About the University of Healing Arts and
the Brain Optimization Institute, LLC
In this page: (Scroll Down for Pictures)
Who are the founders. Where are we located. Our legal credentials. What we are not. What is unique about our school. A one on one university.
Who Are the Founders?
The founders of the University of Healing Arts and the Brain Optimization Institute are Gian Paolo Girardi, MS, MA and Viviana Girardi, B.A. CYT.
Gian Paolo and Viviana Girardi. Santa Monica, 2011
Gian Paolo was born in 1955, to an Italian/Spanish family in Chile. From early childhood he felt a great interest in science and later for the humanities, especially for Spiritual Psychology. At age 24, he graduated in engineering from the most prestigious University in Chile. After marrying Viviana their spiritual interests brought them to the US where Gian Paolo completed a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and obtained a California State License to practice psychotherapy. He has accumulated extensive experience, gained through more than seventeen years of working with clients.
Eventually Gian Paolo renounced his license as a statement of personal independence from the tradition-laden mainstream, with its inherent limitations and over-regulations. He presently devotes most of his time to education and to his vision for UHA and BOI.
Viviana was born in Southern Chile -- one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
From early childhood she felt inclined towards sports and Physical Education. She graduated from the prestigious University of Chile with a BA in Physical Education. In her early twenties she felt a deep interest in the spiritual life and Yoga and has had a personal Yoga practice for over thirty years. She is certified as a Yoga teacher by Erich Shiffman, as a therapeutic yoga practitioner by Cherri Clampett, and as a Reiki Master by Helle Pearson.
UHA students rave about her food! As a cook her dishes are artistic, colorful and well-presented, including raw, vegetarian, and ethnic. She teaches yoga and culinary arts at UHA.
Viviana's raw food at one of UHA's One Day Workshops
Where Are We Located?
2800 Neilson Way
Santa Monica, CA 90405
In-person classes, including the One Day Workshops with Certification, the Saturday Free Seminar on Non-Duality and in-person 5 month certification groups take place in the beautiful conference room at the lobby of The Shores Towers in Santa Monica; just walking distance from the beach (see pictures below). Online classes of course are available worldwide.
The Shores Towers in Santa Monica
Santa Monica Beach; magnificent view from the North Tower 15th floor
Students during a presentation class on Brain Nutrition Counseling -- Conference Room North Tower
During a Class in The North Tower Conference Room
View Towards the Towers' Gardens UHA's teacher Arthur Galestian and from the Conference Room Gian Paolo Girardi, founder, walking
in The Shores' lobby, during one of the
breaks of the last workshop on "How
to Create a Private Practice in The Healing
Arts." Mr. Galestian made an excellent
and uniquely practical presentation on
"how to use the social networks
to market a private practice."
What Are Our Legal Credentials?
The school is an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) operating according to the regulations of the State of California in the United States.
What Our Students Have to Say About UHA
"The quality of education I received at UHA is beyond compare. The teacher to student ratio is exceptional, often one on one! This allows UHA to offer quality education in a uniquely personalized environment. I highly recommend Gian Paolo Girardi as a professor, and the UHA for an exceptional experience. I loved the books chosen for the course. I also really liked the emphasis in discussing real cases to help the student develop clinical skills. I enjoyed the class atmosphere and it felt always comfortable to share personal concerns and experiences."
Susan S. Dr. in Nutrition
What We Are NOT
Due to the spiritual nature of many of our courses, certifications and masters degrees, we are occasionally asked whether we are connected to a church, sect or cult. The answer is the following:
The University of Healing Arts and the Brain Optimization Institute are not connected in anyway with a church, sect or cult. Both institutions are strictly academic.
We, the founders, believe that Spiritual Psychology and the Psychology of Consciousness are spiritual and healing disciplines that can be presented to the student in an atmosphere completely absent of spiritual paraphernalia -- unnecesary and distracting spiritual "external decoration" -- and dogma.
A One on One University
We have been serving our students, clients and friends since March 2004. March, 2011 was our 6th anniversary.
Statistics show that after 5 years, only 10% of businesses are still in business. Thus our school already overcame this challenge. We thank our students for their trust and support.
UHA/BOI approach to graduate education is unique. Participating in our school guarantees to have a personalized training very difficult to find anywhere else. Our school specializes in mentoring, or one on one education, and small groups.
What are the advantages of a mentoring approach to graduate studies?
Mentoring offers unlimited possibilities of customized education to address the unique needs of the student.
For example, we have been able to serve students working in the film industry. This industry demands -- at least for those with successful careers -- to work on erratic and strenuous schedules. UHA's unparalleled class schedule flexibility has allowed them to pursue graduate studies and certifications anyway.
Additionally, only a mentoring system allows for complete customization of the curriculum according to the unique needs of the student. We have young students with great potential as counselors, teachers and coaches, but with no previous training in psychology. We have students, enrolled in the same program, that are in their sixties and have been working for a lifetime in the counseling and teaching professions. It is the mentoring system what allows us to serve them with equal effectiveness, customizing the curriculum, even class by class, to their unique levels of training and life experience.
The mentoring system allows us to address effectively during the class, psychological, spiritual, vocational or professional challenges affecting our student throughout the course. All our teachers have training in counseling. We can support and counsel our student until the issues are resolved or transcended.
We have found through the years that these challenges are extremely valuable, not only for the personal development, but also for the professional development of the student.
For example, in our courses in Nutrition with emphasis in Brain Nutrition Counseling, we have had students suffering from severe depression and painful dependency on pharmaceuticals. Throughout the certification course, and with the right support and counseling provided by the teacher, they were able to free themselves from the depression and also from the dependence on pharmaceuticals. A student that has a powerful personal experience like this, is bound to become a better Brain Nutrition Counselor.
Another example: we have had students going through difficult relationship issues. The courses in Life Coaching or Spiritual Psychology provided them with the support and counseling to resolve their issues and establish healthier relationships. Such healing experience allows the student to be more effective when, in the future, their own client faces relationship difficulties.
We have had students experiencing multiple, challenging life situations throughout the eighteen month Masters program in Spiritual Psychology. The mentoring system allowed us to support and counsel them until these situations were effectively resolved or transcended. These challenges offered invaluable educational material to help the student become a more effective Spiritual Psychology Counselor.
Does UHA And BOI Offer Courses in Person?
Yes, if you live in the Los Angeles area you can take our courses in person. Many think this is the ideal situation, however, even students living in the Los Angeles area, when beginning to experiment with classes through skype or on the phone, discover that a two-way video-phone interaction -- instead of regular webinar technology -- can be extremely effective, conveying almost the same quality of in person communication. And of course, the savings in commuting time, gasoline and car expenses can be significant.
Nevertheless, in person, one on one classes is the optimum. If you live in Santa Monica or in the Los Angeles and you are interested in this option please contact us for more details.
Does Mentoring Education Cost More?
The answer is no. As you may have already found out in this web-site, our prices are extremely reasonable. We owe this to our very low overhead, which is only possible when you function as an internet school. We gladly pass this incredible savings to our students, without compromising one iota the quality of the education we provide.
For more information about UHA and BOI, or to schedule a personal student interview with the founder -- in person, on the telephone or through skype -- please call us at 310-455-6815 or 818-508-1720
Studies at UHA can be pursued in person in Santa Monica, or anywhere in the world on Skype or phone. Students from adjacent cities and locations, like Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, West L.A., West Los Angeles, Brentwood and Bel Air, can also take our courses in person. Students living in cities and locations located further away in the Los Angeles area, like Laguna Beach, Studio City, Glendale, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, Irvine and Orange County, may choose to take some classes in person and some on Skype or phone. Students living in distant places like San Francisco, San Diego, New York, North/South Carolina, London, Paris, Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Santiago Chile, Buenos Aires, Montreal and so on, most often take our courses on Skype or on the phone, unless they choose to come to Santa Mónica for the lenght of the course (Note: intensive courses are also available for students living far away who want to come to Santa Monica and participate in person. Please contact us.)
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