Dr. Celedra Gildea
971-285-3546
About Me
The process of being in psychotherapy transformed my life. It was a “waking up” to a new world that offered choice and meaning from a grounded place of consciousness. So, after 15 years in the corporate world, I made the life-changing decision to go back to school in order to obtain my licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist. A few years later, I obtained a doctorate in Transpersonal Psychology.
Hospice work was a journey into life and death I’d not yet known. Sitting with families, couples, individuals through this precious time awakened my heart and taught me the lesson of my life – that there is no time like the present to live life to the fullest.
Interlaced through the years was a growing spiritual practice grounded in meditation retreats and dharma talks. In 2007 I journeyed to Tibet to start a non-profit for the Nangchen nuns - an extraordinary experience that i will always be in awe of.
Knowing first hand the wide range of benefits that a practice of meditation, compassion and mindfulness can bring makes me so grateful to be able to offer the Mindful Self-Compassion Training created by Christopher Germer, PhD and Kristen Neff, PhD, and known throughout the world.
My growing interest in neuroscience and particularly the research regarding compassion brought me to Stanford University School of Medicine’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), a program funded in part by the Dalai Lama. The vision of this program is to “create a multi-disciplinary environment whereby compassion and altruism studies are supported and legitimized within the broader scientific community and to use research advances to create tools that allow humans to become more compassionate and to engage more readily in altruistic behaviors.
As Hermann Hesse writes:
I can give you nothing
that has not already
its origins within yourself
I can throw open no
picture gallery
but your own
I can help make
your own world visible-
that is all.
Whether with me or someone else, give yourself the life that was meant to be yours. It is precious.
My Qualifications
- Doctoral Degree in Transpersonal Psychology from the International University for Professional Studies
- California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Licensed Professional Counselor
- Member of the International Centre for
- Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Member of Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies
- 15 years of hospice work and the profound learning of the preciousness of every moment
- 7 years as co-founder and facilitator of the Life Empowerment Action Program, a monthly three day transformative retreat experience
- Previous faculty at The Wellness Institute as a teacher and trainer in hypnotherapy, breathwork and group process
- More than 30 years of meditation practice along with 20 years of teaching and group process.
I am a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) Program funded in part by the Dalai Lama. The vision of this esteemed program is to “create a multi-disciplinary environment whereby compassion and altruism studies are supported and legitimized within the broader scientific community and to use research advances to create tools that allow humans to become more compassionate and to engage more readily in altruistic behaviors toward themselves and others”. I am deeply honored to be part of this program and look forward to imparting this valuable information to my participants.
Celedra is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice for 26 years. Trainings include Sensory Motor Psychotherapy, Emotional Focused Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, EMDR and AEDP as well as approximately 10 years of group facilitation, including meditation and group process.
Celedra was trained in “Mindful Self Compassion” (Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer) in 2012 at Esalen Institute. In addition to teaching Mindful Self-Compassion groups, she is also a certified teacher of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) through CCARE (The Center for Compassion, Altruism, Research and Education) at Stanford University.
Psychotherapist, Buena Vista Counseling Center, San Francisco, CA (1991-1997).
Individual and couples psychotherapy. MFT intern from 1992-1996.
Founder and Workshop Leader, Life Empowerment Action Program (1998-2004)
Co- facilitated monthly three-day retreat workshops focused on meditation/ mindfulness practice and breathwork.
EDUCATION Ph.D in Transpersonal Psychology (2005), International University of Professional Studies. M.A. Counseling. New College of California (1991), San Francisco, CA. B.S. Public Health (1987), California State Dominguez Hills, CA. Registered Nurse (1984), Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA.
Group Facilitator for life threatened adults, Center for Attitudinal Healing, Tiburon, CA (1990-1993). Cancer Support and Education Center, Menlo Park (1992- 1994).
Co-facilitated meditation groups for life-threatened adults.
Founder, Touchstones of the Sacred (2007-2012).
Interviews with spiritual teachers with a focus on meditation and mindful living. Hospice Volunteer, St. Vincent's Hospital, Hospice, Los Angeles, CA.