St Petersburg, Russia
+7-921-977-0469 (WhatsApp Only)
craig@ViannaInRussia.com

04. Frequently Asked Questions

Vianna's first visit to Moscow

Here we provide some answers to some of the most common question that you might have.

i - Payment Options

Knowing what your options are will help you make a smooth and easy payment.

Our mandate according to Russian law
We run seminars and events in accordance to the laws of the Russian Federation. As we are not registered as a hotel or travel agency, we are unable to take payments from attendees to cover any accommodation or travel costs. If this is the first time you are attending a ThetaHealing Instructors seminar, then this information will give you a clearer understanding of how we operate, specifically here in Russia.
What payments do I make ?

To attend a seminar you need to make payments to the event organisers for the Host Fee, to THInK for the Seminar Fee, and then if required to the event organisers for the Translation Fee.

What is covered in these payments ?

The full explanation of what is included in these payments is listed on the terms and conditions you will be sent once you register for the seminars or events we host. In summary, the host fee payment and the seminar fee payment covers all costs related to bringing the speaker(s) for the seminar(s) to Moscow in Russia, plus operating expenses to host the event.

The requirements of hosting the event include providing you with all manuals. documents and certification, and this is included in the payment you make for the host fee and seminar fee payments.

The translation fee payment is only applicable to anyone who does not speak, read and write English or Russian. If you require translation into a different language, then the translation fee will be applied according to certain conditions that need to be met for that language service to be offered.

What is not covered in these payments ?

Remember we are not a hotel nor are we a travel agency. So that means you are responsible for paying for:

  • your own flights / travel costs (this includes travel to and from the seminar, and also local travel in Moscow during your stay)
  • your own meals, drinks and snacks etc.
  • excursions you might want to take in Moscow
  • any additional books, CD’s or DVD’s etc that you might want to purchase

At the time of writing this comment (August 2019) the hotel where the seminars are being run have rooms available in January for 2 people sharing (either double or twin), which includes breakfast, for about $160 US Dollars per day. Considering this is a 4 star hotel, with the additional use of the Gym, Swimming Pool & Sauna – this is a fantastic rate compared to other cities and countries. Remember you do not have to stay in the event hotel, and there are other options in the area that you can consider too!

Why can’t I pay in cash ?

There are several reasons why THInK can not take cash payments for the THInK Seminar Fee.

The main reason is that it is illegal for them to do so.

Why can’t I pay you as the hosts and then you pay THInK ?

There are several reasons why we can not collect your payment and then pay that to THInK.

If you think about it logically :

  • If we take a payment from you then we pay tax on that payment
  • Then when we send the money to THInK, we will pay a service fee to the bank who will process that payment.
  • Lastly THInK will pay an additional tax on the money that we have paid to them.

As we don’t have a written contract with THInK to collect payments from you on their behalf, we are not authorised to do so. Besides this we would need to make sure that we have all the correct documentation in place to make sure we comply with Russian Federation rules and tax requirements.

To be practical, it would be risky with the current political and economic climate for us to take payments on behalf of THInK. So to make things simpler, to comply with all current contracts etc. – We are not able to collect payments for the THInK Seminar Fee on behalf of THInK.

When is the last date I can make a payment ?

We will not stop you from making payments up until the day before the seminar starts, however there are good reasons why we encourage you to pay early!

  1. If you make a late payment – we might not have manuals for your seminar available on the first day.
  2. If you make a late payment – we will not be able to complete your contracts and registration on time. This could delay the start of the seminar, as Vianna normally wants everyone in the room before the start of the seminar.
  3. If you make a late payment, and there is an issue with THInK receiving the payment, it could prevent you from taking the seminar or it could cause additional stress during your seminar which you will not need.

Our suggestion is that you make sure you pay early! Do not leave it until the last day! We need at least 2 working days to print your manuals and process your registration, to prevent delays on the day of registrations!

Why complete your payments before December

Public and National Holidays in Russia and the USA

If you view the Public & National Holidays page then you will see the number of possible dates in December and January where you might not be able to make payments due to the banks being closed.

Between the 23rd of December and the 14th of January there are only 7 working days where the banks are not affected.

We strongly recommend that you attempt to make your payment to THInK before the beginning of December.

(We will do our best to help but we can not influence the banks to be open to resolve any issues with your Credit or Debit cards. If you run into problems after the 23rd of December with making payments to THInK this could create unnecessary stress for you which we would like to avoid at all costs!)

Payments options for THInK

How to pay your THInK Seminar Fee.

PayPal Invoice

Option 1

Pay in full or in split parts using your Credit or Debit Card – WITHOUT opening a new PayPal account.

Option 2

Pay in full or in split parts using your PayPal account (which has no more limitation on it.)

Option 3

Pay in full or in split parts, with the help of a friend who does not have a PayPal account. Give them the money you need to pay for the seminar, once the transaction has been completed, after they have used their credit or debit card.

Credit / Debit Card :

Insert your details in the form on ThetaHealingRussia.com (which will be sent to you from our team), and your payment will be processed during the next 2 to 3 working days in the USA.

How to pay THInK

In order to pay the THInK Seminar Fee:

  1. Register on ThetaHealingInstructors.com
  2. An email will be sent to you with payment instructions
  3. Use the link within the email, to ThetaHealingRussia.com, and select your payment method
  4. Insert your details for the method you have chosen

** If you have selected the PayPal Invoice method, an invoice will be emailed to you from THInK.
** If you have selected the Credit / Debit card option, follow the instructions on the screen. Some payments will be processed immediately, others will require manual intervention from the team at THInK.

If you have any problems with either the PayPal invoice or the Credit / Debit card payment methods, please contact THInK directly. You can send a copy of the email to Craig, however the correct team to contact is the team at THInK.


ii - Payments to THInK - Practical and Legal considerations

THInK is based in Montana, in the United States of America. With this comes specific legal and taxation requirements.

Credit / Debit Card payments – Practical considerations :
  • Your Credit or Debit card will have limitations on how much money you can transfer in a single day or even a single month. You will need to make sure that you have sufficient funds in your account and you will also need to know what your limits are on your card.
Cash Payments – Legal considerations for THInK :
  • THInK is a company based in the United States and this means that they are legally not allowed to accept any cash payments in Russia.
  • According to Russian Federation laws – the collection of cash in any foreign currency without the proper authorisation from the relevant Russian government department, would be illegal.
  • The collection of cash would require a specific machine issued in accordance to the Russian taxation departments rules and regulations. THInK would not qualify for this machine as they are not a company based in Russia.(This machine is used to issue cash payment receipts).
  • Currency regulations would also apply, especially with regards to currency exchange. THInK is not authorised to perform any currency exchange transactions.
Cash Payments – Practical considerations for THInK :
  • If THInK had to collect a minimum amount of cash from about 10% of the attendees, they would have to much physical cash to be transported in and around the event hotel and Moscow without risk to their own safety. That would require additional security to protect the person who was looking after the cash, and it would be a safety risk that we would not want to impose on anyone.
  • THInK are only allowed to transport $10’000 US Dollars per family when they come into or leave the Russian Federation. Anything more than that amount would require additional documentation and also declaration to the Russian Customs authorities on entry or exit.
  • If THInK were to accept cash payments, it would increase the number of people who would attempt to register for the seminars at the last minute. This in turn would mean that we would probably not have enough manuals for the attendee’s, and we could possibly run out of space and not have enough seating or even coffee break coffee and snacks for everyone. Not to mention, the more people who attempt to sign up at the last minute would increase the registration time, and this in turn would mean those who already had paid in advance would possibly lose time with Vianna in the seminars.
Bank Payments – Legal Considerations for THInK :
  • To make any Bank payments from Russia to the USA, there are certain legal considerations that apply. The first would be to comply with the Russian Central Banks regulations which apply to prevent fraudulent money laundering or the provision of funds in aid of supporting terrorism. To this end, any bank in Russia is authorised to request various types of documents to prove:
    • That the funds are being sent to a legal entity, for a legal reason
    • That the funds being sent were obtained legally by the person sending the funds
  • If the above requested documents are not supplied in time, or are incorrect in any way, then the Bank is legally allowed to refuse to make the payment. (And this has happened a number of times in the past when payments were attempted from various cities across Russia.)
Bank Payments – Practical Considerations for THInK :
  • All payments that are made to the USA from Russia, can take about 10 working days to clear into the account of THInK in the United States. Taking into consideration the number of Public and National holidays in both Russia and the USA, it would complicate things if payments were not authorised for any reason.
  • The risk of a payment not going through from Russia to the USA is too much at this stage, as the political and economic issues between the two countries is constantly changing, raising issue after issue every month.
  • If a bank payment was rejected within the minimum period of 10 days, then it could be possible that the funds would not be available to be used for payment for the seminar, as they would be stuck in the banking system. This would increase stress for both you and the THInK team, which is not optimal.
PayPal Payments – Legal Considerations for THInK :
  • THInK have operated a PayPal payment system for many years now and have a very good record with PayPal. This means that there are very few issues or problems that occur with any PayPal payments once they have been made successfully. This track record is like a credit history, and it means that there is a much lower risk of any payments being flagged as suspicious.
  • The manner that PayPal authenticate all PayPal accounts worldwide, means that PayPal have already done a level of due diligence as required by each countries central banking systems. This covers all the legal requirements etc that apply within either Russia or the USA.
PayPal Payments – Practical Considerations :
  • PayPal requires that anyone who opens a new PayPal account needs to complete specific documentation requirements before they remove any limitations on the PayPal account. In Russia, this means that you could wait up to 30 working days before they process your account, to remove the limitations that are automatically introduced on new accounts.
  • With this in mind, if you link any Credit or Debit card to a new or existing PayPal account, PayPal will require that if you use that card to process any payment through PayPal, that you use the account that is linked to that card. So if you are paying an invoice, and if you have linked the credit or debit card to an existing or new PayPal account, the maximum amount you will be able to pay will be dependent on your PayPal account limitations.
  • To avoid having to open a new account, and to have to follow the process to remove limitations on a new PayPal account, THInK can issue an invoice to you from PayPal. You should very carefully make sure you pay it with your credit or debit card without opening a new account with PayPal or linking your credit or debit card to a PayPal account.

iii - PayPal Payments

Don’t get tricked into opening a new account. PayPal will do everything to get you to open a new account. It’s their way of making money from any payments you make or receive on your account.

“Help me with PayPal please !”

We know that sometimes PayPal can be a bit tricky.

Unfortunately we are unable to contact PayPal on your behalf to ask them to resolve any issues you might experience. This is a simple legal issue which prevents us from acting as your agent.

The only help that we can provide is to give you advice based on previous issues that have been experienced by other attendees using the PayPal systems.

New PayPal Account

Why is a new account not a good idea ?

Opening a new account, means that automatically your account will have set limitations on it. Normally about $ 1’000 US Dollars. This limitation means that you can only send a maximum of $ 1’000 US Dollars before you need to remove this limit.

To remove a limitation on your account, you will need to provide various documents, including identification and other things. You will also need a minimum period of time for PayPal to remove the limits. In Russia this can take up to 30 working days. In other countries it could take much less. But it does mean that until PayPal have reviewed your account, you will have the limitation applied.

When you open a new PayPal account they will ask you to insert the credit or debit card details so that you can link your bank account to PayPal. Remember if you do this, then that card will remain linked to PayPal until the card expires or is replaced with a new one. A linked credit or debit card can from then on only be used with that account, and will be restricted according to the account limitations on the account as to the maximum payments that can be made from that account (including the linked card).

“I don’t have a PayPal account”

You do not need to have a PayPal account to be able to use PayPal. If you read all the other sections here in the “Payments” FAQ section, you will understand how you can make payments without opening or having a PayPal account.

You do not need a PayPal account to be able to make a payment through PayPal.

PayPal does accept a GUEST checkout where you can pay with a credit or debit card.

Paying through a PayPal invoice

Here are some advantages of paying using the PayPal invoice method :

  1. You don’t need a PayPal account.
  2. You can pay in multiple instalments until the whole invoice had been paid.
  3. You can pay each instalment with a different card, so that you can split payments across multiple cards.
  4. You can login to the invoice to see how much you still have to pay.
  5. You can make payments once per day until the whole invoice is paid.
  6. You can keep within the daily limits set on your credit or debit cards.
Do not send payments to any THInK PayPal email addresses that you might have used in the past.

You should only make payments once you receive the PayPal invoice.

If you send a payment to a PayPal email address for THInK – it is possible that it might have been used in the past and could possibly have been closed in the meanwhile.

Countries where PayPal does not operate or is blocked

There are only a small number of countries who are not able to make use of PayPal. This is because PayPal has not been able to comply with the regulations as applied by those countries. For example – Turkey is one such country where PayPal is totally blocked. If your country blocks PayPal, we are able to see this on the PayPal information page. In this case please contact THInK to request an alternative method of payment.

PayPal does not allow payments in my country ?

If that is the case then you need to find someone with a credit or debit card from a different country. We know that Turkey blocks PayPal payments, so anyone attempting to use a credit or debit card from Turkey from being used on the PayPal system. If it is an issue look for a solution from a friend who can help or contact the team at THInK!

iv - Seminar Details

Information on general questions about the seminars

Is Vianna coming to Russia

We would not promote Vianna in Russia if she were not coming to Russia.

Vianna Stibal will lead all 4 seminars in January 2020. Yes – she is coming to Russia.

Which seminars will be run in Moscow in January

The details of which seminars, the dates, the prices and other relevant information is listed on this website and also on

The Seminar Group for Moscow in January 2020 on ThetaHealingInstructors.com

Where are the seminars being held ?

We have an amazing location for the seminars this year which is a 4 star hotel (although the quality is that of a 5 star hotel).

It is located close to the 3rd ring road of central Moscow, and we will publish details of the hotel after the 14th of August both here on this website and also on ThetaHealingInstructors.com.

The one thing we avoid is sharing the location of the hotel on social media such as Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter and other platforms, and although you might think this is strange, there is a very good reason behind this. Vianna Stibal is a very popular in Russia, and many people believe so strongly in her abilities that they will travel hundred of miles to get a chance to speak to her.

We do not want to disappoint anyone, and it is important for us to make sure that you have the maximum amount of time available to you when you attend the seminars. Every person that speaks to Vianna during her lunch break or coffee break, or even before the class outside of the seminar hall, will take away your time to learn the precious techniques she has developed. If she is outside speaking to someone she can not be inside sharing with you the tips, experiences and knowledge associated with the ThetaHealing technique that you desire to learn.

Find out more about the Hotel Location here

Who are the organisers

The Country Event Co-Ordinators for Russia are listed on this website – they are Craig and Natalia.

Can I help you with something at the event ?

We receive many offers for help, and it is greatly appreciated. There is a long established process in place where anyone can apply to help as a Teaching assistant during the seminars, and of course we are always looking for more help where we can utilise specific skills.

If you are interested in helping us please get in touch with Craig using one of the contact forms on this website. You will need to include some details as to where you think you might be able to help, and of course, which languages you speak or what skills you might have that could be useful for the events and seminars.

Remember we have a core team in place who have helped us throughout the years, and because they are able to get on very well and work together as a team, they will probably be a big part of our team. So if you are invited to join the team, the most important thing is that we are all in this for the benefit of growing the ThetaHealing technique in Russia. We leave our differences at home, and we put aside any past conflicts so that we do not bring it to the workplace.


v - Scholarships

Answers relating to scholarships, how to apply for one, what to expect and other information will appear here.

Can I get a scholarship ?

Anyone is able to apply for a scholarship for any of the seminars.

There are certain conditions that apply, and you need to know that scholarships are split into 2 sections :

  • The first is a scholarship for the Host Fee
  • The second is a scholarship for the THInK Seminar Fee

Scholarship applications are decided on merit and according to availability.

How much will a scholarship be ?

Scholarship amounts vary from seminar to seminar.

  • There are certain seminars where a full scholarship will not be awarded.
  • To give you an example, for the THInK Seminar Fee for Basic DNA Instructors, you could typically expect between $100 to $300 US Dollars if awarded a scholarship.
  • For the Host Fee, a scholarship if awarded might be between 2’000 to 8’000 Rubles depending on the seminar.

Once a decision is made, you will be notified of the amount of the scholarship that has been awarded by the relevant decision maker.

When can I apply for a scholarship ?

You can apply for a scholarship at any time. The deadline for accepting scholarship applications is as follows:

  • Host Fee – up to 4 weeks before the start of the seminar
  • THInK Seminar Fee – 3 months before the start of the seminar

Once a decision has been made you will be notified via E-mail of the decision.

Who decides on the awarding of scholarships ?

For Host Fee Scholarships

  • the decision is made by the Country Event Co-Ordinators for Russia, based on availability and merit.

For THInK Seminar Fee Scholarships

  • the decision is made by the board of directors for THInK, again based on availability and merit.

 

When will I find out if my scholarship has been awarded ?

We have considered the Public and National holidays that apply to Russia and the USA during December and January.  (For more information on these dates please see  Public & National Holidays in December and January

With this in mind we have will suggest the following :

Host Fee Scholarship Application

We will accept applications until the 10th of December. Final decisions will be made by the 13th of December. That will allow you enough time to make your payment for the Host Fee payments, before businesses and banks close for the Public and National holidays in Russia.

THInK Seminar Fee Scholarship Application

Applications for scholarships for the THInK Seminar Fee need to be submitted to THInK before the 15th of October 2019. THInK will make their decision and send a response if your scholarship application has been approved, up until the 3rd of December 2019.

You should make your plans, and pay for the seminars accordingly. If you pay in full for the THInK Seminar Fee and a scholarship is awarded to you after you have paid, a refund will be processed to you by THInK.

Apply for a Scholarship

To apply for a scholarship for the Host Fee please visit :

To apply for a scholarship for the THInK Seminar Fee please visit :

 


vi - Contact us

Here you will find information about how to contact either the team for the event in Russia, or the THInK team based in Montana in the USA.

Who do we contact ?

There are two teams who deal with any questions.

  • The first is the events team based in Moscow, Russia.
  • The second is the THInK team based in Big Fork, Montana, United States of America.

Here is a table with advice on who to contact for which things:

*** Payments ***
Events Team in Russia The team at THInK in the USA
Host Fee Payment Yes
THInK Seminar Fee Payment Yes
Scholarships for Host Fee payment Craig
Scholarships for THInK Seminar Fee payment Yes
Invoices from THInK Yes
Invoices from the events team Craig
*** Seminar Info ***
Events Team in Russia The team at THInK in the USA
Recertification questions Yes Yes
Teaching Assistant Applications Craig
Seminar Location Yes
Language options during the seminars in Moscow Yes
Food options during the seminars in Moscow Yes
Accommodation during the seminars in Moscow Yes
*** Your THInK Profile ***
Events Team in Russia The team at THInK in the USA
Problems with my certifications Yes
Problems logging into my ThetaHealing account Yes
Problems with any details on my ThetaHealing account Yes
*** ThetaHealing Evening / Day events ***
Events Team in Russia The team at THInK in the USA
ThetaHealing Evening event for ThetaHealers Yes
ThetaHealing Day event for Everyone Yes
Volunteering at either event Craig
*** Other Questions ***
Events Team in Russia The team at THInK in the USA
Questions about seminars in other countries Yes
When is the best time to contact us?

The event team in Russia

We normally operate from Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 17:00 Moscow time.

You can email us at any time, however please do not expect an answer during the weekend. We will do our best to answer all emails as soon as possible, even when we are travelling or in transit between two cities or countries.

You can send us messages through WhatsApp, Facebook or other forms of social media, however we do not rely on these platforms to provide you with quick responses. The official method should be via email.

Telephone calls are often misunderstood when there are important details to be discussed. So although it is possible to contact us we prefer you send an email so that we have a record of what was said, and so that you also have a clear record of what our responses are.

Team THInK in the USA

The team at THInK work from 09:00 to 18:00 Mountain Time (Big Fork – Montana – USA).

When you contact them remember to take into account any time zone differences, as they are 9 hours behind Moscow time.

If you send them an email on a Friday, take into consideration that if you are in Moscow, that it is likely they will not respond until sometime on Monday (during business hours in Montana) which means that they will only start working at 18:00 Moscow time (which is 09:00 Montana time).

If you wish to call them make sure to do so anytime after 18:00 Moscow Time on a Monday to a Friday as this is the most likely time that someone will be in the office to take your call. Remember that seminars are being run all over the world, and some days will be busier than others when THInK are busy with processing registrations from different seminar locations worldwide.

I don’t speak English – how can I contact THInK

Normally THInK have the services of someone who translates from Russian into English during the summer classes in Montana. But this person is not employed by THInK to be available all year round to help with questions from Russian speakers.

So – if you do not speak English it would be best to get the help from a friend who does, or to employ a professional translator or interpreter depending on what it is that you need to discuss with THInK.

Google Translate is an average method to get text for emails translated between Russian and English and visa versa. It does not always recognise the words, but it will give a fairly good translation without interpreting the content.

We suggest :

  • Get a friend who reads / writes or speaks English to help you
  • Pay for the services of a professional translator or interpreter
  • Contact THInK and find out if they have a Russian interpreter available during the months when summer classes are running in Montana
How do I contact THInK in Montana

You can contact THInK by following this link

to the ThetaHealing Contact information section on their website

(this will open a new window in your browser with the THInK website…)