Resources

I thought I'd done my homework until I pursued help by filing a dispute with my credit card company. Then I realized I'd barely scratched the surface of information available. Still, I also have to say that the only thing I've found out so far that would have kept me from continuing with the Reiki Council and The Sanctuary School is that I should not have begun classes until I had payment information from TFC. Connie Vrenios had me using used books donated by a previous student for over a month, which was over half the time I was there. I had no business using their materials until they were "mine" and being paid for through the loan I thought was being submitted. Hopefully other would be students, from whom Rick Vrenios or Connie Vrenios request(s) a down payment from in order to submit a loan that doesn't end up submitted, may benefit from information provided in the resources below.

Illinois Legal Aid

Nolo

Illinois Pro Bono

Carol Stream Office of Praire State Legal Services provides free legal services in civil legal matters for persons who have incomes below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines and senior citizens age 60 and older regardless of income.

ISBE - Illinois State Board of Education In Illinois, a school's curriculum usually must be approved by the ISBE. As it happened for me, that may not apply to classes taken as a member even if you are a student or licensed.

Illinois Department of Finanical and Professional Regulation

Chicago Better Business Bureau

National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork

American Massage Therapy Association

American Massage Therapy Association Illinois Chapter

Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals

My Experience with Rick Vrenios, Connie Vrenios, Reiki Council and The Sanctuary School

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This blog details an attempt to complete a Reiki-based massage therapy program at The Sanctuary School which was cut short by Rick Vrenios and Connie Vrenios who chose not to submit the loan we agreed to in writing. A scan of that loan application dated June 13 2007 is chronologically entered near the bottom of this page.
To clarify a point made by Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios' in their BBB response about me creating a "flurry of communications", 1) this began in pursuit of my $2000 downpayment; 2) it's unlikely attorneys are inclined to immerge themselves in dense, convoluted communications for issues like this. Surely most would glance at this mess and rightfully refuse involvement. Maybe Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios relied on offensively dense and convoluted communications to prevent legal pursuit. I can't speak for them, but I have a consistent history of being verbose, so again their accusation is baseless and unprovable.

This blog is intended to serve as a constructive outlet for this experience. Though I'll never know why this happened, I do want others to know Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios disappointed me to the core. I also want to believe someone else will be helped by not being similarly victimized. My biggest mistake with The Sanctuary School and the Reiki Council though was wanting to continue to trust after common sense said enough is enough. There could have been much more to say here, but I didn't journal as I should have. Much is already not posted here because it's mostly rambling while trying to organize where I went wrong.

Outside legal means, any representative for The Sanctuary School and Reiki Council who decides to contact me should email transparent and clear discussion and know it will all be posted here and backed up elsewhere. This blog will be edited for clarification, typos and updated to add evolving details, so it will remain a work in progress through the last communication.

Friday, December 14, 2007

December 14, 2007 complaint to local AMTA Illinois Chapter

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(altered only formatting for readability)

(email)
From: cs colvin
To: info@amta-il.org
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 2:52:15 PM
Subject: ethics complaint

Good afternoon,

Attached is a complaint regarding Rick Vrenios and Connie Vrenios of the Reiki Council and formerly The Sanctuary School. If this should be forwarded elsewhere, please let me know. Though this is awkward, it seems necessary to follow through. Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,
Catherine S. Colvin
AMTA member# 150599
cell.630 808 9317

(letter)
Friday, December 14, 2007

To: AMTA IL Chapter Board of Directors
140 North Bloomingdale Road
Bloomingdale, Illinois 60108-1017
630 980 4740

From: Catherine S. Colvin
7928 Woodlyn Apt 107
Woodridge, IL 60517
cell.630 808 9317

Re: False claim to resolve an injury and details pertinent to a misappropriated $2000 down payment by Illinois licensed massage therapists, continuing education providers: Richard Vrenios and Constance Vrenios through the Reiki Council and The Sanctuary School (listed here on the AMTA Council of Schools list) at 799 Roosevelt Road, Building 6, Suite 016, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137; 630 790 3542.

Because a signed contract was not submitted to TFC, I was unable to complete the massage program and additional classes. Given this experience, pursuing Reiki must be started anew because I cannot regard Reiki instruction by Connie Vrenios or Rick Vrenios to be legitimate. Details are noted in BBB complaint # 94145268 and http://www.cscolvin.blogspot.com. All documentation may be forwarded upon request. I apologize for redundancies. Note: “no response” in prior documentation has become “untimely response”. Events and steps toward resolution include:

1) Due to a 2003 certificate date that expired in 2007 and not completing the program for that certificate, I decided to attend The Sanctuary School. Rick Vrenios and I signed a binding monetary agreement, but my verbal and written requests for payment info were ignored until Rick Vrenios’ email dated August 3, 2007, which is mostly fabricated.

2) A dispute was filed with my credit card company and a $2000 charge is temporarily credited. A complaint was filed with the Chicago BBB. A BBB email was forwarded to Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios stating the complaint closed with an unsatisfactory report. They responded with more distortions. Those most clearly evidenced are noted below.

a. A few classes with Connie were said to be necessary to complete the 660-hour program. There was no tutoring in class 6 with the other 3 students or any other time.

b. Rick Vrenios’ and Connie Vrenios’ documentation falsely indicates 163 hours of tutoring, continuing education(?) as a Reiki Council member and 163 hours in the 660-hour massage program at The Sanctuary School. However,

i) there was no enrollment agreement, so I was not a student though I tried to be

ii) I did not become a Reiki Council member until after classes began

iii) the loan or contract specifies a 660-hour program with The Sanctuary School

iv) the Reiki Council was not part of the above written loan or contract agreement

v) from the third paragraph after number 8. of Rick Vrenios’ August 3, 2007 email:
“Since joining the class, you have completed 163 hours of the 660 hour program.”

vi) from page 1 of the BBB complaint regarding continuing education:
“The Reiki Council is also a membership organization. Under state law, “in house education” (education presented for members, or educators hired by a company to teach staff) is not required to be under the jurisdiction of the ISBE. Ms. Colvin was a member and therefore fell under this category as well.”

vii) from page 13, third paragraph of the BBB complaint:
“But she states that because she didn’t get her imaginary “loan”, the 163 hours of tutoring has no value.”

c. The 11/20/07 BBB response falsely claims an injury was resolved for me in a private tutoring session. It remains functionally unchanged for about two years.

i) from page 15 of the BBB complaint regarding the chronic injury claim:
“She had a chronic injury that limited her ability to work as a massage therapist for four years. In a private tutoring session, the issue was resolved in less than ten minutes providing her with valuable relief, and valuable training in self-care and therapeutic work.”

3) If continuing education providers were bound by the same ethics as licensed massage therapists, and as both, Connie Vrenios’ and Rick Vrenios’ actions through The Sanctuary School and Reiki Council violate AMTA’s Code of Ethics, specifically:

Acknowledge the confidential nature of the professional relationship with clients and respect each client's right to privacy. (Rick Vrenios ended a class by stating and naming a member, student and close friend was having a suicidal episode. Connie Vrenios assured me this happened “all the time” and had been ongoing for years.)

Conduct all business and professional activities within their scope of practice, the law of the land, and project a professional image. (Throughout my association with Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios through The Sanctuary School and Reiki Council.

4) With the exception of unrelated and confidential personal information of others, the AMTA Board of Directors may disclose all information in this and related complaints to Connie Vrenios and Rick Vrenios of The Sanctuary School and Reiki Council, and any legal counsel or experts deemed necessary by the AMTA to process this complaint.

I sincerely regret the need to report this complaint. The time and attention of all presiding in this matter is much appreciated. Perhaps these efforts will prevent similar events in the future.

Respectfully,
Catherine S. Colvin

cc: info@amtamassage.org; gohlson@amtamassage.org; ckruse@amtamassage.org; lquek@amtamassage.org; mtyle@amtamassage.org; llucas@amtamassage.org
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