Eating Disorder Treatment Programs

The spirit of aloha...

The staff at Nova Luna Center is what makes our multi-disciplinary,
team approach to the treatment of eating disorders possible.

Click the following links to learn more about our staff:

Clinical Director

Michelle Villanti, L.C.S.W., B.C.D., C.S.A.C. the owner and Director of the Nova Luna Center for Eating Disorders has successfully led and piloted the 'Ai Pono Intensive Outpatient Program for the last 3 years. From her creativity and expertise, she developed three eating disorder programs for intensive outpatient, day treatment and residential treatment. These new programs are dynamic, experiential and research based, offering the most up to date therapies in the field of eating disorders. Ms. Villanti has 20 years of experience in eating disorders and was the first therapist in Hawaii to bring equine assisted therapy to the treatment of eating disorders. For the past 9 years, she has given lectures and consulted widely with physicians, schools, mental health professionals and community agencies on eating disorders. She maintains a full private practice in Makawao treating eating disorders, trauma, addictions, adolescents and families. She is trained in EMDR and Non-Violent Communication (also known as Compassionate Communication). Ms. Villanti is known for her expertise and successful treatment of eating disorders as well as a dynamic, compassionate and skilled clinician.

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Supervising Psychologist

Dr. Daniel Lane, Ph.D., is the supervising psychologist for Nova Luna Center for Eating Disorders. Dr. Lane has 19 years experience as a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in eating disorders and sexual abuse victims. He has three years experience at Maui Memorial Medical Center providing services on the inpatient psychiatric unit, conducting emergency room assessments, working with I.C.U. patients with spinal cord injuries and suicide attempts, and working on the medical floors with patients with medical and behavioral health issues. Dr. Lane also has ten years experience in sub-acute residential treatment facilities. He was the founder and executive director of a California based non-profit residential treatment facility, consisting of 24 beds, where he supervised approximately 110 staff members. Currently, Dr. Lane has a private practice in Makawao.

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Primary Therapists

 

Sherry Fisher, M.A., received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design, NYC. She began to realize the negative impacts of eating and body image issues on women during her work in the fashion industry which led her to recognize artmaking as a self-healing process. Sherry completed her certificate in Art Therapy from The New School for Social Research, NYC in 1993 and began running Art Therapy groups with adolescents, at women’s shelters with women and their children, and with families addressing issues of grief and death. She went on to attain her master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy from Naropa University. Sherry also has advanced certification in Gestalt Therapy and Hypnotherapy. Her focus has been on women’s issues and trauma work with extensive training in sexual abuse issues. Sherry incorporates dream work, play, and body awareness into her Expressive Arts groups. She has worked with client-artists on the mainland U.S., Australia, and Hawai’i. Collections in the U.S., Japan, and Australia have acquired her artwork. She exhibits her art on a regular basis and has supported many of her client-artists to exhibit their work as part of their healing journey.

Sherry sees the process of self-reclamation and empowerment as social activism through ensouling and embodiment. Exploring our internal landscapes is a re-membering—a putting back together anew and in that newness, embracing our wholeness—the light and shadow on our valleys and peaks.

 

 

Maria d’Avella, M.A., LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She uses a holistic, family systems approach to therapy for the overall goal of wholeness and health, inspiring individual self-awareness through the use of a variety of modalities. Psychological, social, biological and spiritual needs are met by engaging intellectual discernment, providing information, using guided visualization, art and other methods. She believes we are all spiritual beings on a physical journey. Ms. d’Avella has a private psychotherapy practice working with a comprehensive range of psychological complexities. A resident of Hawaii for over twenty years, she has worked extensively as an advocate for child welfare and understands the needs of the individual within our changing global community.

 

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Counselors

 

 

Christa Morf, MA is the Non-Violent Communication consultant and a therapist for the Nova Luna Center programs. She conducts groups and teaches classes to the Nova Luna Center patients and their families. Christa Morf was born in Switzerland and trained in Germany where she received her Masters Degree in Counseling (1980). She was a counselor for couples and individuals for 14 years before becoming a certified full-time Trainer in 1991 with the Center for Nonviolent Communication which is active all over the world. As a Non-Violent Communication trainer she seeks to contribute towards peace in relationships, families, schools, at the workplace, and in communities; and is involved in bringing about social change. She offers workshops in Hawaii, the U.S. and Europe as well as offering private sessions.

Margy Campbell is a licensed acupuncturist with a Masters Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine. Besides her work at Nova Luna she maintains a private practice utilizing many of the different modalities Oriental Medicine offers. These include acupuncture, nutritional and herbal therapy, body work and qi gong practices. In addition to her private practice she has been involved in working at drug rehabilitation centers, including one emphasizing the needs of new mothers and mothers-to-be."

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Nutritionist

Gina Ryan, CN is a licensed Certified Nutritionist. She conducts individual nutrition sessions for the Nova Luna Clients. Gina also maintains a private Mindful Wellness practice on Maui and the mainland educating clients on the impact of awareness and health. Prior to moving to Maui in 2005 Gina was the Nutritionist and Wellness Counselor at the Mirbeau Spa. She also was the owner of New Health, 2 health food stores in NY, for 12 years where she provided public education on topics such as woman’s health, herbal home remedies, cancer prevention and mindful eating.

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Equine Program Director

Victoria Martocci, E.A.P. Specialist, has extensive and varied experience in education, management, group leadership and psychology. Victoria’s background in horse training, riding instruction and team coaching speaks for itself, having won every major award available and being nominated for the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame for her contributions to the industry. Through six years of experience on Maui, as a SCUBA Instructor and Marine Educator, she has been responsible for creating a fun & educational environment for her clients, and most importantly for maintaining their physical safety at all times. This unique type of experience has helped Ms. Martocci develop and master core skill sets necessary in the field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, such as: global awareness, physical safety awareness, emotional safety awareness, human body language & non-verbal communication skills, as well as vital public speaking skills. For the past two years, Ms. Martocci has been nationally certified as an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Facilitator, and has been offering E.A.P. services to individuals, couples and Maui families.

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