Valerie Galante, Ph.D.    
         

                                           
    

VITAE

Dr. Galante is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, ordained Interfaith Minister, and Level II Reiki Practitioner.  After completing a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Dr Galante began providing holistic psychological assessment, intervention, and consultation services to diverse populations including Native Americans, incarcerated people, active duty military members and veterans.   Dr Galante currently divides her time between serving on the Board of Directors and as a Mental Health Consultant for Spirit Therapies - an equine-assisted therapy center, as a consultant for www.TheHealthyBelly.com and The Core Spirituality Institute, along with fulfilling her public speaking and writing mission to inspire positive changes in the hearts, minds, and bodies of people around the world through education, empowerment, and exercise.

For daily contemplation and inspiration, read my blog at:

http://drvaleriegalante.wordpress.com/

Specific Background:

Dr. Galante is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has have been providing assessment, diagnostic, and therapeutic services to individuals, families, and groups since 1986.  Prior to becoming an Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Director, she attended an APA-accredited graduate program earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University in New York the went on to complete a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine from Michigan State University.  

Dr. Galante is also trained in the Usui method as a Level II Reiki Practitioner.  Being able to heal the physical body using energy is a vital part of being consistent with and true to her beliefs in holistic health and the integration of mind, body, and spirit.

Rev. Dr. Galante is also an Interfaith Minister ordained by the All Faiths Seminary International located in New York City, NY where she was trained to provide Spiritual Direction to people of every religion and faith tradition.   While at seminary, she studied the sacred texts and philosophies of all the worlds' faith traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Shamanism, and Native American Spirituality, along with other world religions.   In addition to focusing on the esoteric aspects of religion, a large part of her seminary training involved directly experiencing religious services of all faiths. As such, she regularly attended services for all denominations at churches, synagogues, temples and mosques.  Rev. Dr. Galantes' seminary training also involved learning the principles and practices of spiritual guidance, counseling and direction for people seeking answers about G-d, life and other existential/transpersonal questions, but also as a means to address specific issues such as grief, death and dying.


Lastly, Rev. Dr. Galante is a Spiritual Director who utilizes the Rules for Discerning Spirits developed by St. Ignatius as one method in providing spiritual guidance to those who seek it.  She is strongly committed to serving people of all faiths, to encouraging multicultural sensitivity, and to promoting the values of health, peace, mindfulness, tolerance, nonviolence, and reverence for all living beings.  In her practice and in her life, she strives to integrate mind, body, spirit, and nature.  As a member of the Association of Interfaith Ministers and of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), she abides by SDI's Code of Ethics, as well as her own personal, spiritual code of ethics.