The Centre for Attitudinal Healing

About Us

About the centre and the wonderful people that keep it running

Changing the world through joyful practices, peaceful attitudes and robust governance.

Here at the Centre for Attitudinal Healing, we take our work with a sense of gravitas and joy. Our Board believes in making a practical difference.

The team that takes care of the Serpentine Retreat Centre do so with care and thoughtful actions.

Our beginnings

The original Centre for Attitudinal Healing was founded by Dr Gerald G Jampolsky MD (Jerry) and friends in Tiburon, California. Jerry was a child and adult psychiatrist and graduate of Stanford Medical School. While making Grand Rounds at the University of California Medical Centre, he overheard a young boy with leukemia as the doctor ‘what is it like to die?’. The doctor changed the subject and asked the child about his symptoms. Jerry realised that there needed to be a safe place for kids to be able to honestly discuss their own questions, fears and thoughts. Before the idea of the modern day support group was conceived, Jerry started a small group with children who were all facing life threatening illnesses. Thus began the first Centre for Attitudinal Healing.

After Jerry published his international best-seller “Love is Letting go of Fear”, centres and groups continued to emerge across six continents. Each wanted a place locally where people of all ages and circumstances in life could come together for their own internal healing, and to help others.

In 1986 a small group of doctors and psychologists opened the Centre for Attitudinal Healing in Perth, Western Australia. Since then, the Perth Centre has served tens of thousands of individuals and families. In 1992 the Fetzer Institute awarded the Perth Centre its highest honour for the ‘Healing Family Relationships’ Program. The Perth Centre for Attitudinal Healing has had a wide reach over the past 5 decades, operating in hospitals, community centres, schools, businesses and at our beautiful Serpentine Retreat Centre. The Perth Centre has run workshops for multiple organisations, including the corporate sector, the judiciary, church heirarchy, medical professionals and first responders.

In

Centre

Sustainability

The Centre for Attitudinal Healing believes that personal and collective well-being goes hand in hand with the health of the environment. We put in place practices at the Serpentine Retreat Centre that reduce our ecological footprint on the planet and sustain our wildlife.

The Board

Leon Murphy

Chair

I am a computer scientist and designer in the engineering field. I love modelling systems and bringing creative solutions to life. I’m also a keen sailor with a number of international regattas under my belt. Connect with me if you’re keen to learn more about what the Centre for Attitudinal Healing does.

    Meneesha Michalka

    Secretary

    I am passionate about being in service to people and helping people create better lives. When not running workshops and programs for the Centre for Attitudinal Healing, I practice criminal law, sit on the Medical board of Australia (WA) and hold a seat on the Board of Governors at the University of Notre Dame. Bringing up my children in the midst of nature (especially at the Serpentine Retreat Centre) is where I feel most harmonious. If you’re keen to learn more about the workshops and programs that the centre runs, please contact me.

      Patrick Michalka

      Clinical Coordinator

      Helping people heal and giving them tools to develop as happy, healthy people is how I combine my specialist skills as an orthopaedic surgeon with my role as Clinical Coordinator with the Centre for Attitudinal Healing. When not immersed in my work, I find inspiration and pleasure when I am spending quality time with my family. To find out more about the workshops and programs that we run, please connect with me.

        Simone Murphy

        Board Member

        As a professional bookkeeper with an eye for details, I carry out my role as Board member to ensure all financial matters are scrutinised and soundly managed. Besides that, I love being in the water and call myself an avid body surfer. Please contact me if you’re interested in finding out more about what the Centre does.

          Rebecca Prain

          Board Member

          I started my career as a geologist and now manage a mining consultancy company. Being a Board member brings a certain corporate panache to what we do at the Centre. When it’s not all about management and governance, I am at my best when playing netball, skiing or taking long walks.

            Patricia Michalka

            Board Member

            I’m a counsellor, relationship and family therapist, psychotherapist and author. I seek to share my life experiences with others so that they may enter life with a sense of humour and courage. The greatest gift attitudinal healing has given me is to intrinsically know and value the gift to myself that service gives. I was inspired by the founder of attitudinal healing, Dr Jerry Jampolsky and his wife, Dr Diane Cirincione, and in 1987 decided to establish this Centre.

              Board Member

                The team

                Michelle

                Serpentine Retreat Caretaker

                I am the one that steps in when a group stay is in full swing and things need to be arranged for a rejuvenating experience.

                  Alia

                  Serpentine Retreat Co-ordinator

                  I’m here to help answer any questions you may have regarding your stay at our beautiful retreat.

                  I have a background in culture and the arts, education and play based learning. I love the natural environment and feel blessed to be able to share our retreat with you.