Trainers

 

Jerry Karzen M.A.: is the Educational Director for the Rio Program 2009-2012. In addition he will also be the primary trainer teaching roughly 50 % of the training. He is known primarily for his interpretive abilities and explanations of Dr. Feldenkrais’ Functional Integration lessons on videotape.  A number of these will be shown during the course of the program.  He is also known for his simple “bottom line” pragmatic approach, while simultaneously incorporating an open-ended “exploratory and non directive” teaching style.

"Jerry Karzen understands the deep connections that Moshe Feldenkrais achieved through touch and brings that level of awareness and sensitivity into his work."
- Jane Parsons-Fein, CSWBCD President Emeritus-Director of Training The New York Milton H. Erickson Society for Psychotherapy and Hypnosis, Inc.

 

Jeff Haller, Ph.D., is a graduate of the 1983 Amherst Training. His background in collegiate basketball and the martial arts has given him a deep understanding of function and he is able to demonstrate with unusual proficiency the dynamic use of self that Dr. Feldenkrais was always utilizing himself in his lessons.

He served as President of the FELDENKRAIS GUILD from 1987 to 1989. Since becoming a trainer in 1993, Jeff has been the Educational Director for many Feldenkrais trainings programs and has taught in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and Argentina.

 

Richard Corbeil With an extensive background in early music performance, education, and clinical rehabilitation, Richard has been doing considerable teaching in multidisciplinary clinics, international professional training programs and private seminars, contributing his unique understanding of the method in the related fields of personal development, health and the performing arts. His approach emphasizes the artistic aspects of the practice of the method. In addition to teaching, he maintains a private practice of Functional Integration in the Greater Seattle area, and is co-organizer, Educational and Administrative Director of the Seattle Eastside Feldenkrais Teacher Training programs.

 

Katrin Smithback began her studies with Moshe Feldenkrais in 1980 and has had a continuous private practice in Santa Fe, NM since then. Katrin was on the faculty at the College of Santa Fe for 17 years, teaching applied movement in the theater, dance, music and physical education departments. This ts has led her to develop and teach workshops and classes for a wide variety of groups, including athletes, actors, the disabled, therapists, the elderly, and the general public. She also teaches advanced trainings for practitioners and mentors local practitioners. Katrin teaches in professional training programs in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

 

Assistants

Heide Jung came to the Feldenkrais Method from a background in educational sciences. She received her degree in educational sciences from Johannes - Gutenberg University in Mainz. In 1992 she finished her Feldenkrais Training in Hamburg, Germany. Since 1994 she has a full time private practice in Mainz. She has for the past 15 years worked as a Feldenkrais practitioner as a part of the faculty in the departments of music, sports and pedagogics of Johannes-Gutenberg University.

Additionally she teaches the Feldenkrais Method at the State Theatre of Mainz and in various companies. She has more than 10 years experience in classical ballet and Aikido; and since 2004 she has worked as an Assistant Trainer in various Feldenkrais Training Programs.

She speaks Portuguese and in the Rio 2009 Feldenkrais Training she will also serve as an Assistant Trainer.