Straight Talk About Mental Health with Karen Muranko

Aila Accad, "The De-Stress Expert" is an RN, Professional Speaker, Trainer, Author and Well-Being Coach, who raised two children while building a consulting and training business, LifeQuest International. Through research and recovering from her own stress crisis, she was on a mission to discover and create powerful tools to help her clients get rid of stress. She is here to share the many benefits The Emotional Freedom Technique has to offer for people living with Anxiety Disorder.

Why KSF was formed

Karla's seven-year struggle with bipolar disorder began when she was 19. It culminated with her suicide at age 26. In her memory, the Smith family continues her commitment to help other families face these challenges.

The Karla Smith Foundation, founded by Tom, her father, Fran, her mother, and Kevin, her twin brother, is an avenue to share family experiences which similarly impact thousands of others.

Purpose of KSF

With support groups, peer-to-peer coaching, education programs, and awareness events, the KSF helps bring balance into lives that are affected by people with mental illness or suicide of a loved one.

About Our Slogan ? Hope For a Balanced Life

Mental illness and suicide create an imbalance in the emotional, mental, spiritual, and behavioral lives of the family and friends of someone with mental illness as well as suicide survivors. Most often the family and friends are confused, empty, and frustrated by the behavior of their loved one. Their life balance is gone, and they see little hope for a ?normal? life.

MELANIE MCGHEE is the award-winning author of An Illumined Life, A Personal Yearly Retreat and Reflection Guide and founder of www.peacefruit.com. Melanie brings 25 years of experience to her work as a psychotherapist, personal coach, speaker, and author. She is also one of the columnists in the new Glow Project Magazine. Melanie draws on a plethora of skills to bring out the best in people. Her ability to listen with depth empowers people to explore options and align their choices with what matters most to them. With her assistance, people free themselves from the muck that can make life a struggle. They learn to take delight in who they are and say "YES" to living more fully.

Lauri Grossman is a licensed Chiropractor and Homeopath. She is a graduate of Cornell University, the New England School of Homeopathy and the prestigious Hahnemann College of Homeopathy in Berkeley, California.

Her quest for knowledge has taken her to Greece to meet with George Vithoulkas and to study with Indian and English homeopaths, Rajan Sankaran and Jeremy Scher.

Dr. Grossman developed the curriculum in homeopathy and teaches in the holistic departments of the graduate schools at New York University, the College of New Rochelle and the New York Chiropractic College.

Known and respected as an expert in integrative care, Dr. Grossman has taught at Sloan Kettering-Memorial Hospital, the Hospital for Special Surgery and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Grossman will be Chair of the Department of Medicine and Humanistic Studies at the American Medical College of Homeopathy slated to open in Arizona in 2009.

Susan Gale is currently one of three owners of the spiritual center, A Place of Light, located in central Massachusetts. All of her adult life has been spent as a teacher, principal and director, working with children and their families through schools and children's programs. Co-author of Psychic Children and Soulful Parenting, she currently offers classes to adults, teens and younger children as well as private sessions to help them understand their intuitive abilities and gain more control and benefit from them.

A Place of Light is a center dedicated to the support of intuitive children (Indigo, Crystal, etc.) and their families as well as intuitive adults. What we offer you is a place where you can speak freely to a listening ear about your children's experiences, your frustrations with labels such as ADHD, ADD, austistic and other DSM labels, as well as your joys and concerns. If your child is afraid to go to sleep at night because of what is seen or if your child refuses to enter certain areas of your home or other places you might visit, we can help. It is our belief that many behaviors that are labeled as being mental illnesses are actually manifestations of intuitive abilities.

In my private therapy and counseling practice, I provide a safe, caring, confidential space for individuals and couples to deal with the concerns, confusions, struggles, and questions that need to be expressed, sorted out, and resolved. My personal and professional knowledge of gay psychosocial issues and developmental milestones of gay men enhances my ability to understand, support, and care for the gay men I serve.

Bachelor of Music Degree from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ

Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California.

Clinical Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Member of the American Guild of Organists

Ted A. Moreno is a Certified Hypnotherapist in his 5th year of practice with locations in South Pasadena and Covina, California. He is an Honors Graduate and Director?s Award recipient of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, the nation?s first accredited college of hypnotherapy. In addition to his certification as a hypnotherapist, he also holds certifications as a practitioner of NLP, and as a Therapeutic Imagery Facilitator.

Ted?s mission is to empower his clients to be the cause of their personal transformation in their lives for greater health, happiness and fulfillment by using the tool of hypnosis. Whether it?s career success, smoking cessation, weight management, or letting go of fear and anxiety, hypnotherapy can help. Ted?s believes in "Changing Minds One Thought At A Time".

Dr. Ankur Saraiya is a Board Certified psychiatrist who obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University, attended medical school at Columbia University, and completed a residency in general psychiatry also at Columbia and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Saraiya went on to complete a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at New York University and Bellevue Hospital and is also Board Certified in Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Saraiya?s long standing interests include the integration of multiple modes of treatment for the treatment of mental illness and the promotion of physical and mental health. Dr. Saraiya is an Attending Physician at Bellevue Hospital as well as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University. He has a private practice in Manhattan and serves as a supervisor of young psychiatrists training in Columbia?s residency.

Recently, Dr. Saraiya co-authored a question and answer review for Medscape that was distributed at the national meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. He has lectured on the management of the suicidal patient at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and will be quoted in an upcoming article in Men?s Health magazine. Dr. Saraiya is currently working on a book analyzing the psychological obstacles that interfere with individuals in making positive changes in their health habits.

Robin Hill is a masterful practitioner of the psychology of wealth and accelerated personal achievement. Robin is a man whose purpose in life is to inspire people to their greatness through his clarity of mind and sensitivity to their needs.

As a life long seeker, Robin has sought to find the simplest ways for individuals to change from unproductive behavior to achieving spectacular results. As a graduate of the Christopher Howard series of trainings, Robin is Certified as a Trainer and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, (NLP), and Neurological Repatterning, Certified Master of Ericksonian Hypnosis, Certified Master Results Coach and Certified Reiki Master.

In 2000 Dr. Nunez developed, and now teaches, the 3-D Chiropractic Technique (3-DCT). This technique involves manipulation of the structures of the body with no twisting, popping, or cracking. Many patients prefer this method that are uncomfortable with conventional manipulative techniques.

Dr. Nunez is part of "Team Muranko" and he has helped me greatly in eliminating physical pain brought on by an emotional issue. His kind spirit and genuine concern for his patients makes him a valued member of my Team.