Richard studied with many teachers to look at the most effective ways to produce holistic change: change that engaged meaning, intellect, emotion and body; and produced new actions and competencies. He partnered and studied with many innovators of the time including: Dr. Randolph Stone, Magda Proskauer, Doris Breyer, George Leonard, Li Li Tau, Thomas Hanna, Saotome Sensei and Charan Singh.

In 1970, Richard founded Lomi School with Dr. Robert K. Hall, Alyssa Hall, and Catherine Flaxman. Using his research on holistic change, Lomi worked to further personal excellence, transformative change, leadership and team building among therapists, psychiatrists, counselors and other health professionals.

During this time, Richard was also deepening his own personal proficiency through the martial art of Aikido, earning a 6th degree black belt. By integrating Aikido and bodywork principles with his leadership and holistic change work, an integrative and innovative field developed that we now call “Somatics” – the unity of language, action, feeling and meaning. Somatics is based on the understanding that the mind, the body, the self and our rationality are inextricably linked; to develop one, you must cultivate the others. Modern neuroscience is now offering the psycho-biological grounding for this work. Between 1970 and 1985, the Lomi School developed into the premier training ground for this pragmatic somatic methodology.

In the mid-1980’s, the Army Special Forces engaged Richard in a classified project to increase the Green Beret’s capacity for physical and mental enhancements, as well as team cohesion. The outcomes of the training showed a 56 to 100 percent increase in mental, emotional, physical and team capacity, with a marked increase in leadership ability from all participants.