Lifestyle Consultants

Ilana Kukoff, Ph.D.

Lifestyle Consultant and Workshop Facilitator

Dr. Ilana Kukoff is an educational entrepreneur and founder of several companies.  Ilana is the founder and CEO of Cognition Builders, an education company that teaches students how to learn.  Cognition Builders is the parent company of Mind Over Marriage, a marriage education company that is currently developing a reality show.  Dr. Kukoff is also the co-founder, and former Chief Scientific Officer, of Rethink Autism, an internet-based autism service provider.

Dr. Kukoff is a graduate of Columbia University and has a Ph.D in Behavioral Psychology.  She has been a featured speaker on NPR, at UCLA and a TED: Ideas Worth Sharing event. 

Robert Maurer, Ph.D.

Keynote Speaker and Workshop Facilitator

As the Director of Behavioral Sciences for Family Medicine Spokane, Washington, and a faculty member with the University of Washington School of Medicine, Dr. Maurer studied success in health, relationships and work. An Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, he is also a successful author and consultant and has appeared on ABC’s 20/20.

Amy Sever, M.S.W.

Lifestyle Consultant

Amy Sever is a Clinical Social Worker with a masters degree in social work from California State University, Long Beach. As a Medical Social Worker at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she counseled patients and families as they experienced major health issues and life change.  Most recently, she counseled patients preparing for bariatric surgery to establish behavioral and lifestyle changes in order to achieve a successful surgery.  Amy’s education is rooted in the biopsychosocial model which suggests that biological, psychological and social factors directly contribute to one’s overall health and longevity.

Nancy Fisher, RN, CDE

Lifestyle Consultant

Nancy Fisher joins the Institute with the unique skills and background of a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetic Educator.  As a Health Coach at the Motion Picture & Television Fund, Nancy assisted patients in setting and attaining their goals for healthy lifestyle change to prevent chronic illness and the complications associated with it.  Nancy’s specialty as a Certified Diabetic Educator made her a natural choice to implement a lifestyle intervention program based on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) landmark study, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).  She coached patients in weight loss and increasing physical activity.  Nancy graduated from St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing and has had additional course work in behavior change techniques.

Robin I. Ellis, Psy.D.

Lifestyle Consultant

Dr. Robin Ellis is a licensed clinical psychologist with an emphasis is on a positive, solution-focused approach, to optimize the individuals’ strengths and resources.  In her private practice in Westlake Village she specializes in stress reduction, life coaching and removing barriers to success.  She is also currently collaborating on the Life Mastery Program for teens and their families, designed to teach transformational thinking and building skills in stress management and communication.  Robin received her Doctor of Psychology and Master of Arts at the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles and is also trained in clinical hypnotherapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).