Our Group 

We are a regional retreat group for Diamond Approach students in Texas and surrounding areas. 

Founded in 1997 by Deborah Ussery-Letofsky and Morton Letofsky, our group includes more than 60 dedicated practitioners of the Diamond Approach.  Members of our group range in age and years of experience in the Work.  Since Deborah and Morton’s passing, senior teachers Gina Crago and Rick Gaines have served as the group’s lead teachers.  

Retreat groups are the primary vehicle for ongoing development on the Diamond Path, serving to guide and encourage our ongoing spiritual development. Our group gathers 4 to 5 times a year for retreats ranging from 2 to 8 days on Zoom and in-person in the Houston area.  Retreats include teachings and group discussion, personal and group inquiry, meditation, life practice sessions designed to enhance presence and awareness, and individual sessions with the teachers. 

Our group is open to new members and is a resource for those with general interest in the Diamond Approach. We are also inviting interest from new students for a possible new Texas group to form.  If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Diamond Approach Texas, visit How to Get Involved.

If you are drawn toward the Diamond Approach and live in Texas or neighboring areas, we invite you to learn more about the Diamond Approach. We’ve made articles, videos, books, and FAQs available to you. See What is the Diamond Approach?

Our Lead Teachers

Gina Crago

A student of the Diamond Approach for over forty years, Gina Crago teaches groups in Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas. In addition, Gina is a training teacher, supervising other Diamond Approach Teachers.  She worked for many years as a psychotherapist, and lives in Colorado.  

Rick Gaines 

Rick has been a student of Diamond Approach since 1984 and a teacher of the Diamond Path since 1999. As a member of the teaching staff in the Ridhwan Foundation and in the Diamond Heart program in Colorado, he has taught the Diamond Approach to individuals and groups locally, out-of-state and overseas.  Along with Gina, Rick has been teaching our Gulf Coast Group since 2003.  

Group History

Our group was founded by Deborah Ussery-Letofsky and Morton Letofsky, who were the senior teachers and spiritual leaders of our group until their deaths in 2023 and 2024, respectively.  Morton and Deborah were among Hameed Ali’s earliest students and were two of the first ordained teachers of the Diamond Approach.