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Meet Tia Rich
Tia Rich delights in helping people to thrive. She draws upon her experiences — as a gardener, cook, caregiver, portrait artist, hiker, yoga and meditation teacher, health promotion specialist, psychotherapist, executive coach, researcher and manager — to help people cultivate their health and well-being.
Since 1983, Tia has been creatively offering members of the Stanford community health promoting experiences that incorporate the arts, contemplative practices, and scientific information about physiology, behavioral health and professional excellence.
Tia helps people to compassionately connect with the challenges in their evolving lives and mindfully move through blocks to successfully enhance their physical, emotional and spiritual health. Tia offers validation, empathy, inspiration and practical physical, intellectual and emotional tools that develop professional and personal calm, compassionate competence. She helps people to build relationships with themselves, as well as with others.
Daily, Tia looks forward to getting to know participants and learning from their thoughtful questions and inspiring lives. She enjoys seeing what is unique and special in each person, and then creating individualized support and guidance.
Tia has worked as an artist and art teacher. Her paintings have been exhibited in New York, Maryland and California. At Stanford, she completed a double major in studio art and human biology in preparation for a career in medical illustration and portraiture. After she completed 15 months of full-time residential training in mindfulness yoga and meditation at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, the art and science of health promotion became her career in 1981.
Tia earned a Stanford master's in health psychology, after which she helped to establish HIP as Stanford’s pioneering workplace wellness program. After a decade of designing and delivering HIP’s innovative workplace programs, she completed a master’s and doctorate in social welfare at UC Berkeley. She taught part-time for HIP during the years of doctoral work, clinical training and practice as a licensed psychotherapist.
Tia applied her doctoral research on resilience among 1,000 Stanford employees by creating a skill-building course called “C.A.R.E.S.™: Compassion, Awareness and Relationship skills to Ease Stress” — which she has taught for HIP since 2006. She also teaches breathing, mindful yoga, meditation, sunrise exercise, and HIP's art and fitness programs. She is the author of the spoken-word book, Breathing for Longevity, Love and Livelihood.