Our Faculty

Colette Bizal, ScD, CMT, WHP received her Doctorate in Physiology from Harvard University in 1990. Her teaching career began in 1982 at The Pennsylvania State University. Colette’s experiences span coast-to-coast, as she was faculty and Assistant Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the University of New Hampshire and a research fellow at the Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California. Having worked in cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, teaching and research provides her with the expansive knowledge and experience she brings to the Wholistic Health field. As the Director of Education at the Wholistic Life Center, Washburn, Missouri for fourteen years, Dr. Bizal fulfilled many roles as she directed Center programs and co-directed the Center’s School of Massage and Healing Therapies, taught workshop classes, provided counseling, and designed individualized health and nutritional programs. In addition, she uses her healing gifts with clients through wholistic massage and health and nutritional counseling. At Sky Hill Institute, Dr. Bizal is the School director and teaches Anatomy and Physiology II, Integrated Bodywork, and Wholistic Health for the Massage Therapist in the Wholistic Massage Therapy program and Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, Body Balance, Student Intern Clinic, Special Topics, and Group and Personal Dynamics in the Wholistic Health Practitioner program.

Patricia Nuovo, BA, CFP, CMT, Naturopath had been in the financial industry for twenty years as a stockbroker and Certified Financial Planner. She has lectured extensively at fortune 500 companies, has been an adjunct faculty member at several schools and has taught adult education classes for the past twenty-five years. Her background in psychology from St. Mary’s College/ Notre Dame, adds to the skills she uses in her current capacity as a Naturopath. She provides financial counseling and lectures throughout the country and Canada. As one of the original staff members of the Wholistic Life Center, Washburn, Missouri, Patricia was instrumental in directing and administering many of the Center’s daily activities. She provided counseling and education to hundreds of guests and spearheaded the creation of many innovative classes throughout her time there. As co-director and instructor at the Wholistic Life Center School of Massage and Healing Therapies, Patricia was dedicated to creating the greatest experience possible for all students as she oversaw the students’ residential and work-study programs and worked diligently to counsel students through their personal challenges. At Sky Hill Institute, Patricia teaches Business and Ethics in both School programs and, with her extensive experience in the business world, brings a wealth of information into the classroom (pattynuovo.googlepages.com).She earned her diploma in Holistic Iridology and teaches this subject along with Elimination, Universal Concepts, Group and Personal Dynamics, and Meditation in the Wholistic Health Practitioner program and Wholistic Health for the Massage Therapist in the Wholistic Massage Therapy program.

David Russell, CMT, L.Ac. has been practicing therapeutic massage since 1994.  He was trained at the Cayce Reilly School of Massotherapy in Virginia Beach, VA.  David specializes in many forms of bodywork including deep tissue, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, acupressure and Tui Na.  He continued his training to receive his Master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Five Branches Institute in Santa Cruz, CA, is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, and has a sports medicine certification (Five Branches Institute).  He then traveled to China to study orthopedics, gynecology and oncology at the Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and completed an orthopedic acupuncture specialty program. David lives with his wife in Petaluma, CA where he teaches at the Sky Hill Institute and maintains his private practice, Russell Family Acupuncture (www.acuherbal.com)  David is a confident and talented healer.  His passion to understand and work with the human body using principles of both Eastern and Western philosophy is apparent as he integrates techniques from both realms into his clinical practice.  David brings his breadth of experience and his intuitive approach into the classroom where he teaches Anatomy and Physiology I, Integrative Bodywork, Student Clinic, Massage I and Massage II.

Sara Thyr, ND obtained her doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington. Concurrent with her studies at Bastyr, Dr. Thyr also completed specialty certification in Naturopathic Midwifery. She was the first licensed naturopathic midwife in New Hampshire and one of the few on the East Coast. She is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, serving on their board of directors (since 2007), and is the past-president of the New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors. She is also president of the American College of Naturopathic Obstetrics and secretary for the American Association of Naturopathic Midwives. Governor John Lynch appointed Dr. Thyr to the NH Naturopathic Board of Examiners in 2006.  She has co-authored several books on natural cooking and written many articles on natural health. Her primary areas of focus are women’s health, infertility, pediatrics, and family medicine. She is an international speaker for continuing medical education for both naturopathic and medical doctors and other health professionals.  Dr Thyr maintains a private practice, Willowbend Natural Medicine (www.drthyr.com), in Petaluma and as an instructor at Sky Hill Institute, Dr. Thyr brings her extensive understanding of the human body into the classroom where she teaches Anatomy and Physiology I.

Elizabeth Walsh, MA, CMT, spent nearly twenty years working in management and training for large and small companies.  With a love of teaching and consulting she pursued her Masters in Psychology-Organization Development from Sonoma State University.  Her work focused on facilitating people and organizations through transition, and she became a career coach for recently displaced workers.  In this capacity, she developed and taught interpersonal and professional courses to assist clients through the change process.  Her compassion and ability to listen and help clients focus their energy and strength led her to become more interested in how the body, mind, and spirit can affect people’s attitudes and coping strategies.  Elizabeth became a Certified Massage Therapist to add to her counseling skills, and found that she has a unique gift for bodywork that combines emotional, energetic and physical healing.  She has had a successful private practice for many years, and as an instructor at Sky Hill Institute, Elizabeth brings a well-rounded approach to teaching, utilizing her compassion and sensitivity for student’s needs, as well as her extensive business and coaching skills.   Her specialty areas of teaching at Sky Hill include Massage I, Massage II, Integrative Bodywork and Business and Ethics.

Stephen Bizal, DC graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, California. Dr. Bizal promotes wholistic wellness as an educator and a health care provider (www.drbizal.com). In private practice he provides comprehensive health and nutritional programs to clients and over the past ten years, has expanded his work into corporate America introducing such topics as “Emotional Intelligence” and “Corporate Healing”. He shares his years of clinical experience with Sky Hill students in their Student Intern Clinic. 

J.T. Bymaster, CMT has been practicing body/energy work since 1995. In 1997 he graduated from Alive & Well as a massage therapist and has continued his studies focusing on myofascial work, cranial work, Chi Ne Tsang, and general therapeutic massage. J.T. also has a background in client-centered counseling and coaching and has worked as a trainer for UCSF and the State of California teaching counseling skills to HIV test counselors throughout the state. His hobbies include music and extensive training in the martial arts. J.T. currently runs a successful bodywork and process-oriented counseling/coaching practice in Petaluma and at Sky Hill will be teaching Tai Chi and Chi Gung.

Michael Finn is a corrective athletic trainer (www.finnfit.com).  He specializes in helping clients move their bodies in ways that support their unique activity whether that be cleaning the house, running marathons or working as a massage therapist.  Michael works out of his private training studio in Petaluma.  For Sky Hill Institute, Michael has created and teaches a training program designed specifically for Sky Hill's massage therapy students.  This program focuses on injury prevention and strength training with a goal of preparing massage therapists to have a long-lived and injury-free career.

Denise Goitia, BA, CMT graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in Anthropology.  She has a long held passion for organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, buying local and natural food preparation.  She is a true steward of the land and shares her gifts and experiences with natural healthy foods through teaching Sky Hill's wholistic health students the basic nutrition and preparation of Raw Foods. Denise works with the Berkeley Farmer's Market and with chefs at Three Stone Hearth, a community supported kitchen. She also is a landscaper and a massage therapist at the Berkeley Sauna.

 

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