HELLO!

Diane Malaspina, M.S.Ed, Ph.D, E-RYT 500+

For over 20 years I've been an avid student of psychology, yoga, and eastern philosophical practices as they relate to the human condition, health, and deeper living. I earned graduate degrees in Education and Psychology where I extensively studied the interplay of physical and mental health within the lens of the science of resilience: growth-oriented approaches to support navigating stress in all aspects of life. Trained in human development, my practice focuses on how we grow, develop, and change throughout the lifespan and how we navigate life in fulfilling ways. I work with kids, adults, and professionals in the workplace.

Having taught for most of my career, I find my flow working in both 1:1 and group settings using education, story telling, and direct experience to support others seeking to understand and free themselves from limiting conditions. When it comes to psychology, I love it all, using a blend of strategies that are solution-focused, insight-provoking, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, attachment-based, and neurobiological in orientation.

I became a yogi while in graduate school and was instantly hooked. I see it as the mind/body modality that fuses mental and physical health as a holistic system. Alongside my career as a psychologist I immersed myself in extensive training in anatomy, yoga movement, alignment, therapeutics, lifestyle medicine, and spiritual practices. For many years I taught group yoga classes and yoga teacher trainings in my community and around the world. I am so grateful for the places I've been and the people I've met - each teaching me something valuable along the way.

You'll find me in Virginia Beach, Virginia, living close to the sea with my husband Omar and silly little sheepadoodle (sheepdog/poodle) named Luca.

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SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Since the pandemic, I've taken much of my work online and have had some exciting experiences along the way! I have served as the "Sleep Expert" for the Westin Hotel New York in Times Square creating social media content and presenting for corporate events. I am currently an Advisor and former Peak Performance Coach at the Flow Research Collective where I offered 1:1 and group coaching to corporate executives, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, and other professionals training in psychological flow states and peak performance.

During the pandemic I was the Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant for homes.com where I created digital mental health content and delivered training for the management team to support employees during COVID-19. I developed a weekly wellness and yoga program and the full effort was recognized by a Bronze Stevie Award as homes.com received 'Most Valuable Employer' due to efficacy of programming. I also served as a Consultant for the University of California at San Francisco Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry where I created digital yoga, mindfulness, and mental health content to support the department's clinical and research teams who were facing high client loads and burnout. I also trained the clinical team on how to use mindfulness based interventions in the clinical setting.

SELECTED EXPERTISE IN YOGA AND MINDFULNESS

I have over 1,000 hours in training under my belt with a 500-Hour Certification from Tiffany Cruikshank's Yoga Medicine, 108-Hour Certification in Pathways of Devotion with Janet Stone, 200-Hour Certification with YogaWorks, and 200-Hour Certification with Shiva Rea's Prana Vinyasa Flow. I have also studied with many other teachers who have been very influential in my yoga journey.

Yoga Medicine has been a supportive home for me for several years where I co-created the Yoga for Mental Health and Well-Being Advanced Certification, and solely created digital courses including Working with Grief, Exploring the Yamas and Niyamas, and Inside the Yoga Sutras. I have regularly contributed to the Yoga Medicine Podcast and have written on their behalf on over 30 wellness articles for outlets including Yoga International, Yoga Journal, and Thrive Global. I am a Yoga Therapeutic Specialist and I continue to serve as faculty and as a student in their programs.

From 2010 to 2016 I owned and operated The Yoga Room, a boutique yoga studio in Norfolk, Virginia with additional classes offered in Virginia Beach. I developed and led 200-hour and 300-hour teacher training programs and mentored yoga teachers in the community. I also taught private, therapeutic yoga sessions and workshops. My training programs are available as self-led digital content which can be found here.

In 2019 I had the special opportunity to offer yoga and mindfulness certification training to the Mental Performance Specialists for the United States Navy Special Warfare Human Performance Program.