, Cambridge, and St. Mary's Hospital, London, and practiced Family Medicine in Victoria for many years. His interest in deep healing arose out of his own experience of chronic pain, which began with a motorcycle accident while he was a medical student. The pain, unresponsive to all that conventional medicine could offer, forced him to face the limits of his own medical training. His search for an answer led him on a fascinating journey to a new understanding of health and illness, stress and deep inner tensions, and how they affect our lives. Many of those insights were recorded in Michael's first book, Paradox & Healing: Medicine, Mythology and Transformation, co-authored with Dr. Peter Nunn and first published in 1992. Michael's explorations into alternative approaches led him to study Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and meditation before they became generally fashionable. He was one of the founding staff-members of the Canadian College of Chinese Studies, where in addition to teaching, he initiated a research study into the use of acupuncture for post-MVA chronic pain. That research gradually evolved into the highly successful residential program at the Victoria Pain Clinic. His second book, Braving the Void: Journeys into Healing, arose out of his experiences at the Pain Clinic, where he developed many of the interactive techniques discussed more fully in The Unbroken Field: the Power of Intention in Healing. In 1993, Michael gave up his Family Practice to devote his time to people suffering from chronic pain and other chronic illnesses. He is the Medical Director of the Victoria Pain Clinic. |
Neil R. Gumenick, MAc (UK), LAc, Dipl AcVisiting Professor Neil Gumenick is one of the world's foremost practitioners and teachers of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture. He is Founder and Director of the Institute of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture Inc., which offers training to acupuncturists, physicians, and students in this unique system of body/mind/spirit medicine. He has been in private practice in Santa Monica, California for 26 years and holds 3 degrees and an advanced teaching certification from the College of Traditional Acupuncture, UK. He is a founding member of the Worsley Institute of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture, and Provost of the Master Apprentice Program. Neil has been a Professor of Acupuncture at Emperor's College and SAMRA University and has taught at the USC and UCLA Schools of Medicine, the Worsley Institute, TAI Sophia, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine, the Pacific Symposium, CSOMA Expo, and the AOM Alliance Expo. He is a distinguished columnist for Acupuncture Today, and has been published in the California Journal of Oriental Medicine, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and the European Journal of Oriental Medicine. |
Ted van Hemert, RAcTed van Hemert, R.Ac, Currently teaches Acupuncture Point Energetics, and Techniques and Therapeutics at PRC. Ted has been in practice for over 8 years, and has lectured all over the world. With a pragmatic approach to teaching Chinese Medicine, he blends his clinical experience with humour and visual aids to encourage effective learning from his students. Ted's interest in Medicine started with a passion for Botany, Western Herbology and Nutrition. Extensive study in those areas eventually led him to discover Chinese Medicine, and within himself a natural talent for Acupuncture. Ted is passionate about medicine and has a genuine desire to bring about an enhanced quality of life in his patients. Ted has a special interest in community-based acupuncture, acu-detox, and treating pain of any kind. Ted is the founder of Fine Point Acupuncture. |
Amanda Howe, MScAmanda Howe has been a practicing herbalist for over 20 years and grows and wildharvests herbs for use in her practice. She was admitted to membership of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) in 1986 and completed a M.Sc. degree in Herbal Medicine with distinction from the University of Wales, UK, in 2003. She is currently a research associate at Royal Roads University Centre for Non Timber Resources, sits on the board of the Canadian Council of Herbalists' Associations and is a member of Health Canada's Expert Advisory Committee for Natural Health Products. She is also actively involved in community initiatives to preserve local environment and medicinal plant ecosystems. Amanda lives and practices in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. |
Dr. Kevin K. Hu, PhD, DTCM (China), RTCMPDr. Kevin K. Hu is a senior acupuncturist and herbalist with over 20 years clinical experience in China and Canada. In 1986, after graduating from a 5-year TCM program from the Hubei College of TCM, he started his career in the Changhang General Hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in Wuhan. He worked as a doctor of integrated Chinese and Western medicine, successfully treating both walk-in and hospitalized patients. In 1994, Kevin went to the Guangzhou University of TCM to complete further training in clinic and research. Six years later he was granted a Ph.D (TCM) and became a professor of the university, responsible for training international students seeking higher level education in acupuncture and herbology. He is an author of a number of medical books and research papers published in China. Kevin has practiced and taught acupuncture and herbal medicine since his immigration to Canada in 2004. He is currently a Registered Practitioner of TCM in BC. |
Yong Hu, MScYong Hu has a Master's in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Nanjing University of TCM. Beginning in 2001 he spent 5 years working as a herbalist at the Yangzhou City Hospital of TCM, the last 4 of which he served as the hospital Chief of Staff. He has been a medical representative on herbal medicines for several major pharmaceutical companies during the last decade. Yong Hu is an expert on the Chinese Materia Medica. |
Nadine Ijaz, BArtsSc, RH(AHG)Nadine Ijaz is a Clinical Nutritionist, Shiatsu Therapist and Registered Herbalist who has been in practice combining these 3 modalities over the last decade. Nadine's education includes an interdisciplinary degree from McMaster University; formal training at 2 colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre, and East-West School of Herbology (under Michael and Lesley Tierra); as well as an extended internship/apprenticeship with Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods. Nadine has also completed several courses with such important practitioners as Donald Yance (Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer) and shiatsu master Tetsuro Saito. She is currently completing a M.Sc degree in Herbal Medicine through the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine (in association with U. Wales). Most recently, Nadine worked as the staff Nutritionist/Herbalist at InspireHealth, an integrated cancer care centre in Vancouver. Prior to the birth of her son, she owned and managed a multi-disciplinary clinic that included her store, the Food Apothecaria, and a full herbal tincture dispensary. In addition to running professional-level trainings in all areas of her work, and creating a community clinic in Vancouver, she also trained nutritional consultants for 6 years at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Nadine's activist background in social and ecological justice movements informs her healing work in deep ways, which complement her commitment to daily life as a spiritual practice. |
Lonny S. JarrettVisiting Professor Lonny Jarrett is a world-renowned presenter and authority on Chinese Medicine, has been practicing Chinese Medicine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts since 1986. He is a founding board member of the Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts and a Fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Lonny is author of Nourishing Destiny: The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine and The Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine, as can be seen at http://www.spiritpathpress.com/. He runs a cutting edge community for students and practitioners of Chinese medicine online at www.nourishingdestiny.com. |
Dr. James Lander, MSc, DCDr. James Lander studied Exercise Physiology at West Virginia University while competing on the university's division I track and cross-country teams. It was amidst a season of injury where he gained a great appreciation for the human body, its incredible design and ability to heal. It was at this time chiropractic's role in health care and assisting in one's health and wellness began to emerge in Dr. Lander's mind. While in West Virginia, James earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Exercise Physiology from the school of medicine. After 5 years of secondary education, James embarked on a journey through the professional distance running ranks, highlighted by winning the St. George Marathon and competing in the 2008 US Olympic Trials in the men's marathon. Through another season of injury, James rediscovered chiropractic, which ultimately forged his passion of distance running with a deep-rooted conviction to help others. This led him to enrol at Southern California University of Health Sciences to pursue a doctorate of chiropractic. At SCUHS, Dr. Lander specialized in sports medicine, however, in private practice has enjoyed working with athletes of all levels in addition to having a prominent family and wellness practice. Dr. Lander is currently in his last semester of the Diploma of Acupuncture program at Pacific Rim College. |
Michael Lium-Hall, BA, RAcMichael Lium-Hall has a diverse and integrated academic and professional background. He received his BA in Human Ecology and Education in 1991. He worked for several years within private and public schools as a classroom instructor, and later as a special education teacher, where he worked with children diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, and a variety of other learning disabilities. Having had a life-long interest in wholistic approaches to health and healing, Michael was initially drawn into the study of complementary medicine as a result of his sister's battle with polymyocitis. Since then he has accumulated more than 12 years of study and practice in the fields of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga Therapy, Addictions, Music Therapy, and Organizational Psychology, all of which are valuable in his multidisciplinary practice. Michael has worked with people of all ages, from small children to the elderly, and has worked in a wide variety of settings including health clinics, health spas, yoga studios, hospice, retirement homes, and corporations. Michael has been in private practice for more than 8 years and currently overseas both Hemma, a community-based acupuncture clinic and yoga studio, and Integratus. He is a Registered Acupuncturist, Body-worker, Yoga therapist and member of the National Acupuncture Detox Association. |
Gillian Marsollier, MTCM, RAc, CIGillian Marsollier received her Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in British Columbia and then successfully passed the provincial registration exam in 2001. She has practiced in Vancouver, BC, St. John's, NL, and Dartmouth, NS. Gillian has been a primary instructor for the 3-year Acupuncture Program in St. John's, NL, through the CompuCollege and served as Program Director for the Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick CompuCollege Acupuncture programs. Her practice specialties include Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Iridology and Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture. |
Sabina Pettitt, DTCMSabina Pettitt is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the co-creator of Pacific Essences. Acknowledged internationally as a pioneer in the field of marrying the knowledge of these two fields of healing, Sabina teaches people how essences can be used to heal physical, emotional and mental disease and nourish Spirit simultaneously. |
Anne Deleume Poirier, RA, OETAnne Deleume Poirier earned certification in aromatherapy first as a certified aromatherapist in 1995 and then as a registered aromatherapist in 1996 from the Aromatherapy and Reflexology Centre in Hamilton, Ont. She also holds professional certifications as an Essential Oil Therapist, Aromatherapy Instructor, La Stone Therapist and Ear Coning Practitioner. For the last 14 years she has been practicing as a Registered Aromatherapist (RA) and Essential Oil Therapist (EOT) at Arome Aromatherapy Studio located in downtown Victoria, BC. She has taught the BCAOA aromatherapy course curriculum as a certified aromatherapy instructor for 2 years and is a member of both the BCAPA (British Colombia Association of Professional Aromatherapists) and the BCAOA (British Colombia Alliance Of Aromatherapy). Anne brings to the classroom her diverse knowledge in Chinese hand and ear reflexology, Bach flower remedies, hydrosols, perfume blending and much more. |
Daniel Zizza, LAc, MAcDan Zizza became interested in Japanese acupuncture in 1986, while still a student at NIAOM and studying with Stephen Brown. After graduation in 1989, Dan began extensive study in Japanese acupuncture with Stephen Birch, Junko Ida, and Kiiko Matsumoto. In 1995 Dan had the opportunity to study with the senior senseis of the Toyohari meridian therapy association for an introductory weekend. Following that workshop he took the year-long basic training program in Toyohari meridian therapy, completing the program in 1996. Since then Dan has continued studying Toyohari meridian therapy, attending regular trainings with the senseis both in the US and in Japan. Dan began teaching and supervising students in Japanese acupuncture clinic shifts at NIAOM in 1994. In 1998 Dan began instructing in the Japanese acupuncture certificate program. He became a Toyohari meridian therapy instructor in 1999. |