Staff

Patti’s vision for Wellness Within is to provide a healing oasis to equip individuals and families dealing with a life-threatening illness with the resources, tools and support needed to heal and thrive. She believes we are all equipped with a wellspring of resources that exists within to facilitate present moment joy and transformation even in the face of difficulty.
Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honring the integration of medical treatments and coupling it with mind body practices that enhances the quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life threatening illness brings to one’s life and the significance to pull together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

Shannon Maveety, Ed.D. has committed her life to children. Over the last two decades, she has served as a classroom teacher, administrator, Professor of Teacher Education, has owned and operated educationally-based companies, and has coached over a half-dozen sports for children, including her two sons’ soccer and basketball teams. She is a published author, has presented at local, state, and international teaching conferences, and has been on local television as an educational expert. She has been awarded Teacher of the Year, Site Employee of the Year, and was one of seven teachers nationwide to be recognized on the Martha Stewart Show in 2010 as a teacher who makes a difference with children. Moreover, she kicked cancer’s butt twice.

Shannon leaves an indelible mark in all our hearts forever. We will miss her and we will be led by the legacy she has left behind of living life to it’s fullest, never giving up in times of struggle and loving with every cell in our bodies!

Diane is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and also carries a certification in Plant-based Nutrition. She provides strategies and nutritional consultation specific to strengthening the body’s immune system during cancer treatment and recovery. She understands bio-individuality and offers integrated nutritional support which empowers her clients to attain improved overall health and well-being. She is a breast cancer survivor and is passionate about helping others diagnosed with cancer live longer healthier lives. She offers a Foods to Nourish class that explores specific immune boosting foods, foods that should be avoided and instruction on creating healthy flavorful meals.

Margie has been involved in agriculture most of her life.  She grew up on a small family ranch in Santa Rosa, CA, and later earned a BS degree in Agriculture Science.  After working for the USDA as a food inspector, she worked as a Territory Manager for a livestock feed manufacturing company.  Margie and her husband have a small farm in Loomis and grow organic produce for the wellness center.  Believing real food is good medicine, they utilize sustainable agricultural practices to grow nutrient-rich plants that are safe to eat and that promote good health.  Margie enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking and is thrilled to be facilitating Nature Walks for the center.

Matt has 25 years of physical therapy experience and has learned that his great joy and passion is to connect with people. He takes full advantage of the relational aspect of physical therapy and lifts people up in support as they learn to manage their musculoskeletal issues. Matt finds that patients respond positively and assume responsibility for their own wellness when they feel supported in a relationship that is based on listening, respect, and accountability. Because he thoroughly enjoys communicating with people on an individual basis, the technical part of therapy–education, training, and exercise–becomes personalized and fun. Matt thinks that working closely with people has helped him to become a better listener, a caring health care provider, and one who receives incredible joy from relating to and connecting with patients.

In her 24 years of therapy Patty has had the privilege to work with people in various situations and environments, none more significant or personal than in the patient’s own home. Meeting people in their homes and  helping them to regain basic, daily life functions is not only satisfying, but it brings great joy to both of us. The relational component of her work has become the priority at each home health visit, and involving the family in the process has been vital. There is something unique and very personal about working with someone in their home environment, and Patty has learned over the years that people are vulnerable while at the same time extremely appreciative of health care providers who enter their domain with respect, concern, and care.

Susan Whitaker, MS Vocational Rehabilitation

Susan Whitaker is the owner of Canyon Spirit Yoga Center in Auburn, Ca. She has Yoga teaching certifications from Kripalu Center and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Susan continues to teach and study in the areas of yoga therapy, creating individual practices, and yoga as a healing art.

There are so many ways yoga can help people dealing with cancer. It can help to de-toxify the body, improve the immune system, improve sleep and digestion, and help provide a sense of well-being and inner connection. Many people also find that the breathing techniques, movement and meditation provide a sense of well-needed quiet and peace.

“I am honored to be a part of Wellness Within and provide yoga as deep inner and outer work to those who are navigating their way through the experience of cancer.”

Brook Rivera is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist, recognized Drugless Practitioner from AADP, and is certified in Raw Food Nutrition.  She has grown up in both the food industry and health field, being a daughter of a restaurateur and a third generation healer.  Having worked in the health field for over 20 years, she is familiar with a wide range of holistic healing modalities, and recognizes the importance of bio-individuality in health and well-being.

As a firm believer in health not only beginning with the food you eat, but also with your state of mind, she is also excited to be interning as a Mind Body Medicine leader at Wellness Within.  A natural teacher, she loves supporting others in making simple changes to their diets and lifestyles so that they may experience greater joy and health, and spread it to others!

Lisa Morgan, B.A. UC Davis Rhetoric/Mass Communications

Lisa loves the written word. With her liberal arts degree, she made a career in human resource management, working for over 15 years with major retail and wholesale companies in Northern California. Life was good until she was rocked by a cancer diagnosis in early 2008. That shock sent her back to writing for self expression, providing a way to deal with the emotions she experienced through the treatment and recovery process.

Inspired by her best friend and her involvement with the AWA method of writing, Lisa now conducts expressive writing groups for Wellness Within participants. Words are powerful things, and research has shown that creative expression in the arts, while dealing with illness, treatment and recovery can ease the mind, reduce stress and help lift the spirits. Join Lisa and explore your own journey with the written word.