To capture the magnanimity of the experience, I am going to share my experience, my son's past leading up to finding Rice and the outcome of his work.

I was a single mother until my son was 8 at which time I remarried. Regardless of my success, my positive outlook on life and my profession in human dynamics, I seemed to always fall short of providing what my son seemed to need. A great deal of my parenting was built on a foundation of guilt. The guilt I always felt for blaming myself when Christian was emotionally distraught, failing in school, lacking confidence or worse.

On the outside, in social setting my son was a leader, charismatic, deeply compassionate and funny. Even as a child wherever we went, he would engage every person in conversation and by the end of dining out, grocery shopping or running an errand I would always hear, "Your son is amazing. He is so great to talk with."

He has exceptional social skills which began very young and to date maintains. From a very young age he would introduce himself to the chef of the restaurant, every single passenger on a train or anyone he encounters on the street.

He is very charismatic and has a deep empathetic ability to make any person no matter what the age or background, feel special.

But in the background, starting at 2 he began a pattern of compulsive behavior. Quietly refusing to eat if his food items touched one another, pushing his pant legs up to his knees whenever I dressed him (but would not wear shorts), then he became obsessed with wearing hats all day every day and this obsessive behavior continued. He always had something he had to have or do continuously.

Around 5 he started to develop emotional outbursts (slamming doors, yelling) they quickly subsided after we spoke about it. This came shortly after I left his father.

Around 6 he began displaying inappropriate sexual behavior and an obsessive attraction to girls.

Around 7 he started lighting fires and disappearing from school. I was continuously called out of work to find him. Mostly he was in the yard somewhere with people or at a friends' house.

Around 9 he started to display emotional clinginess or calling everyone mom or dad whom he briefly connected with.

At my wedding he refused to participate and after going to see his father that summer (while I was on my honeymoon) he refused to return or even speak to me for a month.

While with his father he was brutally physically abused and his father forced him to keep it a secret from me.

I found out through a random call from a therapist and Christian had threatened to commit suicide. I got him back and we went through counseling and coaching for him. His father refused.

He started having obsessive emotional thoughts around 11 about being a failure and never making it in life. I'd find him in his room crying.

He started taking drugs around 12.

He always was hyperactive and always put in the front of class due to his continually disruptive behavior. He always had very poor grades even with private lessons, family study time, structure and rules. Nothing made a difference.

He is always and I mean always on the go. He must have constant stimuli – sometimes even multiple sources: music, television, talking while walking around and the drawing. He cannot sit for any extended period of time. He is always out and cannot stay at home. He keeps the worst hours: staying up until all hours of the night; either not sleeping or sleeping all day. He constantly changes the subject and redirects to items not even pertinent to the conversation. He will constantly interrupt you while you're speaking (although usually not when someone is sharing about themselves or telling a story).

By this point we had gone to various therapists, tutors, learning centers and he took many hours of personal development courses. But nothing seemed to make a lasting change.

By the time he reached 14 I decided once again to try and make an impact and I moved to Los Angeles hoping that if I showed him how his personality and creativity could be a career choice, he would come into his own and gain new confidence and focus.

His career took off immediately and he booked a major modeling campaign, signed with a top management company and was brought into only lead role auditions. There wasn't a person he met that didn't see star quality in his future.

But around 15 he started to display violent behavior, which increased and eventually spun out of control. I cannot even articulate the amount of hours I researched, made calls, sobbed myself to sleep only to wake up the next day and search for a solution to how to help my son.

By this point my marriage was falling apart, I had to shut down my feelings to even maintain my workload and I lived day to day wondering if when he walked out the door it might be the last time I see him.

Christian went from anger, to full-blown rage to eventually a vacant look in his eyes and became someone I didn't recognize.

He has overall been arrested approximately 15 times: initially for violent acts and vandalism (graffiti) and currently for only graffiti.

He cannot focus on reading, reoccurring scheduling, basic follow up items. He gets overwhelmed by any task and or endeavor and talks himself into a frenzied failure before even starting.

Treatment and structures: • Christian has attended transformational (life coaching) courses since he was 6. • He has attended full youth weekends, weekly courses and teen courses. • He has also volunteered and coached others in his young and pre teen years. • He has seen therapists Individually, with his second family (mom, step father and step brother) and with his father as an adult • He has had private tutors, 6 months 3 times a week at Sylvan learning center And we restructured our family evening to revolve around his school work (which took 3 hours every week night) a structure we could not maintain when it made no difference in his responsiveness. • He has had some of the most exceptional mentors (former pro baseball players, directors, actors, youth mentors, world renowned artist, business professionals ) and cannot maintain these relationships because he doesn't call or email any one back. • In his youth and pre-teen years we tried positive reinforcement, creative planning, visual structures, reward systems, consequence punishments and he did not respond to any of these. • He had home schooling as a last resort with me and could not focus one on one either

Had I know what I know now, perhaps he would have been diagnosed with impulse control disorder and possibly PTSD. He surely suffered from ADHD and we may have even found food allergies at the source of some behavior.

But, by the time he reached teenage years, I had lost any ability or influence to make a difference. He absolutely refused to listen.

I am not exaggerating for dramatic effect when I say had we not found Rice, I don't know if my son would be alive today. His choices became so destructive and beyond his own control.

Christian spent 4 weeks with Rice at his home in Arizona, and I would be lying if I said I thought it would work. Anyone could understand by this point I had exhausted attempts and while I refused to lose my son to rage, I also felt I was running out of time and options.

About a week into his time with Rice I received a call from Christian: a call that nearly dropped me to my knees. I can recall verbatim what he said to me. He said:

"Mom, I don't want to talk for too long because I have more work to do but I wanted you to know something. For the longest time I have been so angry with you. You are always telling me I can be anything and do anything and for some reason that just made me angrier, like you are lying to me. It wasn't until this long session with Rice that I realized something about you. I finally see that all this time you have just been holding the light for me until I can hold it for myself. I didn't know that. I want you to know that although I can't hold the light myself yet, I will one day."

When I hung up the phone that day, I couldn't even cry because I was in shock. This from a teen who had told me right before he left that he didn't care if he lived or died.

He returned a few weeks later and when he walked off the plane, he threw his arms around me a hugged me for the longest time. When I looked in his eyes, I saw my son again: my gentle, loving, sensitive and wonderful guy.

His rage was completely gone. With his rage gone, we started to communicate to work out the anger; as Mom/Son, and as a family.

Since working for that month with Rice, he has progressively made better choices, is open to input, has spent two years paying off fines/court dates to clean up his past mistakes, has held down a job for almost 2 years (including raises), is financially independent of me and is actively working on improving his relationships.

He has his tough times, but the difference is that he works within his abilities to find a solution. He has come to understand he cannot eat bad food or his moods will fluctuate, that he must work out or he loses focus, that his brain works faster than he can form comprehension and that getting help doesn't mean something is wrong with you but that sometimes you need an expert to gain knowledge of how things can go awry.

I cannot stress enough that teen issues are not cut and dry. It is not about cutting them off, kicking them out, boot camp and whatever else. Every situation is different and especially when you are working with rage, it requires a very skilled and experienced expert to defuse the ticking bomb.

Much like with Christian, the last thing he needed was more aggressive force to set him straight. He needed someone that could get "in," and lead him out of the dark, with love and compassion.

Rice is not only an expert with teens but an expert in this fragile state of human behavior.

Even if you are thinking of putting your teen though a program, I'd suggest you send them to Rice both before and after to ensure the work makes a real, intimate and long lasting difference.

Whatever you need to arrange to ensure he is working with your teen, it is worth their life.

When I first went to Arizona to meet Rice I was very closed minded. I wasn't really interested in telling anyone my problems. But when we met for the first time and talked he didn't push for me to talk, he was patient and very kind. And when he read me and my body language, he told me that I have the choice to make this trip a good experience or not. But that it was my choice.

I made the decision right then and there to let go. Just to make this experience powerful and that's what I did. Now if Rice in anyway didn't say those words and as nice as he said it, I promise you I would have chose the other route.

We had the most fun. We went horse back riding, worked out, saw the Grand Canyon, and did a lot of other things together. This man is the best listener in the world. I talked for hours and so much started opening up. It was his warm heart that was present that allowed me to share and feel so comfortable. And the fact that he had experienced a lot of the things that I was going through made me trust him also.

I left Arizona with a best friend. Rice is someone who truly cares about you and his work. Thank you Rice.

My name is Sam, and I am a 48 year old male from Scottsdale Arizona and I work as a marketing director for a large physical therapy practice.

I have known Rice for more than four years. I started going to him for massage and after a couple of months our conversation turned more to a personal one for me. Rice inspired me to continue my growth and thirst for knowledge and I went on to become a Reiki master. As time went on I opened up to Rice's compassion and encouragement and became a client of his coaching practice for about one year.

I as well as many others I am sure have a need to discover more of themselves and their past as to what makes us who we are, and where we fit into this life. During this past four years I have shared with Rice so much of my life: I value him as one of my close friends and confidant; he has helped me to find strength in myself and trust in others. When I am with Rice I can let down barriers and allow healing in for myself, it has been his knowledge that has brought me to the level of trust that I have in myself and to allow others in. He has taught me to be authentic, helped me to love myself and at no time made me feel uncomfortable with expressing my feelings. I know I have a journey to continue on and with his help I know that I can make it.

The things that Rice has shared with me and with the help of the Cairns (taking them one at a time and revisiting them often) I feel that I can continue to grow in this process of life. By no means do I feel that I am done but with more to learn and to share I know I am becoming a better person, able to speak up and not let others run me over. I now use my internal voice and pull energy from around so that I can continue to become a strong individual.

With the skill, knowledge and loving person that Rice is he has helped me in ways no other individual has: spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. Rice is truly a man that is here to help others.

Rice, I am truly thankful for having you in my life, I thank you from my whole being and hopeful that someday I will be able to share with others what a great man, teacher and friend you are to so many.

On a separate note, I teach Introduction to Alternative and Complementary Medicine at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale Arizona. I asked Rice if he would be interested in speaking to my class about Life Coaching and his style in particular. He came to give the 3 hour lecture, and gave a great lecture. He got a lot of the students to open up with questions and kept their interest the whole time. Rice gave the class his contact information if any of the students should have future questions, and from what I was told by some students and Rice he was taken up on his offer and helped a few students discover their way in life.

At the end of each semester I have the students evaluate and rate the guest speakers in order of how they benefited from the lectures. Rice was hands down the most liked and informative speaker according to the students. I would be honored to continue to have Rice speak to my class in the future. Some of the tools Rice uses are on his website which I will continue to direct students who are searching in their lives for someone who can help them in their steps to a happy healthy life.

Rice, I also thank you for my self for your coaching and encouragement to continue my destiny in becoming a Holistic Healer. I have made many strides personally and professionally thanks to your no nonsense approach with me. Thank you from my whole being and I look forward to life time of happiness and friendships.

It's all but impossible to convey in words the scope and depth of the transformation I've experienced during the past 8 months of working with Rice. How does one really write about a person that has been so instrumental in resurrecting you from barely hanging on to life? I will try. I apologize in advance for the length of my testimony, but my work with Rice has been so deeply profound and life-altering, it really is all required in order to "tell the story."

I first met Rice about 5 years ago when I travelled to Phoenix and received a massage from him – which I continued to do every few months for the next several years. I really looked forward to seeing Rice because his massage is amazing and I really enjoyed our conversations. I found Rice to be a space of tremendous comfort and healing. He was always so real, accepting, and generous of his time and spirit. And although I wasn't fully aware of it at the time, he was already coaching me. So this requires a bit of background…

I grew up in a Christian family. I started out in a Baptist Church, and I was VERY committed to being at church and having Christ as the center of my life, and all I do. But I had major struggles in my life, due to a lot of secret turmoil. When I was 13, I was repeatedly raped by two men. They threatened that if I didn't come back, and if I said anything to anyone that they would hurt my younger sister. They knew where I lived as one of them was a business owner a block away from my childhood home. This continued for nearly a year and a half until I moved. Although this was probably the worst thing that happened to me, it was only one of a handful of similar situations. Some by people I really trusted, both male and female. One of them I had suppressed for so long, it actually just came to my conscious mind while working with Rice.

My forced sexual contacts as a young teen with both male and female left me so confused on whether I was gay or straight or bi-sexual. My religious convictions told me that having thoughts of being homo-sexual were sinful, and having these struggles was a huge source of shame for me. This all left me feeling very alone and extremely needy. I had problems relating to people, feeling that everyone I came in contact with somehow thought or knew I was gay. So I kept to myself, and threw myself into church life. My few dates with women were very difficult, since I thought they somehow knew about or could sense my sexual experiences. I felt I wasn't "man enough" to be in any type of a normal relationship.

After injuring my neck and back in college, my doctor recommended massage. So I hired a male massage therapist. I was very naïve and didn't expect anything other than a professional massage, but this turned out to be anything but a massage. However, he made me feel loved and worthwhile, at least for that moment. At first this made me very uncomfortable and I left immediately and was full of guilt and shame. But I went back because this "loving attention" I received, as opposed to being raped and forced by people that didn't show any care for me. It made me feel like I was loved. I remember studying this subject and saw that someone called this "False Intimacy". I coined the saying that "false intimacy is better than no intimacy at all". And that's the way I lived my life for some 25 years.

So I went from getting "massages" to hiring escorts and through the years it became a costly addiction. Yet it always left me wanting more, and never being fulfilled for any length of time. To support my growing addiction, I started to steal from the company I worked for. I really became out of control. My intention was just to borrow the money, and I did for a while, but then I kept taking more and more and giving back less and less to the tune of $40k. I got to a point where I was trapped inside this dichotomy. I was involved in church music ministry, doing God's work, and yet I was hiring escorts, and stealing to do so. My employer pressed charges, and I ended up in prison for a year and a half. During this time, and throughout my life really, I saw psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, pastors, and friends. But nothing made a difference. I felt hopeless.

This feeling of hopelessness, depression, loneliness, isolation, and sexual confusion stayed with me for many years after my release from prison, as did the addiction to hiring men to have sex with me and beat me. But I was not able to really share any of this with anyone close to me, or anyone at all really, other than my Pastor. I was taking care of my ailing elderly uncle, and supporting my mother, sister and brother, who lost his wife to suicide. I had to just work hard to earn money and maintain a good front for other people. I was still playing the role of protector and silent hero, all the while dying little by little. And this is about the time I met Rice.

For the first several years, I used Rice's holistic services for massage and yoga instruction when I was in town for business. During this time, Rice helped me to understand the difference between sex and intimacy, and helped me to see that what I was really lacking was legitimate male intimacy, which has absolutely nothing to do with sex. And it was the first legitimate relationship I'd had with a man that could truly help me feel love, without even thinking of having sex with him. He was a true holistic healer. Throughout our conversations and massages, I always left feeling energized and inspired. I really appreciated our time together, and I thought of him as a friend.

Finally, after several more years of living with depression and isolation, and although he had technically coached me throughout the previous 5 years on his massage table, I called on Rice 8 months ago to take me on as a bona fide coaching client, and he agreed that it was time. This has turned out to be the best decision of my life. Even though I got enormous value from our time together throughout the first number of years on his table, through his coaching, and as his friend, the commitment I made to him 8 months ago to honor his life purpose as a luminary life coach and spiritual sherpa has changed my life forever, and I am forever grateful.

During the past 8 months, I have worked through and placed much of my past in the past. I have identified that I had become a master at victimhood, and that this was not serving me, my life, or the people in my life. I was giving away my power and freedom by living inside of the victimization of my past, and I learned to play the part very well. So I let that go. It has not been an easy process, because it's a hard thing to give up, but trust me when I tell you that it was the most freeing thing I have done in my life.

I have also come to see how inauthentic and dishonest I've been with myself and others. I see how this infested my life, and my way of being. It was very sad to see. I realized that all of my relationships have been based on an inauthentic foundation. I'd known Rice for 5 years at this point, and he has proven time and again that I can be honest with anything and everything, and that he won't judge me or walk away from me. But even this didn't stop me from having to constantly stop and correct my inauthentic and dishonest words and with pain and tears as I realized what a chore it was to be authentic and honest – even with someone so non-judgmental. It was as though I had to learn a new language: the language of honesty and authenticity.

I have also come to see that my deep fear of being alone has actually made me lonely, because no one in my life really knew me. I'd kept most of my true feelings and life experiences to myself, sharing them with select few people here and there: mainly my Pastor and a few friends from church. I never trusted people enough to give them the chance to really know the real me. I was afraid of being judged, rejected, and simply pushed away. This realization was life-changing. I'm happy to say that I now have a handful of friends with which I can be authentic and honest, and I'm striving to become authentic in all of my relationships. I see now that there's simply no other way to be.

One thing that I love about Rice is that he gets out of the comfort zone. It's like a dance, and he knows when to push and how hard. Sometimes he's brutally tough, and other times he's soft and gentle, but he is always honest and authentic. And he is always so intensely present. If he is sitting across from you, and he wants to make sure you understand what he is saying or that you really get it, he will gently grab your arm, and stare into your eyes, and in the spirit that he does this, you know he is there for you, and wants you to get it, and be better for it. He is not someone that you can just "yes" to death. He can sense if you are with him, or not. I've also come to see how my entire life has been enslaved to protecting people. I have given up my happiness, my work, my money, and my life to protect people from things they should be able to handle on their own. I did whatever I could to make sure everyone else was ok, to the point of not caring about myself at all, the same as when I was 13. I didn't want to admit this because I didn't want to abandon anyone, and neither did I want to take stock in myself and my own life. I was content to be a martyr and a silent hero.

Rice picked up on this theme in my life, and at first I rejected it, and didn't want to admit it. However, Rice helped me to see and ultimately accept this, and take responsibility for these decisions past and present, and to move forward. Realizing this was so incredibly powerful and freeing that I felt like I was flying immediately afterward. I felt like the truck that had been on my chest for so many years had moved. It has made me a different person.

For the first time in many years, I felt hope again. This is only because of Rice's insight into my soul. Many people know me, and no one has ever gotten this. Just like so many other things Rice has picked up on and pressed me on. Being aware of this dynamic helps me realize that I have the choice now to say yes or no, out of respect not only for myself, but for others as well. Again, the past is in the past, and I must now make appropriate choices for myself and those I love based on the present moment.

What an amazing 8 months of awareness and transformation. I am not the same depressed person I was 8 months ago. I have even tackled cleaning up my physical space, which was truly a monster project because it was so horrific. My depression was apparent if anyone could see my room and my office. This is where I could come in and shut the door and be the real me. A couple of weeks and with Rice's coaching, I managed to discard sixty-seven 30 gallon bags of trash and did thirty-nine loads of laundry. I can't explain how empowering and freeing this has been. I have also created a budget, which I've never done before. I have been going to the gym on a regular basis, which I have also never done before. Lastly, I have been on several dates with women for the first time in 20 years. In all, there has been a huge shift in my personal integrity and the integrity of my life, which I can now also say I never had before.

And as for the big question of religion, I must say that it has been challenging for me, and no doubt for Rice as well, although he's never said anything to that effect. Rice is also a Christian, or a Messianic Jew that believes in many truths of the Eastern ways of thought such as Buddhism and Taoism. If you are like me and have a similar Fundamentalist Christian background, the word Eastern is considered very taboo. As a matter of fact, the word taboo is considered taboo as well! However the spirit of Christ is apparent in Rice. It is evident in his life and in things he does. He is very in tune with doing God's work. When I think of my relationship with Rice I think of a verse from the bible, Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Rice has sharpened me. I pray that I have sharpened him as well.

Over the years, Rice and I have had many theological and philosophical discussions. These have been difficult for me as I always believed as I was taught, and never questioned anything my pastors or college professors said. I was also one to always avoid theological arguments in my life. My religious views are very important to me and have been my way of life for so long. I would always hear him out, but if I disagreed, I would just shut down. I was extremely close minded to anything that was out of the ordinary for me. Whereas Rice has very similar beliefs, and although he lives his life by them, he is open to questioning things and to the possibility that he doesn't know everything – or anything for that matter. With that being said, it has never been a point of contention for us, but I have realized how much my unwillingness to be open minded has been to my detriment.

Being authentic about my life changing with my Christian friends has not gone as well in most cases. As they think having a "Life Coach" that is a Jewish, Christian with Eastern philosophies is a problem. This has caused me great stress. In fact, I was asked to make a choice between my work with Rice and my fellowship in the church I belong to. Mainly I have come to realize that people are afraid of what they do not know, and many churches tell you to stay away from learning new things. Rice knows where I stand on the Bible being the Word of God, and he knows that anything that goes against it, or adds or takes away from it, is out of the questions for me.

I cannot think of one thing that he has introduced me to of the Buddhist or Taoist ways of thought that has gone against my beliefs. As a matter of fact, I can usually find the same line of thought in the Bible, which seems to please Rice a great deal. These were conversations that once made me shut down, or feel like I couldn't tell Rice what I believed, and yet these are some of the most meaningful conversations that have helped strengthen my beliefs and our friendship. Now that I'm more open, I look forward to many more conversations with others. Rice always says things either bring you closer to or further away from God. My coaching relationship with him has brought me so much closer to God, and that's why I chose to keep working with him.

Along these lines, I have decided to write and play music again – something I have not done since I went to prison 10 years ago. It hasn't helped that several of the churches I've belonged to during this time have not allowed me to be in front of their congregation given my legal and sexual background. But I'm simply not going to let people cripple my hopes and joys any longer.

At first I wasn't sure how it would work since I live in New York and Rice lives in Florida. How can he coach me effectively from such a distance? But he is just a phone call away, we have had some amazing Skype sessions, and I have managed to spend a few weekends in Florida and one weekend with him in New York as well. Knowing that Rice is in my life and on my side, sometimes for intense and long sessions, and other times just to run things by or follow up makes all the difference. This is the difference between having a life coach and working with a counselor.

A few months ago when I last saw Rice, he asked me how I was and I said "Really good". I realized as I said it how foreign it seemed to me to be saying that, as I was always so miserable and could barely muster "I'm ok." But it was the truth. I am not the same person I was just a few short months ago. It's really impossible to explain or describe. I now have something in the way of self-esteem, self-respect, and self-worth, which are all growing every day.

God has used Rice in my life in so many ways. Rice has helped me to take these horrible things that brought me a lot of shame and accept them for what they are and the purpose they served and continue to serve. It's truly incredible how Rice is able to take the things I loathe most about myself and somehow transform them into things I can accept, through his love. Rice has helped me take the thing I called false intimacy, which always left me feeling empty, and transform it all into true intimacy based on being my authentic self. We have more work to do, but I am up for it. I can honestly say that if God did not bring Rice into my life when he did and gave him the patience to show me that I can be loved and have some worth, I would not be alive today. God used him to give me hope again. Rice is truly the most empowering person I have ever had the privilege to know.

I'm reminded of the sequence in the movie "The Matrix" where "Morpheus" gives "Neo" the choice to take the blue pill or the red pill. He says: "You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." In essence, Morpheus is offering Neo a choice between living in a "normal life of sloth and ignorance with the rest of the world" or a "free thinking attitude that prefers truth no matter how gritty and painful it may be." Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill? Just kidding. Even though the process has been gritty and painful at times, with Rice's great skill as a life coach and his gifts of compassion and love, I am now a free thinking man who prefers to live inside of the truth and reality, no matter how gritty or painful.

This is why I consider Rice a guru, a person who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others. Rice has an extraordinary amount of knowledge, wisdom and authority in many areas, but most especially as a life coach and spiritual guide. He knows much of this because of his life, and where he has come from, and the things he has had happen in his life. He knows how to take horrible things and find the good in them, and use that good in his own life and the lives of others. I have a deep love and respect for Rice. You don't have to worry about being led the wrong way. Rice wants nothing more than to be in God's love and light and bring you there too.

This is the way I look at it: if you are looking for someone to chat with and have them feel bad for you and comfort you while you continue to torture yourself, talk to a friend; if you are looking for someone to analyze and rehash your past and discuss your "inner child," look for a psychologist; if you are looking for someone to pray with you, or tell you that you are hurting or struggling because you have angered God and are living in sin, call your priest or pastor; but if you are looking for positive change and true transformation in your life, a new direction, someone that will help challenge you to see through and move on from the BS that you have learned to believe and live with, then call Rice.

I recommend Rice so highly that if you feel speaking with me would help you in this choice, e-mail Rice with your contact information and ask him to have me contact you, and I will be happy to. I would feel honored to help you make the first step, as I know that the start of a worthwhile journey can be frightening. However, don't delay as you deserve a chance to live your life to its fullest, and this is a great start. I only wish that I was open to taking Rice on as a full fledge life coach 5 years ago: I wouldn't have had to endure those years of suffering and misery.

Rice, thank you for all that you do, and all the words of life that you have spoken into me. For the transformation from being a self absorbed, lonely, miserable victim not sure of where to turn, to a person that has a lot of work to do, but loves my life, has a much closer relationship with God, is not confused about my sexuality anymore and looking forward to an amazing relationship with the right woman when she comes along, and can leap buildings in a single bound (well maybe not the last one yet)… all because of my guru, all because of you.

At times, words are hard to find.
Some seem so inadequate, when needing to express
A gratitude where nothing voiced has hit the bull's-eye yet.
There's always "Thanks", but that is overused,
and under par for what my heart must say
These tears of joy I cry are testimonies of these days.
Days in which you've steered my life, to reach for what's inside.
To trust, and nurture, renew, restore and in my strength abide.
As I move forward, with freedom that I have never felt before
And live this life, with new paths of peace
I'll be Thankful to you Rice, forever more.

I was trapped inside a story I had been living with for over 30 years, looking out at the world. I could see how it could be; I could see how others could live happy, fulfilling lives; but I couldn't make it happen for myself. Nobody noticed my suffering. I had become very good at covering up my shame, humiliation and hurt from what I had experienced as a child.

For a period of 10 years, from age 4 to 14, my grandfather had me perform oral sexual acts upon him. He would also have me fondle him and he would fondle me. At age 12, an older cousin raped me. Needless to say, I was a virgin.

I never felt that there was anybody I could admit any of this to as I was made to believe that I had brought all this upon myself and that I deserved to be treated this way. I learned to hide who I was and what I was going through. I spent many hours each day shut away in my closet, hiding from my grandfather and the world. I brought this shame, humiliation and hurt with me into adulthood. It affected my marriage, my friendships and my familial relationships.

I had only ever confided in one person what had happened to me. This was someone I had loved greatly. Someone I thought I could trust with every aspect of my life. I started to become a new person. I was opening up to the world and all that it had to offer. I was devastated to find out that my trust was misplaced. I was misled in trust by the first person in my life I felt 100% at ease and open with. I started to slowly revert back to the shut off human being I had been since childhood.

A decade later, I had moved on with my life. Not a great life, but a life that I merely existed in on a day to day basis. Then, in April of 2011, I met Rice. I really had no idea what a life coach was or what they did. All I know is that Rice was the first person who really heard me. He looked at me and listened to what I had to say (or I should say what I did not say). He kindly and gently led me into the world of the living.

Rice helped me confront the story that had been controlling me for so many years. He helped me to see beyond the feelings of hurt and pain and shame and humiliation that I had heaped upon myself for decades. Rice was the one person who opened me up to the reality of what happened to me and the truth of what I experienced and how I processed what I experienced. Rice helped me to overcome my self hatred and feelings of inadequacy.

I became comfortable talking and expressing myself with Rice in a way that I could not have done with my family and friends. He is an excellent listener and above all he is supremely non-judgmental. I have truly been blessed to work with Rice and have him in my life. He has challenged me and allowed me to take a good look at who I had let myself become and has opened up the possibilities of a new life free from shame, free from hurt and free from humiliation. Rice has given me a life worth living and has transformed me into somebody worthy of love and happiness.

Rice is forever my lifelong friend, coach and savior and I am eternally grateful for all he has brought to my life and that life has to offer me since he entered my world.

Over lunch one day, a good friend described the relationship he had with his holistic healer. I was intrigued and asked for his contact information. I met Rice a couple of days later and began what has become an extremely rewarding friendship and therapeutic relationship. I had not thought of paying for ongoing massage but I intuitively felt that it might somehow help me with my body-image and self-esteem issues. I immediately found this to be the case as Rice created and welcomed me into his space of healing, acceptance and positive energy. His warm personality instantly put me at ease, besides which he gives an amazing massage!

After a few months of receiving weekly massages from Rice, I decided to see if I could benefit from his life-coaching talent. He never pushed me in that direction, but we talked casually about it during massages. What I found was profound in my personal quest for inner peace and self-assurance. Rice's coaching style is unique. He doesn't approach his coaching clients with an agenda in mind, but rather creates a space of trust and openness that allows the client to discover the answers within. With a lifetime of valuable experiences, Rice brings a well-rounded richness and depth to his relationships.

With Rice's help I have come to realize that mind, body and soul are clearly connected and that real peace in my life can only be achieved as I address all aspects of myself. This holistic approach to wellbeing has brought about fantastic changes in my life. I see myself very differently than I did just a short time ago. I'm a great guy, but it was only through the eyes of a good friend that I came to see that.

Whether for a great massage, for life coaching or for holistic nurturing, I highly recommend Rice — as long as he doesn't become too popular to squeeze me into his schedule.

There came a time when all I believed and understood about God and self appeared like concepts with no relation to the world in which I found myself. I lived in confusion and disarray for many years about how the emotional realities of life and my preconceived notions of the divine didn't reflect a daily life of trying to give hope and meaning to the world around me. In truth I was trying to save myself from the abyss of the hell I believed awaited. I long believed in a God that loved his own but condemned to hell the cursed. I firmly stated I was among the loved but lived and felt like the condemned. I lived in fear of hell and condemnation and even worse I didn't even know it. I was too familiar with the platitudes of "truth" and believing "the right way" that I couldn't see the God before me.

It was in that space that I sought out Rice. To be sure of what I was seeking? No. But to be listened to and cared for in the process was priceless. A space was provided to explore and find the answers I needed for my journey. The truth is I had to be emptied of preconceived notions, fears, and past hurts to find my way to the divine. Rice challenged the notions with no notions, no self, and nothingness. The call to be present without assuming expectation of the future and without allowing the past to be a definition of self was a moment of transformation.

I once said my time with Rice was one of losing faith to find faith, but I can also say that it was one of letting go of old notions and constructs of God to find the unknowable God who for me reveals himself in Christ — not merely the rational, logical and condemning God of my past but the one of mystery that is unknown in nature and reveals himself with in his actions and energies. The quest is no longer to have all the right answers to shield me from past and present insecurities, but to embrace the uncertainty of the moment with a certainty of faith. This happened through walking into the fear of uncertainty with all of its confusion and chaos and to accept its call to enter the mystery of true faith.

This process could also be referred to as, what many Christians called, the dark night of the soul. A place sometimes not understood by words or theological constructs, yet a space to realize the love and incomprehensible nature of the Divine. Rice in bringing eastern philosophy to the coaching process opened me to the world of The Tao (or The Way). The Tao is not lived out in constructs that fit one to another. The Tao speaks not with simple reason, but to a wisdom within and without concept or words. Simply stated: life is not a concept; it's a mystery to be embraced and loved. The mystery is lived out in a humanity that is itself a reflection of divinity. Words can't display the mystery of such truth and yet such truth ultimately restored can give root to a new faith in the Unknowable God who reveals his love in Christ.

Rice brings one into a space of non-judgment to see and relate to their true essence without ego and past beliefs of what one thinks himself to be. The process is that of being emptied of old beliefs to allow one to find his truth and essence and how this reflects the mystery of the divine. This is a truth that can't be defined, written, or explained. It is experienced in relationship to one another. This connection was and is essential to overall growth. Rice provided that space in both coaching and massage.

Healing massage touches the soul in a manner that words can't express. The power of nonsexual human intimacy and connection provided for me a place to receive and accept the love of another. I believe this kind of connection can only happen if the giver respects the dignity of the receiver. It can't be created artificially. It must come from the soul, and Rice moves with the soul of the client in his work. He lovingly and skillfully created a process in which I could express emotions hidden within the body for years. Rice used his understanding of energy and chakras to bring suppressed emotions to the surface to be expressed and released. I allowed myself to express decades of anger and pain.

Rice created a safe place for this to occur with love and respect. He patiently over the course of several months guided a process that was transforming in nature. The therapy of massage was a space of being emptied of old emotion to create a space for light, love, and God to move freely within my being.

The biggest thing to let go of was fear. Fear I soon learned was greatest of all emotions. Letting go of fear continues to open up a space to create possibility rather than limited belief. This allowed me to experience in greater measure the image of God within. All of this occurred within an ebb and flow of coaching and massage. Rice creates a space between both coaching and massage to provide room for empowerment and growth.

Rice allowed for honest exploring of thoughts and beliefs and he worked to create a space such that this could occur. His intention was one of challenging limited beliefs that create not only limitations but harm to the esteem and soul. For me it is a process of enlightenment to the reality that the physical and spiritual worlds live within the same space. By letting go of old beliefs about God and old emotions which carried toxic energy, I was able to create a space to explore possibility without fear. For this I am grateful to Rice and the blessing he manifested himself to be in my journey toward the divine.

I will always remember this process because it is a part of my being and transformation. I now understand that a soul connection means you take a part of one another with you in your journey, and for that I am both glad and grateful. Thank you Rice.

I can't begin to tell you how much Rice has helped me. I originally found him through a massage network looking to connect with a man in what I thought might be a sexual encounter. Luckily, after talking with Rice, I realized I didn't want that at all. What I was truly looking for was intimacy and connection with another man, and not anything sexual at all. The problem was that I thought the only way I could get this intimacy and connection was through something sexual.

Rice seemed to know and understand exactly where I was coming from, and he was the first person I shared some of the things that happened in my childhood with. So I hired him as my life coach. After a few weeks of intense talking and working through my issues, I realized my suppressed feelings of when I had been molested by my brother in my early teens didn't mean I was gay. I was simply looking for that intimacy and connection without anything sexual, which I didn’t get with my brother and had collapsed. What a liberating day that was for me.

I had held those feelings back and told no one about them for over 20 years, including my wife! That's a long time to store a major experience in your life. I didn't even know what same sex attraction was until Rice shared the light upon it for me. Now, after our sessions, I have never felt so connected to my wife and have never felt as free as I am today. Rice has truly changed my life. I no longer think that I may be gay, I now know that I am not. Rice helped me realize that sexual experiences are a result of physicality and not a mental state.

I'll never forget him telling me that any guy can "get off" when in a sexual encounter. It doesn't matter if it is with a man or a woman so long as your eyes are closed and your mind is shut off. Once I finally realized that just because I "got off" when my brother molested me that didn't mean I was gay, my whole life changed.

Thank you Rice for giving me back my life, my self dignity, and the family I had created. The rest of my life will be everything I had always imagined. You are truly a friend for life and someone I can always count on. Millions of thank yous will never be enough for what you have helped me through.

After visting Rice's house for massage so many times and seeing just how amazing it looked and felt, I hired Rice to come in and "Feng Shui" my home. I come from Tennessee, and even though all of my stuff really means something to me, it's also extremely cluttered and random. I literally turned my house over to Rice for a weekend, and I can't even begin to describe the difference. Not only is everything put away in a proper place, and not only does everything look great, but it feels so amazing to come home and have guests over now. Rice, thank you so much for using your gift in my home.

Truly the best massage experience I have ever had. The sense of spirituality and wholeness was unique. After recuperating from an illness and resulting surgeries, I was merely seeking detoxification. In addition, Rice provided a sense of balance and tranquility that exceeded my expectations measurably. His sense of body, mind & spirit is evident throughout the experience.

This was my first massage with Rice; however, it definitely will not be my last. In fact, my next massage is already scheduled. His Esalen-style is absolutely outstanding. I have been hoping to find a quality therapist who knows Esalen in the Phoenix area and finally I have found one; I will be looking no more. Rice is absolutely wonderful as a therapist and as a person! By the way, Rice's pictures in no way capture his incredible beauty, not just as a physical person, but as a human being.

My partner and I moved to the valley in January of 2006 and were lucky enough to find Rice within the first few weeks of being here. Seven months later, we are still getting weekly massages from him so that should tell you that we think his massage is great. Rice is professional, articulate, intelligent, funny and it doesn't hurt that he's a nice looking man.

Rice is a Prince in the Arizona Desert. Warm, inviting,knowledgeable, personable, and incredibly intelligent with a perfect phsyique. Doesn't get any better, especially if you like the Esalen approach. It was a 60 minute drive one way, but worth every minute, only downside: the drive home! Thanks, Rice, I'll be back for more.

Outstanding massage provided by a truly kind and caring man. Rice is very easy to talk to and comfortable to be with. His massage is totally relaxing. It is clear that Rice loves what he does and it comes across through his very comforting touch. I highly recommend him.

Scheduling was simple. Directions to his location were very exact, His massage studio was very conducive to relaxation and renewal. It was spotless and very professionally decorated. Beautiful water fountain in garden provided for a real Zen atmosphere. Massage and conversation was beyond words. He is truly a 10+. Thanks for two great sessions last week.

Traveled to the Clearwater Florida area on business and, not being a fan of the trauma of flying, I scheduled a two hour therapeutic massage at my hotel with Rice the night of my arrival. He arrived on time (bravo!) was personable, articulate & I immediately felt a great connection. Now, I love massage. And I love all kinds of massages from the caring touch of a partner before love making to deeply therapeutic acupressure. This was different. Rice is crazy connected to the spirit & it comes through in his work. He is a master and I felt so incredibly alive in his hands, it is actually rather hard to describe what I experienced. It was therapeutic but not clinical, it was arousing yet not sexual, it was invigorating but so incredibly relaxing, it was unbelievably spiritual. And I'm not being flaky. He gets life and because of that he knows how to get to where we needs to go to make your time together like there is nothing else that exists. I really do believe he is a master at what he knows, what he does. I scheduled three more sessions within a nine day period. I have the benefit & pleasure of being able to return to Florida soon & expect we'll spend some amazing time together. Rice, my friend, as I told you in person, I am blessed that our paths have crossed & I cannot wait to see you again. Absolutely the best. Cheers.

Rice is a true professional. He knows what he is doing. I have seen him for a few years now on and off since I live on the east coast, and he has been between AZ & CA. His massage is relaxing & rejuvenating. Besides massage visit his website. He is a true "healer" of body, mind and soul and it is at times as if he can see into your soul and find some good stuff, when you think there is nothing left worthwhile. Don't waste your time with others if you are in his area, or if he is in yours. You won't regret it.

After 6 or 7 sessions with Rice in the past two years, he has become a friend. We don't hang or anything, but I am always greeted with open arms, a strong greeting, and the anticipation of a phenomenal massage! He is a good soul. Rice is indescribable. Truly. I have had literally hundreds of massages over the years, and Rice is tops!

True, the pictures tell the story of how easy he is on the eyes, but only a session under the care of his fantastic hands will tell you the real story. He's an artist with his hands. And he's a great technical masseur too. He mixes up the technique to meet the needs of the day, and is not afraid to work up a sweat in the process. He really WORKS. He knows the body and its structure, and really puts everything into the stress points. And he stretches you out a bit — passive stretching (someone stretching you) is absolutely amazing. I could go on, but I don't want to give away everything! Do your body and your soul a favor. Call Rice. Watch your tensions melt away in his capable hands! You won't be sorry!

Rice has an amazing calming, yet energizing, quality about himself that he transcended on to me while I was on his table! His intuitiveness with my body and me as a person made for a fantastic massage and an overall great experience! Rice possesses a genuine spiritual and heartfelt attitude, and he is an expert masseur! I felt completely comfortable and it ease in Rice's hands, and I left having enjoyed one of the best massage experiences in a long time. He is a great guy, super nice-looking, relaxed, unhurried, and someone I felt like I had known for a long time. I hope to enjoy time with Rice again in the very near future. Thank you Rice!!

Rice is such a pro. Warm and caring, beautiful in spirit and in mind. So relaxing to speak with. Pleasant conversation, but not "chatty". His technique is really wonderful, and he has amazing style that is rare and unique to "Rice" I have had about 50 massages over the past 2-3 years, most quite good, and this is among the top two I have ever had. If you are looking for a massage that is TRULY a massage, with someone who is caring and intuitive (and not too hard on the eyes...) call Rice. Due to my busy, last-minute schedule, it took me a year to track him down, but I'd wait another year for another massage with Rice. He is gorgeous in every way.