Practitioner

Alison Hilber is a licensed practitioner through the United Centers for Spiritual Living and is affiliated with New Though Center for Spiritual Living. Born in Minnesota, Alison experienced previous lives in New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Vermont before finally landing in Oregon, when she moved to Bend in 2005. Alison received a BA in Transpersonal Psychology in 1999 at the age of 49. For her 50th birthday, she hosted a firewalk for 20 of her friends. She recently left her career in the legal field to find administrative work in an environment where she can be of service in a way more suited to her spiritual path. In 2006, Alison met her partner, Pamela Potter, who introduced her to New Thought at the CSL in Seattle. Alison took a Foundations class that same year and before long she knew that being a practitioner was the calling she had been allowing to be revealed. She and Pamela resolved their long-distance relationship by moving to Portland in 2008, finding their spiritual home at New Thought CSL, where they were joined in holy union on September 16, 2011. In addition to her practitioner service, Alison is the NTCSL Team Lead for the Usher/Greeter Team. She also facilitated the 10,000 Cranes for Peace project in 2011, which has expanded into her ongoing Crane Ministry. She is available to teach folding or create cranes for a fee. The proceeds support the “flock” and provide assistance to children wanting to attend Peace Camp. Alison participates in all practitioner service areas, and is available for private practitioner sessions for a sliding scale fee. Alison loves to assist and witness people find and express their Truth. “Love is my path.”

Michael was first certified as a Practitioner in 2003.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Michael has lived in Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Texas on his way to Oregon. Along the way he has served his spiritual calling as a founding member of the Unity Center for Peace in Chapel Hill, NC, where he served as Secretary and President of the Board of Trustees, Sunday School teacher, head of Ministerial Search and By-Laws Committees, and liaison with the Association of Unity Churches International in Kansas City, MS during the formative years of Unity Center for Peace. Michael employed this experience in his efforts as a founding Board member of New Thought Center for Spiritual Living and on our Finance Committee.

The pursuit of the One has led Michael to undertake a study of the Course in Miracles, and he has led study groups in Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina over the past 20 years. Michael first stepped into a New Thought church in 1975 in Raleigh, NC and was immediately delighted and intrigued with the combination of metaphysical and universal understanding of God and our universe presented in the setting of a traditional church complete with pews, pulpit, and minister. Since that time he has completed a lay ministry program in Unity and become a licensed Practitioner in Religious Science.

Michael's lifelong love of learning and love of the Divine has taken him into many forms of service and almost countless classes, seminars, workshops, and intensives directly focused on a deepening relationship with Spirit within. From participating as a small group leader in Mastery of Self workshops and Religious Science classes to attending UCSL Community Gathering to New Thought Chaplain and Practitioner classes, to Unity Lay Ministry trainings to leading Course in Miracles groups and Men's groups to Sufi meditation retreats, the professional skills of deep listening, metaphysical understanding and spiritual counseling have been bred and developed into a life commitment to service of Spirit. A daily Practice of the Living Presence of Spirit is the consistent striving of his life.

Michael gladly serves our community with prayers for individuals after Sunday services, with prayers for requests to our Prayer Ministry, with leading Sunday meditations, with holding the High Watch for Board meeting and special events, with small group facilitation for NTCSL classes, and as platform assistant at Sunday services. Michael is always available to facilitate memorial services and provide hospital visits. Individual spiritual support sessions that provide safe, nurturing one to one spiritual counseling and provide the opportunity to co-create "new" thoughts that allow you to change your life are available on a fee basis.

Shannon O'Hurley is a licensed Religious Science Practitioner through United Centers for Spiritual Living and is honored to be serving the New Thought Center for Spiritual Living community. She recently relocated to Oregon from California with her beloved husband, David and their four beautiful daughters. Shannon began her Spiritual journey at Agape in Los Angeles and then settled into the North Hollywood Church of Religious Science community where she studied and served for many years. Prior to her call to ministry, Shannon had the great blessing of working as a professional actor in theatre/television and film for over twenty years. She brings forth her love of Spirit and creative expression as she continues her Spiritual journey and innermost calling, attending the Holmes Institute ministerial program. Shannon has spent over a decade studying the ancient modalities of Feng Shui and Sacred Numerology. She brings joy, gratitude, intuition, humor and a deep dedication to Religious Science principles into her practice. Shannon is available for Spiritual counseling, hospital and home visits and always welcomes the opportunity to pray with members of the community.

Deborah Owen, RScP began her spiritual journey at the age of 13. Her journey included alternative health practices, marathons, triathlons and spiritual growth through reading and attending various workshops. For twelve years Deborah had a successful business as a massage therapist. Because of her heritage, Deborah also studied Native American culture and participated in many sweat lodges and vision quests.

Her biggest inspiration came with the birth of her daughter, Kathleen. Truly, a little child (her daughter) led her to Mile Hi Church in 2004 where they immediately felt “at home.”

She began taking Certified Religious Science Classes from Dr. Roger Teel and, realized, much to her surprise and delight, that she was already whole, perfect, and complete. While attending classes and services at Mile Hi Church, she was inspired by the wisdom of Ernest Holmes, as well as past and present mystics. These truths motivated her to become a Licensed Professional Practitioner. During the classes on her path to become a practitioner, she learned that the Peace, Love, and Joy, for which she had been searching, had always existed within her.

After moving to Portland Oregon, to be close to family, Deborah completed her Professional Practitioner studies and was installed at New Thought Center for Spiritual Living in September 2009. Currently, Deborah is enrolled in college pursuing dual degrees in M.Div. and J.D. to become a Religious Scholar and a legal advocate for women in transition.

Leslie Kaye is a Religious Science Practitioner licensed through the United Centers for Spiritual Living.

Looking for a spiritual home has been an extensive journey, beginning with a fundamentalist Lutheran background. Leslie has progressed through other Christian teachings, practiced Zen Buddhism with SuzukiRoshi and BakerRoshi at the Zen Center in San Francisco, touched on pagan/Wiccan practices and found home in New Thought in the early 1990's. Taking classes in this philosophy was the initial end goal, and becoming a Practitioner was a surprise by-product of them. However, Spirit calls!

Leslie is available to pray, to visit at home or in hospital, and to provide one on one spiritual counseling sessions on a fee-for-service basis. She passionately feels that it has been an honor and a privilege to so serve Spirit for the past ten years and it continues to be so!

Larrye, raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a life-long learner who brings her southern style into all aspects of her life. A member of "New Thought" communities since 1986, she realized she was raised in SOM philosophy. Her family’s approach to Catholicism was "new thought" - work at what you love, play often, and above all, be happy,
joyous, and know that God is ever-present!

Larrye has a MS in Mathematics and BS in Electrical Engineering – was always told she could be whatever she wanted, and being 1 of 3 women in a 350 engineering class was no obstacle! Her technical skills bring a financial security and provide a balance to her more exuberant, outgoing playful side.

Larrye incorporates her life and business coaching skills in her practice. She listens and questions, allowing the client to discover the genius within, finding the perfect path to a life of joy, abundance, and love.

Larrye comes from Whole Life Center in Lake Oswego where she was an active member from its beginning. She served on the board for four years, lead the greeting team, participated in the High Watch and prayer teams, was a regular Platform Assistant,
provided workshops, was a passionate member of the choir, and became "Grammye Larrye" to most of the children.

She transitions to New Thought CSL with plans to continue her active service, having already joined the choir. She plans to serve the community through workshops and other volunteer activities, while continuing community work with JDRF - the Juvenile Diabetic Research Foundation.

Larrye is expanding her discovery of the depth of the Spirit within through her journey to a Masters of Consciousness from the Holmes Institute to obtain her ministerial license by 2013.

Iris Noble RScP has lived in the Portland area all of her life, she is married and has raised three children, and has five grandchildren. She has been a nurse since 1976 and is currently the nurse manager for a dementia care unit in Hillsboro.

Iris is a Licensed Spiritual Practitioner with United Centers for Spiritual Living. She was licensed in August 2009 at Whole Life Center for Spiritual Living, after completing her practitioner training there. She was one of the founding members of that center and has served on their advisory board 2005-2009, serving as the board president from 2007-2008. While at Whole Life Center she started the book store, served on the greeter team, served in the children's ministry, helped in the office, served on the platform assistant team and prayer team.

Iris came into New Thought in 2002, after the suicide of her 17 year old son, and has found healing and love surrounding and indwelling within her since the first day she walked in the doors of Living Enrichment Center in Wilsonville. Her Spiritual path continues to unfold as one of design, growth and healing. She has started her own business, 11th Hour Doulas, providing bedside Spiritual counseling for the terminally ill, where she facilitates transition planning and open dialogue between her client and their family, offering practitioner sessions and opening discussions surrounding the grieving process. She assists and supports the client in putting in place their own individual wishes for their time of passing.

Shelly Walker’s life focus is prayer and family. After moving to Portland from Texas in the year 2000, Shelly discovered New Thought and her passion about life lived well. With a growing family, Shelly is an avid volunteer with youth.

Shelly is a professional writer and editor, with a focus on parenting issues and healthy families. She’s had more than 500 articles published online and in print. Shelly believes that empowered people give rise to healthy children and that our children will transform the world.

Service, prayer, tithing and community, with a focus on Love and Spirit, are the foundations of Shelly’s practice. She shares these principles through both adult and family workshops that integrate learning with music and play and through one-on-one spiritual counseling sessions. She is honored to serve New Thought Center for Spiritual Living as a licensed Practitioner of Religious Science.

Sylvia came to New Thought in 1986, became a Chaplain in 2001, was certified as a Practitioner in 2003 and in 2008 became a licensed Religious Science Practitioner through The United Centers for Spiritual Living.
Sylvia is available Sundays for individual prayer, is on the Prayer Team, and leads meditations. She volunteers on the Acts of Kindness team, Peace Now, and at MacClaren School for Boys.
Sylvia has had many profound experiences during her more than 30 years as an educator and consultant in regular and Special Education and Deaf Education. They provide her with opportunities to practice observation, deep listening, non-judgment and accepting each individual right where they are and then to empower them to go beyond their fears and do more. She supports each in developing their communication skills to express their needs and wants and to work through a situation with others with apologies and/or forgiveness. Virtues/God qualities are also part of the daily experience. She continues to evolve these skills in her own daily life, as a Practitioner and a Life Coach. (Sylvia is also a certified Life Coach with Maria Nemeth’s Academy for Coaching Excellence).
Sylvia enjoys supporting her clients to be the best they can be, to resolve situations in their lives which they wish to experience differently, to do their forgiveness work, and to celebrate their successes on the road to being a “human-being” instead of a “human-doing” and living their life with “ease” and “grace”. Sylvia has a deep commitment to the well being of all people.

Roxana is a life-long student devoted to discovering the Truth about the Universe, and has been studying the spiritual principles of New Thought since 1985. She applies these principles to her life and is passionate about sharing her experiences. Roxana is a Licensed Spiritual Practitioner (RScP) with United Center for Spiritual Living and is in service to the community of New Thought Center for Spiritual Living.
Roxana brings a respect for all paths to understanding the Divine. Roxana is dedicated to facilitating the sacred process of holding a space for others to develop their own unique connection.
Roxana is in service in a number of ways: as a member of a team of ministers who serve at the Coffee Creek Women’s Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, OR, and is the founder and director of her independent ministry called “Sacred Theater”. For many years, Roxana has worked in the public schools as a Language Arts and Performing Arts teacher. Roxana graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree from New West Seminary is 2005.
The process of discovering how to serve the divine has brought Roxana into a place of conviction of the great power of the Spirit and continues to stay in the inquiry about how to serve the One.