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Staff:

Research Director:

Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, Ph.D. is associate professor and founding Chair of the Department of Integral Theory at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California.  He is founder and Executive Editor of The Journal of Integral Theory and Practice (JITP), founding Director of the Integral Ecology Center, and co-founder/co-organizer of the biennial Integral Theory Conference. Sean is a leading scholar-practitioner in Integral Theory with articles appearing in numerous academic journals. He is co-author of Integral Ecology: Uniting Multiple Perspectives on the Natural World (Integral Books, 2009) and editor of Integral Theory in Action (SUNY, 2010).  Sean serves as an integral coach and consultant through his business Rhizome Designs

Research Coordinator:
Nick Hedlund-de Witt, M.A. is associate researcher and coordinator of the iTEACH Project at the Integral Research Center, adjunct professor in the Integral Theory and Integral Psychology Departments at John F. Kennedy University, associate organizer of the biennial Integral Theory Conference, and associate director of the Integral Ecology Center. Nick was guest editor of a special issue of the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice on Integral research (Vol. 5, No. 2) and is a doctoral student at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Nick is the founder of Integral Synergy Consulting, through which he serves as a coach and consultant.
Senior Researcher:

David Zeitler, M.A., MBA (c.), immunity to change certified coach, is an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University. He is co-author with Elliott Ingersoll of the book Integral Psychotherapy: Inside-Out/Outside-In, and is the author of a number of journal articles. He was project manager, under Allan Combs, of the Integral Institute Human Change Processes research initiative. His current research is on the emerging integral community, and is the first of its kind. David has experience in psychotherapy; human resources training; sales & marketing; customer service; business administration; workshop development; and team-building. David holds a black-belt in traditional Kung-Fu and teaches Chen style Tai-Chi.  

 
Associate Researchers:

Jordan Luftig, M.A. Jordan is adjunct professor in the Integral Theory and Integral Psychology programs at John F. Kennedy University. He is associate organizer of the biennial Integral Theory Conference. Jordan’s academic publications appear in the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice and include a research study on play and the development of an ideological approach to enacting integral futures. Jordan serves as an Integral Coach through Integral Life and in private practice. He was a reader and editor of the book Integral Life Practice, and is coauthoring a guidebook to ILP group facilitation. Jordan is a practitioner within the Diamond Approach and a former college basketball player who now counts Ecstatic Dance as his greatest athletic-kinesthetic passion.

Gail Hochachka, M.A. is adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University. As the Program Director of the non-profit organization Drishti - Centre for Integral Action based in British Columbia, she is researching, writing, and building capacity on the use of an Integral Approach to address global issues, with current projects in Peru and El Salvador. She leads the Integral Field Courses for JFKU. She is the author of Developing Sustainability, Developing the Self: An Integral Approach to International and Community Development.

Research Assistants:

Sushant Shrestha is an M.A. student in the Integral Psychology Program at John F. Kennedy University. He has a background in Management and Finance and is currently researching the application of various developmental models in consulting, coaching, and sustainable organizational change. He recently launched Anahata (www.anahataventures.com), a coaching service based on Integral Theory, various schools of psychology, and eastern contemplative traditions. Sushant was born in Nepal, is a Freemason from Virginia, and a disciple of Paramahamsa Nithyananda.

Philip Balliet is a recent graduate from Stanford University, where he studied Philosophy. His primary interests include: metaphysics, philosophy of mind, meta-semantics, and epistemology. His senior honors thesis concerns the ontological details of trope theory. Philip also has an extensive background in Buddhism, particularly in the Zen variety. In his non-linguistic life, Philip enjoys yoga, and has been practicing meditation since he was six years old.  Currently, Philip lives in Oakland, CA; but you can usually find him somewhere in the Bay Area from Mt. Madonna retreat center to his family home in San Rafael. His role models include Alan Watts, the Dalai Lama, and his girlfriend.

Amanda Haboush, M.A. recieved her master's degree in psychology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), and is currently working on a doctoral degree in applied psychology as well as a certificate in Integral Theory from John F. Kennedy University. She specializes in qualitative and quantitative research regarding mental health in adolescent, adult, and older adult populations. Her current research interests also includes culturally competent research practices and initiatives. Amanda is currently working as a research analyst at the UNLV Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy.

 

Timothy Cox, M.A. is a recent graduate of the Integral Psychology program at John F. Kennedy University.  As a research assistant at Oregon Social Learning Center, he worked on multiple studies addressing the development and implementation of early interventions for at-risk youth.  His current research interests include psychospiritual development and spiritual state-stage experiences in children and adolescents.  He intends to pursue a doctoral degree and certification for interfaith spiritual direction.