There are moments when many years of learning, collaboration, research, teaching, and vision come together to open a new pathway. I am delighted to share one of those moments.

Announcing the New BioEnergetic Wellness Program at Akamai University

Akamai University International has announced the expansion of its College of Integrative Health to include BioEnergetic Wellness as an online degree program housed within the new Department of BioEnergetic Wellness.

I am deeply honoured to step into the role of Department Chairperson for the BioEnergetic Wellness Program and to help guide this next stage of development. Coursework leading to Master’s and PhD-level degrees is projected to begin in early January 2027, with an undergraduate program in development.

Why This Matters

For many years, BioEnergetic Wellness has been growing through the dedication of educators, facilitators, researchers, students, associations, and communities around the world. This new academic home creates an opportunity to continue developing the field through higher education while honouring its whole-person, person-led approach to wellness.

The Department of BioEnergetic Wellness provides a place to explore the principles, practices, research, and evolving language of the field within an interdisciplinary academic environment. It also opens new possibilities for learners who want to deepen their understanding, contribute to research, develop professional skills, and explore how BioEnergetic Wellness can support quality of life for individuals and communities.

From Student to Department Chairperson

This announcement carries special meaning for me. My own studies at Akamai University provided the opportunity to explore questions that had emerged through decades of teaching movement, Tai Chi, Touch for Health®, Therapeutic Touch®, and other approaches to self-care and wellbeing. That academic journey contributed to the development and articulation of the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula and to an expanding body of work exploring awareness, biofeedback, movement, intention, activation, community, intuition, and human flourishing.

Now, the opportunity is to help create pathways for other learners to ask their own questions, investigate their observations, develop rigorous scholarship, and contribute their unique knowledge to the future of BioEnergetic Wellness.

Building a Global Learning Community

Because the program will be offered online, its potential reaches far beyond one geographic location. Our vision is to cultivate an international learning community where diverse experiences and ways of knowing can meet thoughtful inquiry, experiential learning, collaboration, and research.

This is not simply about creating another degree pathway. It is an opportunity to continue developing the language, scholarship, educational foundations, and professional identity of BioEnergetic Wellness while keeping personal agency, self-awareness, connection, and quality of life at the heart of the work.

Looking Toward 2027

There is much work ahead as we prepare for the projected January 2027 launch of graduate coursework and continue developing the undergraduate program. Faculty development, curriculum design, research opportunities, international collaboration, and pathways for future students will all be part of this exciting next chapter.

I am grateful to Akamai University International President Linda Eldridge-Tibbetts and the Board of Governors for their confidence in the possibilities for BioEnergetic Wellness and for recognizing the value this field can bring to the international communities we serve.

I am also grateful to the colleagues, students, collaborators, organizations, and communities who have helped shape this work over many years. This milestone belongs within a much larger story of people asking thoughtful questions, sharing discoveries, building resources, and imagining what wellness education can become.

Welcome to the next chapter of BioEnergetic Wellness.

We look forward to sharing more about the Department of BioEnergetic Wellness, the developing programs, and opportunities to become part of this growing international learning community in the months ahead.