About Us

Three years ago, Mark and Esin met during a project that aimed to transform workplaces by equipping employees with essential stress management skills.

Sharing a common vision and passion for enhancing well-being, they have since continued their collaboration, combining their unique expertise to create impactful workshops.

They are dedicated to fostering resilient, healthy, and productive work environments.

Esin Caliskan, PhD

I was diagnosed with a chronic liver disease a the age of 18, received a liver transplantation after five years.

My journey into stress management, self-care, and self-compassion workshops is deeply intertwined with my professional career and personal experiences. During my initial years of working closely with refugees at UNHCR, I developed a profound understanding of stress and its impact on both the individuals we serve and ourselves as humanitarian workers.

This deep engagement, while rewarding, also led me to experience compassion fatigue, prompting me to take a break and pursue a PhD in London.

This period of academic study was not just an intellectual pursuit; it was a time for personal reflection and growth, evolved with travels to India.

Upon returning to work, this time with a fresh perspective and new insights, I've conducted many workshops that I have developed a comprehensive approach that combines practical strategies with empathetic understanding.

My personal health journey further fueled my passion for self-care and self-compassion.

This challenging phase of my life led me to explore various holistic practices, including yoga, mindfulness, dance, and massage, alongside other body modalities and ways to regulate the nervous system from recent debates in neuroscience such as poly-vagal theory, somatic experiencing, compassion-based therapies.

These practices were not just pathways to recovery; they became integral components of my personal and professional life. Since 2016, I'm a certificated Ashtanga yoga instructor and Ayurvedic yoga massage therapist. I also facilitate meditation and breathing sessions.

WhatsApp Image 2024-07-10 at 11.54.18.jpeg

WhatsApp Image 2024-07-10 at 11.54.18 (1).jpeg

WhatsApp Image 2023-09-17 at 22.01.58 (1).jpeg

Mark Vanelli, MD, MHS, MBA

For the past 13 years I have been a psychiatrist for the US Department of State where my work has often involved crisis response in the wake of earthquakes, pandemics and political unrest in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

During this time, I have worked with leaders and leadership teams to improve employee morale and resilience in post-crisis environments.

We receive very encouraging feedback from the stress management and burnout prevention workshops we conducted with Esin. We aim to offer these workshops with more groups.

I retired from the US State Department in August of 2023 and now continue to work with the leaders of humanitarian organisations to improve the morale, stress management and engagement of their staff. I know these issues well having lived them for the past decade.

Prior to working at the State Department, I spent a decade on the teaching faculty of Harvard Medical School where I taught a course on leadership for health care and non-profit leaders.

In addition to a medical degree, I hold a public health degree from Johns Hopkins University and a business degree (MBA) from Boston University.