OTTAWA, ON, CANADA, November 2, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Richard Merrill Haney, Ph.D., a Therapist, Mediator, Hypnotherapist and President of Ottawa Counselling & Mediation Services, was recently named a VIP member of Worldwide Who's Who. This special distinction honors individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to achieving personal and professional success.

With more than 45 years of professional experience spanning the social services, business, government and education sectors, Richard Merrill Haney is incredibly well suited to run his counselling practice. He has worked in the field of counselling for 35 years and in private practice as a hypnotherapist and counsellor for 20 years. Prior to counselling in Ottawa, Mr. Haney had a successful career teaching at private schools. He founded the Inglenook High School in Toronto in 1973, established its Karma Natural Food Co-operative, as well as sat on the board of the Union of American Exiles.

Having already earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Boston University prior to teaching, Mr. Haney attended Antioch University at Harvard University to earn a master's degree in counselling in 1981. He also received a post master's degree and human resources management certification from Bentley College. Eager to continue on his path of learning, Mr. Haney pursued a Ph.D. in counselling therapy with concentrations in counselling and mediation from Pacific University, which he successfully earned in 1991. His doctoral dissertation, true to his upbeat personality, was titled, "Enthusiasm: The Elixir of Life."

In 1997, Mr. Haney received training in regression hypnotherapy from Dr. Brian Weiss, M.D., the Chairman Emeritus at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida. A year later, he returned to his alma mater, Harvard University, to train alongside professor of psychology Dr. Daniel Brown, who specializes in hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Participating in an intensive course sponsored by the Department of Psychiatry of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Mr. Haney focused on learning the several modalities and techniques of hypnotherapy.

In the midst of training to become an expert in marriage and family counseling, conflict, therapy and mediation, Mr. Haney was putting down roots in Ottawa, where he has lived since 1983. Today, he employs knowledge of Jungian Analysis and the Ericksonian Hypnosis into his approach to counselling and hypnotherapy, which includes focusing on the integration of the whole body, mind and spirit. Responsible for managing two offices, he interviews potential clients and works with teenagers, adults, the elderly and couples on a regular basis. Mr. Haney also markets his practice through his two websites and handles the bookkeeping for his practice.

Extremely active in the professional community, Mr. Haney keeps abreast of changes in his industry through memberships with professional organisations such as the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and Psychometrists, the Ontario Association for Family Mediation Inc., Family Mediation Canada and the National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc. He was also an Ontario Court Roster Mediator from 1998-2003.

Mr. Haney attributes his decades of success to his warm, caring heart, his connection to clients and his approach to personal healing. Eclectic in his approach to counselling, he infuses his practice with positive life energy and dedication, as well as brings to each counselling interaction a wide range of skills, techniques, modalities and wisdom that are experiential in nature and focused on empowerment rather than traditional clinical practices. Looking forward, Mr. Haney intends to continue providing therapy and mediation services for clients while adhering to his philosophy that "Listening well is the most eloquent sign of caring."

Away from the demands of counselling, Mr. Haney enjoys traveling, sampling food and wine pairings and spending time with people who share his optimistic sense of humour.

To learn more about Richard Merrill Haney and Ottawa Counselling & Mediation Services, be sure to visit http://www.ottawacounselling.com and http://www.ottawahypnosis.com.

About Worldwide Who's Who
With over 500,000 members representing every major industry, Worldwide Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Worldwide Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies, making them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services.

Worldwide Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third-party endorsement of their accomplishments, and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldwidewhoswho.com.

Contact:
Ellen Campbell
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]

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