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

July 19, 2007 – no response to first written request for TFC loan info

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Thursday, July 19, 2007 – hand delivered first written request for loan info from TFC, left on reception desk)

(Because I had asked a few times for the loan information and was sidestepped each time, because in class on the 16th Connie reacted strangely after I pointed out her instructions were contradictory, because no one from the schools had followed up with me in any way, I thought I'd been dumped or whatever the equivalent would be. Despite Rick and Connie's statements, I never did anything wrong in class. I'm sure if I had caused the problems they said I did there would have been at least a discussion about it and documentation to support such an event. But here I was still insisting I couldn't be wrong about them and everything would be ok as long as I got the loan straight. Before this week in July, I had mentioned to Connie that it might really help lessen their concerns about money (which she mentioned during class specifically in regard to the small size of our class being insufficient) for everyone involved if the loan were taken care of. I didn't get a response again but figured the timely mention would do the job. Instead Connie began behaving strangely toward me in class. Particularly when I asked a question she'd either say I should go to medical school or "that's just common sense - everyone knows that" without elaborating further. It was during one of those events on July 16th that Connie became confrontational about facial massage for clients who had TMJ. Specifically when she asked why I was asking, I suggested TMJ seemed to be common and people with sensitive facial skin may not appreciate the assumption Connie had made that "everyone loves to have their face massaged". I explained that the little bit we'd done in class had caused my own TMJ to flare up and it still wasn't gone. Connie said everyone was not like me. I attempted to clarify by saying I wasn't asking about me, only using myself as a firsthand example. I was really just interested in learning something different to do and that if a massage therapist was not interested in giving a facial massage, what was something else that could be done in its place. Connie pressed for another example and I mentioned multiple sclerosis. Connie said very loudly "like who?!" For the remainder of that class when I asked a question she kept saying “that’s just common sense”. Why I'm not sure. But it was obvious she was upset by my questions and she never did explain other than to say "these things happen". Later, I also explained I wanted to work with patients who had fibromyalgia and at the veteran's hospital where a lot of people have nerve damage and skin sensitivities. Finally Connie said to just use Reiki.)

To Connie and Rick:

I called TFC early last week to inquire about my account# so I could make a loan payment before it was due. I called again last Monday morning. Monday evening TFC called me back to say they don’t show my loan information in their system. So, I’m not certain if I’m still actually a student or not, but I definitely owe you guys for the classes I’ve been taking and need to make a payment arrangement.

Also don’t know if I’m still scheduled for this weekend’s classes for Reiki-ssage I. Could someone please call and let me know? Thanks!

Catherine

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