ARIZONA TRAUMA INSTITUTE - Key Persons
Ana Paula Chávez is a licensed clinical and health psychologist, and psychotherapist from the prestigious Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Perú. Her lived experience of her own emotional rollercoaster due to dealing with leukemia, traumatic stress,...
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Founder of Trauma Release
- NLP Master Coach
Aun Ali is the Founder of Trauma Release and Wellness Centre, Pakistan. A first of its kind Trauma Informed Centre aimed to introduce a salutogenic approach in Pakistan. He is an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a member of the Association of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (ANLP). Aun is an Addiction and Trauma Therapist working in the field for the last 7 years.
He is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Individuals and Family) and is an Internationally Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP-1).
Aun is also an NLP Master Coach and a certified Tension & Trauma Release Exercise (TRE) provider. He has received his training from the top rehabilitation centers in the UK and has experience in a variety of therapeutic techniques such as Tai Chi, Art Therapy, Group Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Inner Child Work, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR).
Aun has also conducted workshops for educational Institutes, corporate organizations and training for therapists and professionals such as doctors and teachers. Training and workshops are aimed to develop awareness about the trauma informed approach, addiction, codependency, psychological first aid and somatic therapy.
Job Titles:
- EMDR Advanced & EFT Practitioner
- Licensed Professional Counselor
Brian Simmons is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas specializing in stress & trauma related disorders. Brian currently co-owns a counseling practice and a consulting business with his wife in Southlake, Texas. One area of primary focus is first responders, and first responder related stress. Brian holds three certifications in the field of trauma and utilizes EMDR, EFT, and Hypnosis in his holistic approach to treating stress related disorders. Brian and his wife have three training courses: Sex Trafficking and Sex Industry Exploitation (Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist), Neurophysiology and The Stress Response, Mental Health Needs of Law Enforcement. These training courses have collectively been used to train mental health professionals and paraprofessionals across the US and in multiple nations worldwide. Brian also serves as an adjunct instructor at the Arizona Trauma Institute. Brian and his wife have and continue to train first responders across the State of Texas in partnership with the First Responder Mental Health Alliance. Mr. Simmons has spent much of his time working in the field of survivor recovery from human sex trafficking. Brian currently serves as the Executive Director of an anti-human trafficking start up investigations company. Since 2016, Brian has also worked in varying capacities with four other non-profits in the battle against sex slavery: 2019-Present (Advisory Board Member for SWAT League); 2019-2020 (Director of Operations for Express Missions International); 2016-2017 (Director of Clinical Care for Valiant Hearts); 2017-2019 (assisting an NGO that was working to rescue women and children from ISIL controlled territory in Iraq & Boko Haram in Africa). Prior to receiving his counseling license in 2010, Brian obtained a Texas Peace Officer Commission in 2001 and served as a full-time law enforcement officer rising to the rank of Lieutenant. During his law enforcement career Brian received specialized training in the following areas: Special Weapons and Tactics, Hostage Negotiations, Mental Health Peace Officer, Field Training Officer, TCOLE Instructor Proficiency, and Forensic Hypnosis; and achieved a Texas Police Officer Master Proficiency Certification. Brian received his Master's in Counseling from Amberton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Southern Methodist University. Contact Information: Brian M. Simmons, New Solutions Counseling, PLLC, 2131 E. Kirkwood Blvd. Suite 110 Southlake, TX 76192, 214-226-4206, Email: brian@nscpllc.org, Website: www.nscpllc.org.
Cheryl Warner, PhD is a licensed psychologist with nearly 20 years of teaching and training in counselor preparation. Her scholarship and teaching focus on development of cultural competence, clinical supervision, and professional development. She has clinical experiences in community mental health, university counseling center, private practice, and military settings. Dr. Warner is a clinical associate professor in Counseling and Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University. She received a B.S in Commerce from DePaul University and MEd in Community Counseling and PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Co - CEO of Arizona Trauma Institute and Therapy, PLLC
- President at the Trauma Institute International
Dr. Robert Rhoton, CEO of Arizona Trauma Institute and President at the Trauma Institute International possesses a rich history of experience in the mental health field. Dr. Rhoton has supervised multiple outpatient clinics, juvenile justice programs, and intensive outpatient substance abuse programs for adolescents, day treatment programs for youth and children, adult offender programs and child and family therapeutic services. Dr. Rhoton served as president of the Arizona Trauma Therapy Network from 2010 through 2012. Dr. Rhoton was a Professor at Ottawa University in the Behavioral Sciences and Counseling Department whose primary interests were training counselors to work with traumagenic family dynamics, child and family trauma, and non-egoic models of treatment. Dr. Rhoton is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and collaborates and consults with numerous Arizona agencies fine tuning their understanding of trauma and the impact of developmental trauma on the individual and family. Dr. Rhoton works internationally with organizations to improve the delivery of trauma treatment services.
Dr. Rhoton's most recent publications are:
(2021) Trauma Competency for the 21 st Century: A Salutogenic "Active ingredients" approach to treatment
(2020) Trauma-Informed Organizational Certificate Program: The Journey to becoming an ascending organization and leader.
(2019) Transformative Care: A Trauma-Focused Approach to Caregiving
July 2017 Journal of Counseling and Development titled; Trauma Competency: An Active Ingredients Approach to Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Dr. Roderick Logan's life and work reflect his deeply held conviction that human suffering is not a fate to be borne, but a mission to overcome. He is a Senior Faculty member and Director of Organizational Programs at the Arizona Trauma Institute. As well, he is Senior Faculty at the Trauma Institute International.
For over 40 years, Dr. Logan has helped individuals, families, and organizational teams to work through trauma, toxic stress, and histories of adversity, and build towards resiliency. He holds a Master's Degree in Counseling and a Doctorate in Practical Theology. He is a Diplomate with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and a Certified Trauma and Resiliency Life Coach. Dr. Logan trains and consults with organizational leaders and professional care providers throughout the United States and in multiple countries outside the United States.
At his core, Roderick is an advocate fighting ignorance and apathy. He believes those who teach and train others need to be taught and trained themselves. His routine includes a list of discerning teachers and mentors, who speak into his life and inspire him to grow and improve.
Dr. Logan's career includes a wide array of first-hand experiences, from California's Youth Authority in the early 80's to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, Governor's Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, the Trauma Release and Wellness Centre in Pakistan, and a variety of various community service organizations across the United States. Dr. Logan's prolific platform, training, experience, and informed passion uniquely qualify him as an authority on trauma-informed care, principles for building towards resiliency, and pathways for living the optimum life.
Roderick and his wife, Melody, have been married for 43 years. Together they have raised three children and now play with their eight grandchildren. Thousands of folks read his weekly Facebook blog, Trauma Informed Parenting (@traumainformedparents). Among his family and friends, Roderick is known as, the man in a rowboat, rowing backward into the future.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Professional Counselor
Jessica "Jess" Fletcher is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and provides mental health counseling to youth and adults in Arizona. She practices as a LGBTQIA+, poly, kink affirmative clinician. Jess is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTS-I) and certified in the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method through the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute. She received her Master of Counseling degree at Arizona State University.
Jess currently works in a private practice, which advocates for affirmative, inclusive care and approaches healing from a health and wellness perspective. Jess has experience counseling in multidisciplinary and community settings such as homes, schools, and integrated medical clinics. She also completed additional training on counseling and supporting gender expansive youth and adults through a program provided by Phoenix Children's Hospital. She is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
She believes people are incredibly resilient and strives to practice and mentor in holistic ways by incorporating gentle somatic work, intersectional identities, and community into the healing process.
Kayli Gibbs, MS, TRLC, RYT, CSCS is an intuitive breathwork practitioner, yoga instructor, and emotional resilience guide with a passion to empower others to their own inner healing and better overall health. As a student of tantra, she believes in a transformative path that encourages personal and spiritual development, fostering a sense of harmony, love, and conscious living. She does trauma-informed coaching and facilitates the healing journey through the power of the breath and somatic awareness. For over ten years she has worked with San Diego firefighters as an exercise physiologist and nutritionist, specializing in wellness education, stress management, and mindfulness.
Leah Miller is a skilled, multi-disciplinary therapist with a devotion to helping clients exceed their goals and thrive. Her approach draws on her extensive experience and training, and a true dedication to helping people transform. She received her Master's Degree in Counseling from Phoenix Seminary located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Leah also holds a health coaching certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and has trained with Dr. Leslie Korn, PhD in Nutritional and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Practitioners. Leah is currently enrolled in a yearlong advanced training in Mental Health Nutrition. Leah is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is also in her intermediate year of Somatic Experiencing Practitioners training, a three-year certification in somatic work-a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress disorders.
Leah's work is underwritten by her holistic approach to meeting vital mental health and wellness objectives. She utilizes her dynamic background to help clients approach their goals through a mind-body-spirit paradigm, allowing them to transcend past limitations and create a foundation for lasting wellness. Leah weaves her knowledge of psychology, health, nutrition, and lifestyle choices with trauma resolution modalities such as somatic experiencing and EMDR to help people re-connect with their best selves and flourish
Job Titles:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Lindsay Rothschild, LCSW, CCTP, SAP, RYT 200 Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Substance Abuse Professional, Registered Yoga Teacher Lindsay Rothschild is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience working...
Lindsay Rothschild is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience working in the field of behavioral health. She completed her Master's Degree in Social work at Arizona State University in 2011 and currently specializes in treating complex trauma and addiction through a Salutogenic lens.
Through her extensive work in acute care settings, Lindsay has come to understand the impact of trauma on the mind, body and soul. Her commitment to the Salutogenic approach led her to deep dive into the exploration of holistic practices that compliment traditional psychotherapy. Lindsay studied Holistic Nutrition at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in 2018 and went on to study Trauma Informed Yoga at the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute in 2019. Lindsay is certified in the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method™ and is also a Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance. Lindsay most recently completed training in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) through the Psychedelic Coalition for Health and EMDR Therapy training through the Institute for Creative Mindfulness. As a leader in the trauma informed mission and mindset, Lindsay openly shares about her own journey navigating trauma and addiction on the path to rediscovering her authentic self.
Lindsay partners with the Arizona Trauma Institute to facilitate trainings for mental health professionals, healers and educators in the community in an effort to promote awareness around Trauma Informed Care and the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Lindsay is the owner of Roots to Rise, PLLC in Tempe, Arizona where she provides somatic psychotherapy, supervision, trauma informed yoga groups, EMDR therapy and substance abuse professional services. She is also the Clinical Director at Seven Arrows Recovery Center in Elfrida, Arizona. Lindsay describes herself as having a wild and free spirit, an open heart and a belief that all humans have the capacity for transformation and growth.
Dr. Cuoco had been employed at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) until his retirement in June 2016 and move to Mesa Arizona. At DOHMH Dr. Cuoco served in several related roles: Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Integration for the NYC Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program (AOT); Director of Program Initiatives and Community Liaison in the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment; Director of Behavioral Health and Social Services for the DOHMH's nine STD Clinics and Acting Assistant Commissioner. In 2007 in collaboration with HRA, Dr. Cuoco spearheaded New York City's Managed Addiction Treatment Services (MATS) program. MATS was a program serving high cost users of Medicaid paid alcohol and drug treatment services. This strengths-based case management program saved over 65 million dollars since its inception - never denying recipients access to care. In partnership with OASAS, DHS and Project Renewal, he planned developed and implemented the first NYC Shelter-based detoxification program. Dr. Cuoco and his staff also provided training and established SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment for Alcohol and Substances) programs throughout the City training over 2000 clinicians. These programs are located in a variety of settings ranging from School-based health programs and primary care practices to hospital emergency rooms. These OASAS approved trainings qualified NYC providers for Medicaid reimbursement. Dr. Cuoco also provided clinical supervision to the Department's STD Clinics in its nascent SBIRT program. He had collaborated on the successful bid for SAMHSA's repeat funding which maintained and expanded these services throughout NYC, and the SBIRT driven CDC funded Community Transformation Grant. While in AOT, Dr. Cuoco served as clinical consultant on co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Use issues and created and implemented in-service training for Social Work Staff on the major psychiatric disorders and co-occurring alcohol and substance use. His work delved into the high recidivism rates among select AOT clientele. The findings were presented at the 2015 APA annual meeting and became the basis for ongoing in-service trainings, targeted early interventions and a reduction in the recidivism rates. Dr. Cuoco has served as: Acting Assistant Commissioner for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (DOHMH); Co-Director of Montefiore's Comprehensive Service Unit for Alcohol and Substance Use; Associate Executive Director of Residential and Rehabilitation Services at the Bridge, Inc.; and Associate Director of Psychiatric Administration at Bellevue Hospital where he was Director and co-founder of the CSS Homeless Project. In each of these positions he has used metrics to improve service delivery, increase State and JCAHO re-certifications and staff accountability. He has served on a number of boards and maintained a private psychotherapy practice. Until his move to Mesa Arizona he was a longstanding Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Hunter College's Silberman School of Social Work. Dr. Cuoco has also been on faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYU and the LIU CW Post Schools of Social Work. Dr. Cuoco graduated from: Brooklyn College (BS), Yeshiva University (MSW), and the CUNY Graduate Center- Hunter College School of Social Work (DSW). He also obtained additional training in Psychoanalysis, Ericksonian Hypnosis and Trauma Informed Care.
Ms. Abrar Namangani is a passionate psychotherapist based at the beautiful city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She was born and raised in Makkah, the Holy city of Muslims. Traveled to the USA to do her graduate education in psychotherapy as part of a government sponsored scholarship program. She was able to excel in her education while caring for her only son even when living aboard alone. The educational exposure to the life in the USA gave her the gift to learn about multiculturalism and be more confidant to deal with different people from the different parts of the world. It helped her to shape her "acceptance" in a unique way and to open her eyes to a whole new level in interacting with the public.
She completed her bachelor's degree in social work from Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia and the master's degree in counseling psychology from Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Once back to Saudi Arabia, Ms. Namagani was among the founders of the first teams in the Middle East to implement DBT in the region. Serving a highly demanding papulation with a type of illness that is very significantly less recognized socially.
Her continuous strive and hunger for knowledge driven by the focus on helping her clients made her attend many educational sessions for specialized psychotherapy trainings around the world, including UK, USA, and Canada, these specialized trainings led to expanding her knowledge and capacity to match her client's needs. Her mission is to help her country men and women who are in major need for the international expertise and skills with an understanding of the local culture and society peculiarities. She got trained in dialectical behavioral therapy, applied behavioral therapy, client centered, mentalization based therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and trauma informed care.
Awareness is one of the major challenges to face in dealing with clients in need of psychotherapy at large, and more so in the Middle East, and so one of her unique projects is a collaboration with other local psychotherapist to presents mindfulness and psych-education for women shelters in the city of Jeddah. She also spends considerable time to support children with special needs at schools. Currently, she is helping sexually abused survivors and individuals who lived under long distress from dysfunctional family environment at a local private clinic in Jeddah.
Richard Marshall Cross is an accredited and registered Psychotherapist and Child Psychotherapist in the United Kingdom (UKCP). He also registered with the European Society of Psychotherapy (EAP) and the World Council for Psychotherapy (WCP). He is also qualified and registered in the use of hypnosis (Member British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis).
His initial career was with the Ministry of Defence. As a petty officer at the age of 21, he experienced his first role in trauma mitigation through supporting and providing psychological first aid during military conflicts, e.g., Operation desert storm 1991.
On leaving this environment, his early career focused on forensic psychotherapy and group work within correctional departments where he sought to bring the ‘relational' element into criminogenic programs, and he piloted and implemented the first sexual offending treatment program (SOTP) for young offenders in the Prison Service (1997).
In this early work began to consider the impact of early adversity, which led to an opportunity to work as a consultant in the New Zealand Corrections Department. He was able to design a ‘whole systems' approach to supporting youth detained in Youth Units. This led to developing a groupwork approach called ‘The advanced EQUIP' (2001), which built upon his work in the UK and supporting Te Piriti Special treatment unit to develop therapeutic programs.
On leaving this role, he managed a unique Therapeutic Prison (2002 - 2004) unit for 40 life-sentenced prisons at HMP Dovegate; this was based on a relational, democratic approach called a Therapeutic Community. During this experience, Richard began to increase his training in the treatment of complex trauma and, in particular, the areas of attachment, trauma, and dissociation and lead him on his quest to begin to develop ‘early intervention' approaches to mitigate and support children and youth to recovery from the impacts of adversity.
Over the last 17 years, Richard has had a dual focus: the management and development of therapeutic care for children who are placed in foster care and residential care (group homes). This leads him in 2006 to work closely with Dr Sandra Bloom to bring The Sanctuary Model and trauma-informed approach to the UK.
His other focus has been running a clinic for adults with complex trauma and dissociative disorders in Glasgow, Scotland. He is also a member of the psychotherapy training faculty of the International Society for the Study of trauma and dissociation (ISSTD).
His approaches focus on using the right methods for the client. As he has continually sought to develop his range of knowledge and understanding, he has trained in EMDR in 2007, Rewind Technique 1999, Advanced-CBT 2000, Internal Family Systems 2009 etc.
He is currently Head of Assessment & Therapy for a large childcare organisation and supervises and guides a team of doctoral qualified clinical and counselling psychologist, child and adolescent psychotherapists. He also heads up a research and development project with the Anna Freud Centre London, which has created the largest dataset in the UK routinely assessing for trauma, attachment and dissociation and the creation of research that can develop and inform practise innovation.
One of his aims is to make therapies open for as many people as possible. He commits his time to support as a board member for three charities: The Bowlby Centre, London; The Institute of Recovery from Childhood Trauma and the Scottish Hypnotherapy Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Associate
- Clinical Psychologist
Tahreem Umer is an Associate Clinical Psychologist working at Trauma Release and Wellness Centre and is undergoing her Master's program in Clinical Psychology from Karachi, Pakistan.
She has experience in cognitive behavioral therapy, humanistic therapy, and psychodynamic therapies, and has experience working with trauma and addiction.
She has experience in conducting workshops specifically in topics relating to the field of mental health. She has trained as a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist - Individual (CCTS-Individual and Family) and has experience in dealing with a range of clients through a trauma-informed lens.