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        Richard Garzarelli is the primary visionary behind Quietude and the guiding force that shaped its soul, scope, and purpose. With a lifelong devotion to healing, contemplation, and human flourishing, Richard envisioned Quietude as a place where people could step out of the noise of everyday life and reconnect with what is most essential with one’s self, one another, and the natural world.
        A psychologist by training, Richard has more than 40 years of clinical and organizational/program development experience. He holds a M.A. in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Naropa University and a M.A. in Program Evaluation from Hahnemann University. His professional journey reflects his lifelong integration of psychology, business and spirituality. To that end, he incorporated The Center for Meaningful Work (CMW) www.workwithmeaning.com over 20 yeas ago. CMW is a coaching and consulting service that serves individuals seeking to align values, skills and life purpose.

        Richard is also the developer of the Healing Hearts Network www.healingheartslab.org, a collective of local healing artists who serve the community. He produced the Healing Hearts Festival in collaboration with White Horse Black Mountain www.whitehorseblackmountain.org on the 1-year anniversary of Helene, a celebration that wove together music, healing arts and mindfulness. His work is rooted in the belief that healing is not only individual, but communal—and that spaces of beauty, intention, and presence can quietly transform lives.

        In addition, Richard and his wife Elizabeth co-created Insight Counseling Services, Black Mountain Wellness Center, and Inevitable Grace Inc., a small real estate investment company.​

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        Elizabeth Garzarelli is the co-founder and co-creator of Quietude. Along with her husband, she helped imagine and bring to life this small retreat center devoted to rest, reflection, and renewal. Elizabeth manages the financial operations of the property.​

        A licensed psychotherapist with more than 30 years of experience, Elizabeth has devoted her professional life to accompanying individuals through profound life transitions—grief, loss, illness, spiritual awakening, identity change, and moments of deep inner reckoning. She holds an M.A. degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and brings a transpersonal, whole-person lens to her work.
        Elizabeth specializes in Past Life Soul Regressions, Between Life Soul Regressions, and Induced After-Death Communication (IADC), a gentle, evidence-informed method for rapid grief resolution that can bring comfort, meaning, and a renewed sense of connection after loss. She is known for creating spaces—both therapeutic and physical—where people feel deeply safe, seen, and supported in exploring their inner world. To learn more about her work, visit www.ElizabethGarzarelli.com.