Rik Center
Cofounder Of The Mindfulness Care Center.
In Private Practice: Mindful-Somatic Therapy.
Unresolved Trauma & PTSD Therapy.
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner & Counselor.
Grief & Loss Therapy Support.
Request Appointment & Information.
Rik is a Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner/SEP, specializing in unresolved anxieties and trauma release for over 20 years. He is a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher with over 34 years of meditation practice, mindfulness studies, and meditation self-retreat practice. Rik is a Member of the USABP/United States Association of Body Psychotherapy.
Rik has trained and served as a Buddhist/Interfaith Chaplain at San Francisco General Hospital and CPMC/California Pacific Medical Center Hospitals. He presently sits on the PAG/Professional Advisory Group for Spiritual Care for Sutter Health/CPMC Hospitals in San Francisco. Rik has been facilitating a Mindfulness Grief and Loss Support Group for over the past 13 years.
Rik also has a background in various physical and emotional bodywork methods and is the former Director of a Holistic Healing Arts School. His meditation practice began in the late 80’s with educational and spiritual practices at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Center, and Insight Meditation Society. Rik’s practice maintains itself in the Thai Forest Tradition of Buddhism at Abhayagiri Monastery.
Rik had a business background in the Garment & Restaurant Industries, plus 20 years of practice in the Japanese Martial Art Kyudo “The Way Of Bow.”
TESTIMONIAL: JUNE 2024:
Rik has played an invaluable role in my path to healing. Over the past year and a half, I've dedicated myself to addressing past traumas, and Rik's support has been integral to this process. During this time, I've sought guidance from various therapists, including talk therapists and trauma-informed massage therapists, but Rik, as a Somatic Experiencing (SE) Practitioner, brought a unique perspective and expertise. While it's impossible to attribute my progress to any single factor, Rik's role in my journey stands out.
Initially drawn to Somatic Experiencing after reading Peter Levine's "Waking the Tiger," I was immediately struck by Rik's additional emphasis on mindfulness. As someone who strongly values their sitting practice, I appreciated Rik's ability to build off both mindfulness and SE. Rik's approach beautifully intertwines these modalities, creating a potent framework for healing.
Attending Rik's DEER course (Developing Emotional Embodied Resiliency) further bolstered my resources, equipping me with the tools to navigate and embrace moments of overwhelm. Through Rik's guidance, I've come to understand that healing isn't a distant goal but something that's always available in the present moment. It's about cultivating self-trust, self-care, and compassion, allowing the natural process of healing to unfold.
I deeply respect Rik and the wisdom he brings to his practice. Grateful for the transformation that has begun within me, I recognize that healing is ongoing. Yet, I approach life with newfound vitality, embracing its complexities with more of an open heart than I ever have. This journey, with Rik's support, has been a profound gift—one that continues to unfold.
Thank you, Rik, for walking with me on this path to healing and showing me the beauty of embracing the present moment.
~ David L.
Dear Rik, I used to attend your weekly meditations. I attended your daylong class “Embodied Narrative” in 2018 and it changed my life. Ever since that class and then taking the MBSR/Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program class under your instruction, I changed the course of my life to harm reduction and dealing with my depression and anxiety with mindfulness meditation and eventually completely stopped drinking alcohol (almost 2 years now). I wanted to express my love and gratitude to you. I was on a suicidal mission and who knows where I may have ended up.
With Metta, RG
CONTACT:
Rik is available for private sessions, corporate speaking engagements, and business workshops.
Contact Rik through email or call.
415-786-5456
Rik’s Book: If you can't change your mood, change your mind: mindful reflections toward self-discovery
Written by Rik Center
This book shares subtle yet inspiring observations that offer new building blocks toward a compassionate self-discovery when reflecting upon daily life. Readers are treated to nuanced quips, quotes and poems that are woven with artful humor. We are shown that self-discovery and transformation happen when we make a personal choice to look within ourselves, and be curious.
"A book full of wonderful wisdom and evocative perspectives. Read the book slowly, taking your time reflecting and digesting each teaching and each flash of insight catalyzed." ~ Gil Fronsdal, Teacher at the Insight Meditation Center. Author of The Issue At Hand, The Monastery Within, The Buddha Before Buddhism.