Theresa Dominguez-Weiss, Family Nurse Practitioner, retired: 

For over 20 years I practiced nursing in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area including in the fields of Emergency medicine, Intensive Care Unit, Coronary Care rehabilitation, orthopedics rehabilitation medicine, gerontology (the medical specialty dealing with elders), hospice care, home health care, and  chemotherapeutics. In the early 80’s I obtained an advanced certificate for Nurse Practitioner from University of California, Davis’ School of Family Medicine. (FNP).  My first job as a Nurse Practitioner was working in an Orange County Family Practice clinic in a barrio in Santa Ana, California.  It was here while working that I had my experience Deathwalking my “abuelita” Grandma Rosie.

In the mid-70’s I began studying metaphysics, ancient religions and their spiritual practices, and meditation.  My first experience with meditation was as a volunteer for an experiment on meditation being conducted at UCLA.  I was randomly assigned to the “meditator” group.  Having no experience whatsoever, and given bare minimal instruction, I sat in the darkest room I could find and tried to “empty my mind,” whatever that meant! Thereafter studied Harvard professor Dr Herbert Benson’s “The Relaxation Technique,” ancient healing techniques, holistic alternative methods, and acupressure.

Since the early 80’s I have extensively studied the then new field of psycho-neuro-immunology, now called the field of neuroscience. Training in the traditional Western “medical model” with the professional experience of working in various medical specialties, coupled with decades of metaphysical studies and knowledge of subtle energy medicine know-how,  provide a unique perspective that bridges science and spirituality. Later I joined a Rheumatology medical practice (the study and treatment of joint and inflammatory immune system diseases) and ended up in a Neurology practice with a nationally well-known neurologist who specialized in headache management and chronic pain.

In the Neurology practice, in addition to instructing patients on behavioral and cognitive techniques to help with pain control, anxiety, stress and sleeping difficulties,  I incorporated subtle energy medicine techniques such as acupressure, and “laying on of hands” to enhance the individual’s own healing power.

In the late 1980’s I left the medical world to help run “Power Places,” an international custom group tour company my husband Dr. Toby Weiss named and founded in the early 1980’s. “Power Places” is now a commonly used term that relates to awe-inspiring ancient sites around the world with special energies or a sense of a mystical feeling to them. Examples of such mystical sites would be the Great Pyramid and Sphinx, Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, the Mayan pyramids such as at Chichen-Itza, temples in Tibet, plus many more.

41 years ago reignited “awareness” of Power Places around the world. He invented the special niche of “transformational travel,” creating the mileau on-site for travelers to open their “awareness” to experience the special energies at these ancient sacred sites. As Director and Vice President I was in charge of the international on-site tours, and international conference management.