In 2001, she founded and directed the groundbreaking luxury boutique rehab, Beau Monde, and Beau Monde’s Emotional/Psychological Executive Renewal Programs in Newport Beach, California. Beau Monde, modeled after the exclusive, private Swiss clinic, quickly became an international success and eventually expanded to include 7 exclusive locations in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and the Hollywood Hills (Laurel Canyon Recovery Center) in California.

In 2008, after years of requests and suggestions from former clients, colleagues, and others, Heidi again ventured into new treatment venue territory and created the super private, Privé-Swiss program. Privé-Swiss is the only clinical/holistic treatment program in the country that was specifically created to serve the special needs and mental health treatment goals of the very successful, high functioning individual struggling with mental health issues. Heidi also serves as business and management consultant to treatment programs, professionals, and others. She is the go-to person for media seeking information or comments on high-end treatment, the treatment of high profile individuals and/or those in the public eye, and mental health/addictions and recovery. She maintains a limited private practice in Connecticut where she works with private clients and offers the Privé-Swiss retreat programs.

Philosophical approach

Heidi likes to describe her clients as “super-achievers” who have gotten derailed from living — and enjoying — their full potential due to burnout, stress, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, addiction and other serious mental health issues. A key area of interest is in identity transformation: What is it that “changes” an individual from a “sick” person to a “recovered” person who is fully and passionately involved in health, wellness, personal growth, and development. Heidi is not satisfied with merely helping an individual to stay sober or teaching relapse prevention; her purpose is to assist her clients in re-connecting with and strengthening their core, authentic self and getting back on a path of power, purpose, and life fulfillment. She strongly believes that life in “recovery” from any dysfunctional behavior should not be one of self-limitation, but rather one of self-expansion.

Heidi’s approach to treatment is the belief that all individuals have the capacity for self-healing and that a person’s concept of the “self” influences behavior and is related to emotional state, well-being, and judgment in the individual. In accordance with this belief, Heidi’s approach looks at “relapse” as no longer an issue in the “recovering” individual once he or she can identify, develop and live life in accordance with their true, authentic self. In developing her unique treatment programs she states, “Recovery is a life-altering, deeply personal experience. Our goal is to create an individualized program that is emotionally relevant to our client — one that honors and works within that person’s “lifeworld”. We do not force a person to participate in our treatment program — instead, we invite the individual to be an active participant in treatment and create a program specific to his or her unique needs and life goals.”

Education and professional credentials

In addition to her many years of counseling experience and longtime personal recovery, Heidi Kunzli has earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College, School of Human Services in Springfield, Mass. where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Springfield College, with a focus on performance enhancement coaching, training & development and executive leadership coaching & development. Her interests are in the areas of personal identity and transformation, self-regulation, motivation, self-actualization, and the integration of therapies for the treatment and sustainable recovery from mental health challenges.

Heidi Kunzli is an internationally licensed (CT) Alcohol, Drug & Addictions Counselor and Recovery Coach who has been working in the field for 30 years. She is a past instructor of alcohol/drug counselor training studies at California Paramedical and Technical College in Long Beach, CA. She is a continuing education provider and counselor development consultant for certified alcohol and drug abuse counselors, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers. Heidi has been a certified paralegal and conflict mediator with many years experience in various business environments.

Dr. Kurth recognizes that her expertise in the biological aspect of mental health contributes only a piece to patient wellness, and incorporates collaboration with psychotherapists, life coaches, nutritionists and others to provide a comprehensive treatment experience for her patients.

Dr. Kurth has an established community private practice and provides consultation services to courts, schools, outpatient clinics and medical specialists.  She is experienced in providing cutting edge treatment options such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).   Dr. Kurth is currently an adjunct professor at University of St. Joseph in W. Hartford, CT involved in the clinical psychiatric training of nurse practitioners.

My goal is for people to develop a nuanced understanding of their life situation, an awareness of their complex emotional habits, and an empowering sense of responsibility and freedom in moving forward. My approach includes insight-oriented and cognitive behavioral therapies. I also work with couples to resolve interpersonal difficulties.

I have worked with adults and adolescents for nearly 30 years. I trained in the Department of Psychology at Yale and at the Yale Psychiatric Institute. I am an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, and received a Distinguished Faculty Award in 2015 for my supervisory work.”

Sandy Daignault is author of the book, Come To Group!: An Essential Psychoeducational Workbook for all Psychiatric Clinicians Looking to Educate and Support Their Patients Wellness”, 2013, a resource used by many DBT therapists across the country. She has maintained a private practice for many years and has worked for, and with, several of the most respected psychiatrists in the field.

Sandy provides private dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) services to our clients as part of the Privé-Swiss Psychological and Emotional Retreat Program. Sandy also holds MATS certification (Medication Assisted Treatment Specialist) and uses behavioral therapy in conjunction with medications to address addiction issues.

“The best type of therapy is a combination of all the great therapies.” Sandy knows that no single approach is the right fit for our clients and ensures that clients receive the very best clinical services available.

Joanna has recently worked as the Clinical Supervisor at the Middlesex Hospital Psychiatric Day Treatment Program, overseeing eleven clinicians that work with people suffering from problems and complications with mental illness, behavioral health and addictions. Joanna is on the Yale University faculty and has supervised medical students during their psychiatry rotation at Middlesex Hospital.

Joanna specializes in trauma, anxiety and substance use disorders and addictions. She often utilizes brief solution focused therapy. Solution focused therapy is future-focused, goal directed and focuses on solutions rather than the problems that are presented in therapy. Joanna works with her therapy clients to achieve personal growth through facilitating the recovery process by offering support to help people develop and achieve their vision of the solutions for the problems that they are experiencing.

Joanna is trained at the advanced level of Consultant in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR helps trauma survivors reprocess disturbing thoughts and memories, providing profound and stable treatment effects in a short period of time. It ameliorates symptoms of both acute and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).   She is also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) a therapy that provides clients with new skills to manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. DBT specifically focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas, mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance. 

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. His doctoral research explored interreligious dialogue, mysticism, and Zen meditation as a healing practice within the history of spirituality. He has also received extensive mindfulness training from the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness and Zen Mountain Monastery.

By drawing upon many of the world’s wisdom traditions and his own meditation practice, Brandon has supported thousands in their spiritual journey, and works with Privé-Swiss clients around issues of burnout, healing, relationship challenges, purpose, and resilience, helping them cultivate a spiritual life that supports joy, connection, meaning, and thriving.

Ms. Rudd-Gates co-produced an innovative film, Bodyspeaks: Finding A Voice Through Art Therapy, presenting art and personal stories of women who explore, cope and resolve struggles with disordered eating and negative body image. This film is used by colleges nationally and internationally, giving hope to those struggling. She initiated and co-founded a successful, city-wide eating disorder education and prevention program for Atlanta called “Listen to Your Body Week” involving college communities, businesses and arts-cultural organizations. Ms. Rudd-Gates curated a 6 year art show, “Hungry Souls: Nourishing Ourselves through Art” exploring body image, rotating each year to a different college campus throughout Atlanta. She has been a clinical supervisor for graduate art therapy students throughout the northeast.

Before pivoting to coaching full time, Jessica spent almost 15 years in higher education and academic medicine. She served as a ladder-track professor at the Yale Child Study Center and the Director of Professional Standards for the Yale School of Medicine, as well as the Assistant Dean of Students at Washington University in St. Louis.

Jessica earned a BA and MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College. She holds specialized postgraduate certificates in executive coaching, mediation/conflict resolution, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the treatment of complex trauma.

Brigitta is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Bridgeport where she obtained her Masters in Human Nutrition. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from University College London, UK. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and the American College of Nutrition. As a nutritionist and longtime local food activist, she is passionate about helping people discover the healing power of real food.

About functional Medicine

Functional Medicine recognizes the highly individual nature of disease. Two individuals can have the same condition but very different biochemical and genetic makeup. On the other hand, two people with similar biochemical and genetic profiles can have completely different health conditions. Therefore functional medicine treats the person, not the disease.

Subsequently, a highly individualized treatment plan is developed that incorporates diet planning, healing the gut, lifestyle counseling, detoxing, and dietary supplementation. By rebalancing your biochemistry you can achieve optimum health and vitality.

Functional medicine nutrition creates the conditions for your body to heal itself. Conditions that can be prevented or greatly improved include excess weight, digestive disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, allergies, asthma, auto-immune disorders, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, autism & ADHD, frequent infections, liver disorders, and kidney disorders.

Cynthia is committed to providing the highest quality, individually tailored treatment by integrating Japanese and Chinese acupuncture techniques and various evidence-based modalities. Her gentle and compassionate treatment approach fosters deep connections with patients, particularly those new to acupuncture, helping alleviate any apprehensions they may have. Embracing the philosophy of interprofessional collaborative patient-centered care, Cynthia is dedicated to patient empowerment.

In addition to her clinical practice, Cynthia serves as an Adjunct Faculty at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. In this role, she passionately advocates for the complementary treatment industry and shares her knowledge with the next generation of integrative health providers.

Her specialties include life challenges, grief, self-image, self-esteem, weight loss, fears and phobias, anxiety, PTSD, performance enhancement, sleep disorders, and releasing negative habits such as smoking, over eating, and excessive drinking.

Ms. Hart graduated from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute with honors, is an active member of the American Hypnosis Academy, and holds a Masters Degree from Columbia University.
Ms. Hart is also a certified Holistic Coach.