Our Identity
History
The LightHeart Institute was founded in 1987 by Lisa Hill DiFusco at the encouragement and inspiration of surgeon and best-selling author Bernie Siegel MD. With a sold-out crowd at the University of Rochester Medical Center during one of Dr. Siegel's two day workshops, participants dealing with life-altering illness were invited to join a support group called LightHeart where they could learn how to be proactive in their recovery process. Twenty-two people signed up and groups providing education and therapeutic support were formed in the City of Rochester. In a safe and confidential setting clients learned mind-body approaches -- guided imagery, meditation, journal writing, self-hypnosis, picture drawing and nutritional principles -- to increase their health and vitality.
The LightHeart support groups quickly grew and by 1989 evolved into a Holistic Psychotherapy Practice supporting clients dealing with a range of emotional concerns (addiction, co-dependency, childhood abuse and neglect, etc), as well as life-altering illness. LightHeart was renamed The LightHeart Institute to highlight our vision of becoming Rochester's resource for health, healing and vitality.
During the 1990's clients benefited from a variety of workshops on personal growth and nutritional classes. Three and five day Outdoor Wilderness Retreats modeled after the Vision Quest 'rite of passage' motivated individuals to deepen their self-awareness through connection to Nature.
As a result of our success we began to reach out to the corporate sector. Team development retreats for Xerox Corporation lead to several Executive Coaching, Leadership Development and Management Consulting projects around the Rochester area and the second division of The LightHeart Institute, Corporate Leadership, was born.
Today The LightHeart Institute is a coaching, counseling and consulting organization that serves individuals and organizations igniting their natural ability to succeed and thrive. Our work is based on the premise that the reason human beings were born is to learn how to get good at having a good life. Our services include Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Holistic Psychotherapy, Holistic Health (Food as Medicine) and Spiritual Growth. We love our work and are thrilled with the results we see our clients achieve.
Our Name
The name LightHeart comes from the belief that inside the human heart there is light, and each individual has the opportunity to discover and live from this light.
Our Logo
Our logo was updated in 2005 by creative artist Jimmy Hough (FireandRain.com). A coat of arms guided by a lit torch surrounds four symbols, each one representing one of our divisions -
Corporate Leadership, Holistic Psychotherapy, Holistic Health and Spiritual Growth.
The Eagle represents Corporate Leadership and was chosen for the qualities it symbolizes and those we strive to nurture in our clients - strength, clarity of vision and purpose. It is grasping two thunderbolts of lightening symbolizing the ability of excellent leadership to define and achieve goals. Thunderbolts are also powerful yang energy.
The Open Heart represents Holistic Psychotherapy and symbolizes the peace of mind, contentment and satisfaction our clients experience once they resolve problems and experience emotional healing.
The Caduceus represents Holistic Health - buoyant energy and vitality as a result of an increase in options. When clients seek to increase their energy and/or recover from chronic or acute conditions, they discover and engage in healthcare practices resulting in greater vibrancy, energy and vitality.
The Labyrinth represents Spiritual Growth. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol which, when walked, invites the seeker into greater wholeness. It is a right brain activity, and a metaphor which invites one into the center of their deepest self and back to the world again.
We believe it is not possible to have spiritual health without emotional health. Labyrinth's support the process. The late world mythologist Joseph Campbell put it so well...
The heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world.
Joseph Campbell
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
The four symbols are underscored by the Latin words Ignis, Visum and Silentium referring to fire, vision, stillness and silence - four of our core values. A wreath of greenery surrounds the coat of arms honoring the gift of Nature which supports the efforts of humankind. A circle holds the logo showing the unity of efforts of LightHeart's stakeholders to inspire, uplift and elevate. Our logo represents
something that is bigger than life because 'achieving the unexpected' is bigger than life.
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