About Stephen

Introduction

I trust that this page will offer you some sense of who I am, my professional background, knowledge, experience and how, together, I can serve you as your Life Coach and more.

I know that the single most essential effectiveness in Life Coaching and other similar professional interactions is the quality of the relationship. Rather than simply providing a professional vita on this page, I decided to share some of my childhood, young adult, and adult life experiences. You can then make a wise decision about our compatibility in working together on your behalf if I share some vulnerabilities as I will as you to as well. You can also request a free no obligation consultation with me.

If you have any questions after reading the information below, please e-mail me.

A little about me...

After age five when my parents divorced, I grew up in East Los Angeles, California. While in my early teens, the notorious White Fence gang recruited me. My street smarts come from several years of this intense gang life experience.

I dramatically changed the direction of my life when my single parent family later moved to Orange County in Southern California where I attended several high schools due to rezoning. I surfed each morning during summer and fall in Huntington Beach, lettered Varsity Track and Cross Country after school and I was the high school newspaper Editor in Chief. After graduation, I was the Editor in Chief of the college paper.

Military Service

Drafted into the U.S. Army, I served a 14-month tour of duty in Vietnam where I was awarded the United States Army Bronze Star Medal. Rather than drink alcohol or do drugs, I jogged 10 miles every day whenever I could in Vietnam.

I taught myself to speak Vietnamese with the eager assistance from local Vietnamese. Subsequently, these same local Vietnamese introduced me to local families where I shared home meals and conversation. After developing a high degree of trust, they introduced me to Buddhist Monks who offered me an opportunity to study with them during the remaining months of my military tour in my 'off duty' time.

I learned ancient techniques for meditation, Buddha's art of energy-healing, sacred traditions, Tibetan's ancient form of medicine known as Gso-wa Rig-pa or "The Knowledge of Healing," and much more that I continue to practice today and share in my each of my sessions, classes, and workshops.

Stephen Bruno, Vietnam Wall Memorial, Washington, D.C. - November 1989

Development Of The Seven Elements Of Essence

I completed my development of the Seven Elements of Essence after my first visit to the Vietnam Wall Memorial in 1989. I continue to apply these concepts in my coaching. Below is a brief description.

Unconditional Compassion provides insight into others and yourself without a preconceived belief system.
Non-judgment offers you the opportunity to experience moments in your life without attachments.
Non self-importance gives you meaning and purpose for simply being, rather than doing.
Vulnerability creates bridges rather than castles with drawbridges and moats.
Patience promotes space and time to reflect.
Presence allows you the means to use your intellect and intuition.
Curiosity brings you the objective perspective balanced with a creative imagination to resolve issues.

My Calling

After my return to the United States, I immediately re-enrolled in the same college that I was attending when drafted, to continue my Journalism studies. On a Friday morning during my first week of classes, an older female classmate asked me to walk her to her car. She began sharing how distraught she was and how her life was unraveling. She said that she wanted to die.

I stood next to her car listening to her enormous challenges and offering caring, support and suggestions. The next thing that I realized, was that it was dark and the parking lot was nearly empty. She then handed me a three-page suicide note. I did not know her name. Reading the suicide note as she drove away, I stood there wondering if I would see her in our Monday morning Psychology class.

I spent a thoughtful weekend until the Monday morning class that we shared. Everyone arrived in class but her. Just as the instructor began his lecture, she walked in and sat down next to me. She gripped my hand with surprising strength and smiled. Throughout the semester we became very close friends. Together we established one of the very first Center for Women on a college campus. She never did mention why she had selected me out of the entire class including the Psychology instructor. I soon changed my major to Psychology from Journalism and my entire life was transformed in a way I could never imagine.

Mental Health Background

In the following years I founded and directed several non-profit suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations. Additionally, I was the Executive Director of a number of Mental Health agencies in California and Arizona. I also worked as a therapist in two psychiatric hospitals in both the adult and juvenile locked units. I was successful in writing state and federal grants. My knowledge of founding, directing, and funding non-profit services provides me expertise in coaching not-for-profit agencies and organizations.

I provided intuition and suicide prevention training to Arizona State Counselors and EMT workers as well as educators in Arizona. I wrote a weekly holistic column for a newspaper with diverse topics including, right brain/left brain congruence, unconditional compassion, humor, psychic healing energy, intuition, natural healing, personal growth, essence, spirituality, and dream interpretation.

Life Coaching Experience

In 1983, I founded and directed Southwest Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. My comprehensive training provided participants with Executive, Corporate, and Business Coaching techniques, principles, and methods. Southwest Institute also provided services to numerous businesses and corporations and to psychological, social service, law enforcement, judicial, medical, employee assistance, and education personnel. In addition, we provided diverse individual coaching, classes and workshops, now defined internationally as Personal and Life Coaching, to the general public.

Corporate & Marketing

Experience as the Marketing Manager for McDonnell Douglas Travel Company, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas (now the Boeing Corporation) and as the owner of several small businesses, provides me with the knowledge, skills and expertise to coach corporate, and business clients.

Writing & Publishing

A published writer, I was the Publisher and Editor of the 65-page Northern Arizona Review, a monthly literary, art, and photography magazine. I also published a 20-page weekly advertiser. I organized and directed two national writers' conferences in Oregon and Washington. An avid artist, photographer, and writer, I utilize creative arts in my Life Coaching. I am currently completing several novels, short stories, and nonfiction books.

Healing Arts

I was the Founder and Director of the Natural Healing Arts Center in Seattle, Washington where I provided psychological counseling, hypnotherapy, psychic/intuition sessions, energy healing, Usui Reiki classes and treatment and diverse workshops.

My psychic and intuitive skills are lifelong gifts. As far back as I can recall I had access to information that I and others recognized was beyond the five senses. These skills intensified, amplified, and improved several times during my life. I believe this will continue.

In 2002, I was living in Truchas, New Mexico (on a spiritual pilgrimage)--a small old mountain village straddling a high ridge at 8,400 feet of a mesa with good cold mountain streams running nearby. Truchas began as a Spanish land grant in 1754. Robert Redford filmed many of the exteriors for The Milagro Beanfield War in Truchas. The town's small traditional adobe homes and tiendas remain much the same today.

I met and discussed healing, stigmata, and prayer with Sons of the Holy Family Father Casimiro Roca at his desk in a small office in the little mission church, Santuario de Chimayo. This church is located 24 miles northeast of Santa Fe on a hill near the Santa Cruz river, in a valley within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on land originally held sacred by Native Americans. The mission church is in the small village of Chimay, between Taos and Santa Fe in northern New Mexico.

Before I moved from New Mexico I carried several large bags of the healing soil, scooped from the 18-inch-wide posito, or well. Over the last 6 years, I have shared the dirt with numerous people I worked with who expressed positive healing results. I still have some of the dirt from Santuario de Chimayo that I use in spiritual healings.

My spiritual and healing arts journey has taken me to many interesting locations, and I have worked with people from all socioeconomic lifestyles. I bring a wide breadth of life experience, having lived and worked in diverse geographical areas including Sedona, Arizona; Lake Tahoe, Nevada; San Luis Obispo, California; Crestline, California; Monterey, California; Ashland, Oregon; the Coos Bay, Oregon; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Truches, New Mexico; Reno, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Prescott, Arizona; Seattle Washington; Phoenix Arizona; Petaluma, California; Santa Rosa, California, Bellingham, Washington and more. I have lived on an island, in the desert, on a mountain top, in the forest, on the coast, beside a lake, and in cities and rural areas. Of course I have also traveled to many additional locations.

Overcoming Traumatic Illness

For several years I had a severe case of initially undiagnosed Lyme disease a number of years ago. I had all of the most traumatic neurological and other physical symptoms possible. Through a natural herbal protocol, Reiki treatments, and other healing arts, and eventually antibiotics, along with my own healing process I am now fully recovered. In addition to my diverse Life Coaching areas of expertise, I provide Life Coaching and healing modalities for clients with Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses.

Children

I have a beautiful married daughter, Kelly Lynn Ronning, who is a professional in Seattle, Washington with three girls.

Photography Passion

When I am not providing Embracing the Muse services, I am offering another passion of mine, professional photography services. Visit my photography website to learn more. I photographed all of the images on this website unless otherwise stated. Visit my photography website.

At Home...

I currently live in the beautiful Sedona, Arizona area with my fiancee, Shana. She is the owner of Earth Spirit ~ Reiki Healing Arts. You can visit her website here, a compassionate full-service Reiki practice. She provides personal Reiki treatments and, together, we teach Reiki Certification Classes.

Stephen Bruno, Life Coach, D.D., C.Ht., MsD, RMT, IARP