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Biography
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My ProfileDr Lisa Apramian, Ph.D.San Diego and NYCFilm Director, Psychologist,Spiral Arts Institute Dir, Enlightened Sexuality/Tantra Coach, Radio host, Shamanic Ritualist/Choreographer, Visionary Performing ArtistResume:Supplementary InformationTitle/Occupation: Cinematographer Consultant Director Educator WriterServices Provided: Seminars/WorkshopsGender: FemaleRace: Caucasian/WhiteCitizenship: USBrief Message to Members:
Always seeking funding, editors and assistants for women's issues and global issues, specialty: holistic, mind body spirit
Contact Dr Lisa
spiralawakening at gmail.com
BlessingsBiography:: Born/raised in San Marino, Dr. Lisa pursued a 13 year commitment at the University of Southern California (USC) earning a double B.S. in Psychology and in Critical Gender Studies, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in existential-humanistic, intersubjective and depth psychologies. Her groundbreaking qualitative doctoral dissertation explored the meanings and functions of solitary rock music engagement for adolescents.
From 1986-1995, she worked as a psychologist for Advanced Behavioral Medical Group and Life Fitness Center in Glendale with Dr Asimus, MD. and worked with intersubjectivist, Dr. Robert Stolorow, Ph.D. (Founding Faculty Member and Training and Supervising Analyst at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Los Angeles; Founding Faculty Member at the Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity, New York City; and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine ) in his peer supervision group for two and a half years as well as with Dr. Monahor Shinde, MD in India.
Dr. Lisa specialized in work with eating disorders, addiction, chronic and acute psychosis, borderline and narcissistic personality, multiple personality, PTSD, OCD, anxiety and Bi-polar “disorders”. She directed an inpatient cocaine treatment center for adolescents at Mountain View Lodge Hospital, then transitioned into private practice serving Silverlake/Los Feliz, Hollywood, Burbank, and Glendale, rock musicians and the entertainment industry. There, she was an ally, advocate and specialist for recovering physicians, Middle Eastern women, troubled teens, and over-diagnosed ADHD children.
After her rock dissertation, and along with financial assistance and support from Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, executive producer Tina Silvey, and drummer Kyle C Kyle, Dr. Lisa wrote, directed, produced and toured internationally with her documentary film “Not Bad for a Girl” (1995). She toured speaking at universities, art houses, museums, psychological conferences, and radio and TV stations speaking about madness, creativity, music, sexuality and gender.
A member of International Documentary Association (IDA), she offered acting coaching to Renee Humphrey, Alicia Witt, and Leslie Hope in Rafael Zelinsky’s Sundance Festival winner and psychological thriller film, “Fun”. She co-produced “Stories about Breast Cancer” with performance artist Sheila Moorland and planted 1300 upper torso mastectomy casts on posts on the lawn of the Griffith Park grass symbolizing breast cancer gravestone casualties staged during National Breast Cancer Awareness week. She raised $26k for breast cancer research co-producing an auction of famous undergarments at the Playboy Club.
Seeking spiritual inspiration, she created a vision quest to Montana, navigated by her red tail hawk allies and medicine womyn allies Lyn Andrews, Lynn Crow and Brook Medicine Eagle. Upon her return, she joined a Taoist improvisational healing meditation group in Santa Monica, and in 1997, relocated from Los Feliz/Silverlake to San Diego where she planted her healing garden, founded Sacred Sanctuary, and gave health interviews about rediscovering stillness.
She continued her education by taking Holistic Health Practitioner classes at the Expressive Arts Institute, University of California, San Diego’s Expressive Arts program, and the Natural Healing Institute studying spa, massage, energy medicine and acupuncture. She studied a variety of dance forms and worked with a variety of teachers including Odissi: Guru Yudhisthir Nayak, Butoh: Charlene Penner & Diego Pinon, Flamenco: Adrianna de Cillo, belly dance: Elle, Heather Stance, Urban Tribal Dance Co, and guru Rakizitina and the BonaDea collection. She began performing dance, meditation, and healing ceremonies for private groups and communities and with Technomania Circus, Mystic Family Circus, LA Underground Circus, Circanalia & Moontribe, choreographed rituals and with various talent including Brian Frette for her Tantra Theatre and Dance Co at Burning Man (1999-current). She performed healing shamanic rituals with Anahata, VisnuPria, Stardust, BlueGirl, Adrienne, Fantuzzi, Karl Fyre God, MJ and Hamsa Lila, Vickie Morgan, Elissa Kisselburg at Sacred Sanctuary (SD, NYC), the Love Temple, Francoise’s, M. Samko, Ph.D., Divine Ranch, Shangri-La, the Sedona Temple, Earthdance, SD’s annual 11/11 celebration and Burning Man and countless clubs in from LA to Miami Beach.
In 2000, Dr. Lisa opened Sacred Sanctuary to those who shared the vision of cultivating conscious awakenings. Sacred Sanctuary hosted classes, seminars and workshops on nutrition and conscious eating, sound healing, permaculture/conservation, world dance and drumming, meditation, mindfulness satsung, energy medicine, yoga, white and red tantra and shamanism by Dr. Lisa and guests. Dr Lisa has been a guest speaker on radio and TV regarding health, mindfulness, compassion and creativity.
From 1999-2004 studied and offered Tantric yoga puja, dance, meditation, energy medicine and sexual healing and ascension with partner Robert Frye, Bodhi Avinasha, Mare Simone, Cynthia Taylor, Shell, Francoise, Osi, Viraja Ma, Kamalla Allen, Ph.D. and medicine guides, Rakizitina and the BonaDea collection.
Christiaan Sun joined Dr. Lisa and the two studied with the Boutenkos, Gabriel Cousen’s, Daivd Wolfe and many raw food chefs on the use of raw food for cleansing, healing and awakening. From 2000-2003, the two offered health talks and raw food preparation classes and retreats at Sacred Sanctuary for those suffering with hepatitis, HIV, cancer, and food and drug addiction, assisting those wanting to overcome obstacles to conscious eating and living.
Dr. Lisa/Sacred Sanctuary hosted various monks on pilgrimage and raised monies for their temples in Tibet and India, including Dawa and his wife who nourish Tibetan children orphaned by the Chinese invasions as well as the many visiting monks and rimpaches from the Gaden Shartse Monastery, who purified Sacred Sanctuary and named Dr Lisa DeviLisa.
In 2002, Dr. Lisa accepted an offer to work in the California state prisons as a contract psychologist. It was here she earned a second and this time “street Ph.D” in criminology at the higher institution of predatorial relations and sociopathic survival. Already in alignment with the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Dr. Lisa interviewed with ex-convict, John Sherman, who became self realized after meeting Gangaji in prison. Dr. Lisa conferred with staff from San Quentin Prison and created “Satsang in the hole” at both RJ Donovan State Prison in the hole and at New Folsom State Prison’s SHU. For 7 years, she studied the prison life of men and the women outside supporting them. She became an advocate for prisoners, helped with campaign writing and multiple $$$litigations challenging misguided wardens and officers. She midwifed many prisoners and parolees including a brightly lit soul Len and began a 7 year medicine journey with him and finishing her book.
In 2003-4, her Visionary Midwives group produced Womyn’s Weaves, Spiral Awakening and The Spiral Arts Institute. In 2004, she spread Sacred Sanctuaries to NYC, the Hamptons, DC, Boston and Florida for a the next 5 years facilitated Enlightened Sexuality in private sessions, workshops, Shamanic Theatre and documenting a raw sometimes brutal phenomenological reality odyssey while cultivating her own signature Tantra methodology. She returned to San Diego and launched her Enlightened Sexuality Survey for womyn and the Yoniverse Summit to raise awareness and funds and offer girls alternatives to FGM in West Africa where she is currently shooting a documentary. She is also raising money for her teen enlightened sexuality program here at home.
Dr. Lisa dedicated years rescuing and rehabilitating pitbulls (her stars: Passion, Rosie, Otis/Odabear, and Carmen) and using them for her dog bite prevention program in elementary schools (1996-2005), after school programs and elder care facilities. Odabear is her star pitbull and award winning ambassador of the breed. She has been devoted to consciously housing and maintaining a large exotic collection of rats and 28 serpent guides. Many of her serpents have been used in film and music videos and at clubs and rituals. This began from a snake vision in Montana and was encouraged by medicine woman Lyn Crow and culminated in the development of Naga Qi Yoga. She is excited preparing to share this with larger audiences. She and her unique Naga Qi yoga has been covered by Alan Swayer’s documentary film “Meditation: East Meets West” and was invited on the Jon Stewart show following Snakes on a Plane, to discuss snakes and her very unique serpent “medicine”.
Dr. Lisa sits on the board of directors of the Association of Holistic Health and is a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT).
Her specialties include intersubjective humanistic and depth psychologies, phenomenology, sound healing, hearts awakening, expansion, qi choreography, gender play and ego deconstruction, enlightened sexuality, energy medicine, meditation, shamanism, cosmology, interactive theatre, conscious eating, consciousness, conservation/sustainability, community and animal medicine.
A lifelong devotee to the ocean, marine life, waves and body surfing since she was a child and inspired by the waves on 56th street at her second home in Newport Beach, Dr. Lisa offers Goddess Wave® energy dance meditation, qi field gliding on the Del Mar cliffs, Wahine Wave bodysurfing sessions/retreats in San Diego, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and her DVD's.
Dr DeviLisa is single, the older of 2 siblings and an only daughter. She is a survivor of a very traditional (sexist) Armenian family. If you are inspired by her journey please let her know. Blessings
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