About Us
About Us
Earth Institute is a member of the Earth Charter Initiative a “living charter” endorsed by thousands of organisations, from many different sectors, around the world with the power to unite people in a common purpose: respect and care for the whole community of life, ecological integrity; social and economic justice; and democracy, non-violence and peace.
Paul Perfrement - Founding director, Earth Institute. Bach. Science, Grad. Dip. Counselling, Dip. Trans. Psychodynamics, Dip. Trans. Life Coaching, Dip. Clinical Hyp., Grad. Dip. Ed., Dip. R.M., Cert. Somatic Therapy.
Having given up one of his hobbies - gathering qualifications - Paul became a pioneer in life coaching, holistic counselling, shamanism and mind-body healing education. These reflected his growing passion for what is most real as a path to heart and soul-centered living. From a decade or so ago he founded, developed and was head of faculty for the Diplomas of Transformational Life Coaching, Holistic Counselling, and Soul Care & Shamanic Healing at Nature Care College, Sydney. Paul became the receiver of the Peace Flame award from the World Peace Flame Foundation on behalf of the College as his courses were considered by the director, Rodney Brennan, to have best reflected and strongly contributed to that unique recognition.
Prior to Nature Care and the founding of Earth Institute for his own new programs and care for the planet, Paul was an academic faculty member of the Australian Transpersonal Institute which provided five year trainings in organisational development, deep ecology and transpersonal psychotherapy. For some years he also served as the co-ordinator of the Australian Spiritual Emergence Network, established in the USA by Dr. Stan Grof and Christina Grof, to assist professionals in how to distinguish between transformational crises and psychosis, and how to best care for challenges in personal and spiritual development. Paul has worked as a consultant, inner-life coach, mentor to life coaches, consultants and executives, psychologist, ecologist, counsellor, psychotherapist, and as a retreat, vision quest and community development facilitator.
His founding of Earth Institute reflects his commitment as a learner and grassroots teacher of the care of the heart, soul, planet and spirit. Apart from his academic studies, Paul also trained formally, as an apprentice, in workshop formats, and sometimes far less than formally with zen masters, transpersonal and crazy wisdom teachers, and indigenous elders, shamans and seers of Australia, Europe, North and South America, and Indonesia.
Mahani Mackie has pioneered spiritual emergence and Self-development work with adults, children, couples and groups for over twenty years. She has been a close fellow spiritual traveller with Paul for many years. Mahani feels a strong “yes!” to offering her facilitation skills and knowledge to support the growth and spiritual journeying of others. She has worked closely with indigenous communities, culture and development in the Northern Territory.
Based in Victoria, Mahani continues to explore depth connections in her own life and is excited to share this richness with you. In recent years she and Paul have enjoyed offering unique and highly innovative programs together in inner-life coaching for transpersonal awakening with a unique process approach.