HealthyPlace.com Alternative Mental Health Community "About Dr. Smith"

Ask the Alternative Mental Health Doc
Healing of Mind, Body & Soul

By Dr. Ronald Mann
for HealthyPlace.com

Ronald L. Mann, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, author, and organizational consultant. Dr. Mann obtained a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1971, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles in 1974. His psychological training focused upon Child Development, Personality Assessment, Systems Theory, Clinical Hypnosis, Organizational Development and Psychotherapy.

He provides workshops for the public and professionals on self-healing, integrating spirituality with psychotherapy, and awakening the power of the soul. He also works as a Sports Psychologist with professional and amateur golfers in which he integrates his knowledge about consciousness and peak performance into his coaching methods. He authored the book, Sacred Healing: Integrating Spirituality with Psychotherapy which was Number 10 on the L.A. Times paperback category of their Healthy Bestsellers List.

Dr. Mann was the Founder and Executive Director of Projects for Planetary Peace from 1983 to 1986. Projects for Planetary Peace was a nonprofit foundation focused upon Citizen Diplomacy between the Soviet Union and the United States. He made numerous trips to the Soviet Union and helped to bring citizens together in order to created better human understanding and cooperation.

Dr. Mann also spent four years from 1987 to 1991 developing the Personal Relationship Inventory which measures one's ability to sustain long-term intimate personal relationships. The PRI was standardized on two thousand individuals across the United States. It is currently being used by professionals in the United States, Canada, and Taiwan. Dr. Mann has appeared on national television, numerous radio interview shows and had his own local radio program in Sacramento on station KWWN. He has lectured internationally on the relationship between psychology and spirituality.

Spiritual: Dr. Mann's meditative practice began in 1974 with Mindful Awareness Meditation. Dr. Mann began working with terminally ill children in 1977. This work led him to Elizabeth Kübler Ross, M.D. She had a profound impact on him and during a week-long intensive retreat in Hawaii, Dr. Mann had a spontaneous spiritual awakening in which he received the gift to heal others through the transmission of subtle energy. This mystical awakening opened his intuitive perception and shifted his life focus from the mind to the heart. The reality of God's presence and the power of the Christ energy changed the focus of his life and his work. He became dedicated to serving humanity and integrating spiritual truths into his personal and professional life.

After a few years of spiritual exploration, he rediscovered the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. Dr. Mann became a student and disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and continues to practice Kriya Yoga to this day. The ancient yoga techniques and philosophy are integrated into traditional psychotherapy. Dr. Mann helps to facilitate the direct experience of the deeper Self or Soul. This conscious awareness of one's true nature allows for profound healing of the body and mind and helps to deepen one's relationship with God.