BalancingLifeProject

Ann Nesbit, PhD, LMFT

Ann, founder and Director of the Balancing Life Project™, has been a psychotherapist for 35 years. She holds certificates in the Adult Attachment Interview, Object Relations, Treatment of Trauma, Human Sexuality and Group Psychotherapy. She has studied at several psychoanalytic institutes and with many of the world’s leading psychotherapists (including Christopher Bollas, Mary Main & Erik Hesse, Allan Schore, Pat Ogden, Hedda Bolgar and David & Jill Scharf) and at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She began her career as a core staff member for eight years in a family treatment program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Thalians Community Mental Health Center.  Since that time she has been in private practice and a consultant to organizations, schools and clinics (including Menninger Clinic), taught at several universities (UCLA, USC, Loyola Marymount, Antioch), colleges and a psychoanalytic institute. She has been a keynote speaker and presenter at numerous scientific state, national and international conferences and published “The Psychoneurobiology of the Clinical Moment”. Ann’s private practice in West Los Angeles, CA is composed of individuals, couples and groups. Her areas of greatest interest and specialization include emotional development, resiliency, intimacy, food addiction, applied psychoanalysis – and amateur giant slalom ski racing.

Kenneth Kraft, PhD

Ken, consultant to the Balancing Life Project™, has been a psychotherapist for 30 years with 24 years of experience as a consultant to organizations in a variety of capacities including selection, training, leadership development, career assessment and counseling, executive coaching, change management, team building, strategic planning and organizational assessment. All of these activities have been focused on building organizational capability. Ken joined the faculty of the Levinson Institute in 1989, developing skills in leadership training and psychologically informed consultation to organizations in a wide variety of industries.  He became very interested in team development, creating his own model of doing individual and team coaching simultaneously to leverage the effectiveness of each intervention. He was the chief psychological assessor for Sheraton Hotels, Worldwide, providing in depth evaluations of high level executives. His other clients have included Monsanto, Humana, Beth Israel Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Hartford Insurance, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Nortel, Putnam, State Street and Ford. Ken is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA and has consulted with Harvard Business School to develop organizational assessment programs that enhance strategic and operational effectiveness.

Gary Sattler, ThD, PsyD

Gary, Spiritual Anchor Director of the Balancing Life Project™, is a pastoral counselor and research psychoanalyst in Los Angeles, CA. He holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Marburg, Germany, and one in psychoanalysis from the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles.  As Adjunct Associate Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and Affiliate Professor at Northern Theological Seminary, he teaches Church History, Christian Spirituality, Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction.  Among his publications are two books on church history, book reviews, and chapters and articles on subjects from mysticism to the meaning of pain in cancer pain management, as well as translations of articles by early psychoanalysts such as Freud, Reich, Rado and others.  As a Presbyterian minister Gary has had extensive experience leading retreats and seminars on spirituality, meditation and men’s issues – and he delights in all people, places and things European.

Paul A. Gabrinetti, PhD

Paul, Personal Anchor Director and Co-Director of Training for the Balancing Life Project™, did his doctoral work in Psychology at the University of Southern California where he was hired to teach in the Graduate Program for nine years. He has worked on research grants through NIMH, consulted in children’s services and with the Department of Probation, taught at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Antioch University in Los Angeles and is currently a Core Faculty Professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpenteria, CA. While at USC Paul studied Jungian Analytic Psychology and continued this research in San Francisco and Zurich, Switzerland.  After his return to Los Angeles he became certified at the C.G. Jung Institute, Los Angeles, CA as a Jungian Analyst and subsequently as a Jungian Child Analyst. Paul is a member of his institute’s teaching faculty in their Analytic Training Program and has served on their Board of Directors. He has been in private practice for over 30 years in Woodland Hills and Santa Monica, CA – and has also been invited to be a ski instructor in Vail, CO.

Lucy Doggrell-Smith, BA

Lucy, the Mentorship Director of the Balancing Life Project™ graduated from the University of Washington with a double major in Community Psychology and Society, Ethics, and Behavior and a minor in Human Rights. Her student life included involvement in her university’s Mentorship Program for incoming students and participation in a work-study program at an experimental utopian society in Auroville Village, Tamil, Nadu, India where she interviewed mothers concerning mother-infant attachment patterns. Currently she works at Healthy Start in Seattle, WA. Lucy has been married for over 20 years and has two sons. Her other interests include working as an art docent, yoga, membership in a book club, camping – and talking on the phone with Ann.

Alexander Bacher, PsyD

Alexander, Master Group Facilitator for the Balancing Life Project™, is a licensed clinical psychologist living in Santa Monica, CA. He received his BA in Psychology from Georgetown University and his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. His specializations include the treatment of individuals, couples and families suffering from addictions, depression, anxiety, and trauma. He did his post-doctoral work at The Betty Ford Center and is currently a Primary Therapist at Promises Treatment Centers in Malibu, CA. Presently he divides his time between Promises, the BLP, developing his private practice and writing and conducting research into the quantum physics substrate that underlies the relationship between mind and body. Prior to graduate school, Alexander lived and worked in New York City as an investment banker--first with Merrill Lynch's Technology Investment Banking Group, and afterwards with The Blackstone Group LLC’s Research Group. Alexander was born and raised in Manhattan, NY. His interests include theater, film, cooking, non-fiction literature, downhill skiing, rollerblading - and exploring the world, 65+ countries to date. 

Sam Alibrando, PhD

Sam, consultant to the Balancing Life Project™, is president of APC, Inc. his own consulting firm that works with organizations and senior executives coping with critical business and change management challenges, interpersonal challenges and transitions. He also facilitates workshops on leadership development and enhancing people-processes within organizations and teams. In addition, he has been the Director of Fuller Psychological & Family Services, President of the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association, liaison in government affairs to the California Psychological Association and Associate and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Fuller’s Graduate School of Psychology. He has published many articles and a seminal book on change entitled “Follow the Yellow Brick Road: How to Change for the Better When Life Gives You Its Worst”. Sam has been in private practice for over 30 years working with adults in Pasadena, CA. – and is the proud father of two adolescents.

Michael Hanrahan, MBA

Michael, marketing strategist for the Balancing Life Project™ received his MBA from UC Berkeley and since that time has devoted his professional career to consultancy and advisory services for businesses large and small.  His special areas of expertise include marketing; strategy; technology for marketing; competitive intelligence; and start-up execution. He has written and presented many market assessments, golden-opportunity identifications, venture analyses, strategy papers and roll out plans. His life-long passion for personal development led to his mission to assist in rolling out the Balancing Life Project™ through the power of modern marketing – and his heart and soul belong to dancing.

Dr. Ian Nesbit, ND

Ian, Ann’s brother, and the very first Master Group Facilitator of the Balancing Life Project™, graduated from Bastyr University as a doctor of naturopathy and was hired by his university as a professor of cardiopulmonary medicine. He has been in practice for fifteen years and is currently a primary care physician in Missoula, Montana. Ian has also served in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve for twenty-seven years – and in both careers has improved and saved many lives, especially his sister’s during her arduous launch of the Balancing Life Project™. 

Keith Robert Nesbit, BA

Keith, Ann’s nephew, and paralegal consultant for the Balancing Life Project™, majored in Political Science at San Francisco State University where he subsequently received his ABA Paralegal Certificate. During his university work he was hired as a Paralegal at the Law Offices of Pepler Mastromonaco and then at the Law Offices of Fenwick and West (both located in San Francisco, CA) – and he is currently submerged in preparation for the LSAT and law school.