Nicki Michaels holds a BA in Astro-Psychology from Antioch University West (1976), where she also taught undergraduate courses on the spiritual nature of personal and social change for six years as a member of the Adjunct Faculty. She is a Certified Astro*Carto*Graphy Consultant (Certificate #2, 1981), having completed over 400 relocation analyses as Staff Astrologer for Astro*Carto*Graphy. She also completed a Diploma in Classical Studies in Horary, awarded in 2000. As a life coach, she holds the Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) designation from the Coaches Training Institute, and is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentialed by the International Coach Federation. She was the NCGR Professional Empowerment Program Mentor, a Board Member and Web Liaison for the San Francisco chapter of ICF, and a volunteer coach for CEO Women. Her mentor and teacher from the mid-1970s until his death in 1985 was astrologer and philosopher Dane Rudhyar. In 1977, under his guidance, she opened Urania Astro-Lab and Book Works in San Francisco. She co-coordinated two Rudhyar Institute for Transpersonal Activity (RITA) conferences in 1983 and 1985, and maintains the Rudhyar Audio Archives at her website. Her column Ask Astro-Coach ran in The Mountain Astrologer.