EVERGREEN CERTIFICATIONS - Key Persons
Aimee M. Bailey, PT, DPT, RYT-200hour, has 17 years of experience in a variety of settings, but with a focus in Women's Health/Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. Aimee has advanced training in assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor, pelvic pain, and orthopedic assessment of the pelvic floor through the APTA and Herman Wallace. She is a member of Global Pelvic Health Alliance (GPHAM) and the Pelvic Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
She is a certified Clinical Instructor through APTA since 2011, training students for the last 8 years in her passion for women's health. She served as a Director of Rehab for 6 years and managed a clinical staff of 80 therapists. She is a yoga instructor at the 200-hour level, prenatal yoga instructor and paddle board yoga instructor. She loves to use yoga to help treat people with pelvic pain and incontinence.
She is the owner of a cash-based private practice- Terra Lotus, LLC and the creator and host of The Nashville Women's Health Podcast. She balances her work with her family and has 3 lively daughters. She is actively homeschooling her children and they are teaching her how to live life to the fullest.
Alissa Drescher, LPC, FT, GC-C, MA, is a highly sought after speaker addressing topics related to grief and mourning, and is known for her creative, interactive, and story-telling presentation style. She began working in the field of bereavement services in 2006, offering encouragement to grieving parents. Alissa's passion for supporting people through the grief process led to counseling both grieving children and adults in individual and group settings.
At the Tristesse Grief Center in Tulsa, OK, she served as senior program director, overseeing a variety of programming including the Healing Hearts Camp, Oklahoma's first overnight camp for grieving children and teens (now Camp Erin Tulsa). Alissa was an adjunct professor at Southern Nazarene University teaching several undergraduate counseling courses including Death, Grief and Loss. After relocating to Tennessee, Alissa became the founder/executive director of the Grief Center of Middle Tennessee, whose mission is to help children, teens, and adults cope with loss and change.
Alissa is a Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying & Bereavement and holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy with a focus in Play Therapy. She is also a member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling and the National Alliance for Grieving Children.
Amanda Crowder, LCSW, is co-author of the best-selling book CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents: Over 200 Worksheets & Exercises for Trauma, ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression & Conduct Disorders (PESI, 2017). Amanda is an expert at moving evidence-based interventions into practical methods for application and moving research into action.
She has created and adapted evidence-based interventions to work with the most challenging children, adolescents, and families in the most difficult situations. By helping to establish the Trauma Informed Care initiative within Carolinas Medical Center, Amanda has proven her leadership in moving clinical concepts into practice. Amanda runs a private practice in Charlotte, NC, and continues to work for Carolinas Medical Center within a crisis center and virtual mental health emergency room.
Her specialties include depression, anxiety, trauma, behavioral issues, and family issues. Amanda uses realness, humor, and passion to build rapport with clients and audiences.
Amy Marlow-MaCoy, LPC, focuses her practice on treating complex and developmental trauma in adults raised in narcissistic, emotionally immature, and toxic families of origin. She also provides supervision and consultation for clinicians wishing to deepen and grow their strengths in working with survivors of narcissistic abuse. She is the author of the Amazon best-selling book The Gaslighting Recovery Workbook: Healing from Emotional Abuse (Callisto Media, 2020). Amy has advanced training in multiple trauma treatment models, including IFS, EMDR, and brainspotting. She earned her master's degree from Temple University.
Ann Saffi Biasetti, PhD, LCSWR, CEDS, CIAYT, is a practicing clinician for over 30 years specializing in somatic psychotherapy. She is an eating disorder specialist, certified mindfulness teacher, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher, and Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). Dr. Biasetti teaches in the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) program, where she shares her expertise in somatic self-compassionate interventions for eating disorders recovery and serves as a consultation leader. She has led well-received retreats at Kripalu and Shambhala Mountain Center and has led professional training workshops through her Befriending Your Body (BFYB) certification program for eating disorder recovery. She is the author of Befriending Your Body: A Self-Compassionate Approach to Freeing Yourself from Disordered Eating and The Awakening Self-Compassion Card Deck: 52 Practices for Self-Care, Healing and Growth. Dr. Biasetti maintains a private practice in Saratoga Springs, NY.
April Christopherson, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years and has worked with diverse populations in a variety of settings. She is the founder and owner of Exploration Kids Therapy in Colorado. April worked as the director of OT and director of training and development for over 10 years for The Shandy Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. She sits on the clinical advisory board for Interactive Metronome Corporation. She is a member of both the Advanced Brain Technologies and Interactive Metronome adjunct faculty where she teaches introductory and advanced continuing education courses to professionals. She has traveled around the USA and the world teaching on Neuroplasticity and Development. April was granted her degrees in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from St Ambrose University in Davenport, IA in 1991.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, CCTP-II, E-RYT, EMDR-C is a clinical psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, therapeutic yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of five books based upon her integrative, mind-body approach to trauma recovery: The Complex PTSD Workbook; The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook; A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD; EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; and The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual. Her unique blend of spirituality and science can be found in her writings, guided trauma recovery programs, and applied Polyvagal Theory in yoga for trauma recovery. Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapist in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex trauma. She is a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner with a passion, kindness, compassion, joy, and a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics - along with a passion for the outdoors; all of which she incorporates into her work as founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Discover more at drarielleschwartz.com.
Avidan Milevsky, PhD, LCPC, has over 20 years of experience specializing in the broad application of cognitive behavioral interventions for multiple client difficulties. He is an associate professor of psychology at Ariel University and a psychotherapist at The Center for Mental Health in Bet Shemesh, Israel. He also serves as a psychotherapist at Wellspring Counseling in Towson, MD.
Cheryl Herrmann, RN, MS, APRN, CCRN, CCNS-CSC/CMC, has 35+ years of nursing experience - 15 years as a bedside nurse in SICU, Neuro ICU, and CVICU, and 20 years as a cardiac clinical nurse specialist. As a cardiac SNS, she cares for patients in cardiac prep and recovery, cardiac catheterization, surgery, ICU, telemetry/progressive units, and at discharge. In addition, Cheryl is a prehospital RN for the local ambulance service. She has a passion for cardiac nursing and is an advocate for heart health.
Cheryl is a reviewer for a critical care textbook as well as several nursing journals, one of which, Critical Care Clinics, recently published her article "A Woman's Heart Is Different." She is a popular presenter for national conferences such as the American Association of Critical Care Nurses NTI. Cheryl has been honored with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Circle of Excellence - Excellent Clinical Nurse Specialist Award.
Chris Aiken, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist whose work focuses on natural and lifestyle approaches to mood disorders. He is the director of the Mood Treatment Center, Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report, the bipolar Section Editor for Psychiatric Times, and an instructor at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He hosts the weekly Carlat Psychiatry Podcast with Kellie Newsome, PMH-NP.
Dr. Aiken's interest in mood disorders came from experience with close friends who suffered from depression. He began his career as a research assistant at the National Institute of Mental Health and went on to complete medical school at Yale and residency at Cornell and Duke Medical Centers. He remains active in research, and his work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and books. He lives in North Carolina with his wife Lisa and twin children, David and Eleanor.
Cindi Lockhart, RDN, LD, IFNCP, is board-certified as an integrative and functional nutrition practitioner with over 27 years in professional practice. She has trained nutrition, fitness, and medical practitioners throughout most of her career, yet maintains a personal practice with clients/patients as she believes that the only way she can effectively educate and inspire other practitioners is through her own practical experience with clients. In addition to educating on how Food is Medicine, Cindi also specializes in coaching clients and practitioners on the importance of managing stress, optimizing sleep, proper exercise and movement, and reducing exposure to environmental toxins. Cindi has extensive expertise in women's health issues including hormonal imbalances, infertility, thyroid dysfunction, autoimmunity and gut health.
Colleen A. Burns is a licensed mental health counselor, LMHC, licensed alcohol and drug counselor LADCI, a certified integrative health coach and certified mind-body practitioner. She has over 20 years of experience in counseling individuals and families and is the founder of Restore Body Balance in Brookline, MA, where she guides clients as an integrative health counselor, using tailored whole-health programs to meet the needs of each client. Ms. Burns injects emerging research into her practice and her vast expertise and pivotal methodology of combining traditional psychotherapy with adjunct therapies allows her clients to experience the full breadth of long-lasting changes in their lives.
Ms. Burns received a Master's in counseling psychology from Boston College, MA. She has worked for public and private sector organizations, as well as nonprofit agencies and government-sponsored programs. Ms. Burns was a staff clinician at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, has lectured nationally at conferences and co-authored a treatment manual for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), a National Institute on Drug Abuse- (NIDA) funded study.
Daniel J. Fox, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and multiple-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 15 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice. His specialty areas include personality disorders, ethics, burnout prevention, and emotional intelligence. He has published several articles in these areas and is the author of The Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders, the award winning Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic Workbook: Treatment Strategies for Cluster B Personality Disorders, award winning Narcissistic Personality Disorder Toolbox, and The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook.
Dr. Fox has been teaching and supervising students for over 15 years at various universities across the United States, some of which include West Virginia University, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Florida State University. He is currently a staff psychologist in the federal prison system, Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Houston, as well as maintaining a private practice that specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with complex psychopathology and personality disorders. Dr. Fox has given numerous workshops and seminars on ethics and personality disorders, personality disorders and crime, treatment solutions for treating clients along the antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic personality spectrum, emotional intelligence, managing mental health within the prison system, and others. Dr. Fox maintains a website of various treatment interventions focused on working with and attenuating the symptomatology related to individuals along the antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic personality spectrum (www.drdfox.com).
Daphne Fatter, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, clinical consultant, author, and international speaker dedicated to providing education on integrative trauma-informed therapies. She is certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Approved IFS Clinical Consultant. She is also certified in EMDR and an EMDRIA Approved EMDR Consultant. She is the author of "Integrating Internal Family Systems Interventions into EMDR Therapy" (in press). She has also written on integrating ancestral healing with IFS in Altogether Us: Integrating the IFS Model with Key Modalities, Communities, and Trends (2023). With nearly two decades of clinical experience providing trauma treatment, she provides engaging nuances on trauma treatment to international audiences from her seasoned clinical experience treating PTSD, complex trauma and complicated grief.
David D. Nowell, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist in private practice in Northborough, Massachusetts. He offers consultations to patients on an inpatient rehabilitation unit and is an adjunct instructor in neuropsychology to graduate students in the Clark University psychology program. He serves as a physician advisor with the University of Massachusetts Medical School Disability Evaluation Service where he was the former clinical director of the Learning Disability Assessment Program. Dr. Nowell writes a popular blog at Psychology Today on motivation and time management and speaks internationally to clinicians on such topics as executive functioning, non-medication management of ADHD, and applying findings from Positive Psychology.
David M. Pratt, PhD, MSW, is a New York State Licensed Psychologist with 40+ years' experience working with children, adolescents and families. Dr. Pratt is in private practice at the Western New York Psychotherapy Services in Amherst, NY and a trainer with PESI, Inc. He is presently on faculty with the University at Buffalo, School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education and a member of New York State, Office of Mental Health Advisory Board on Evidence-Based Treatments for Youth. He was the Principal Psychologist at the Western New York Children's Psychiatric Center, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University at Buffalo and Adjunct Professor/Lecturer, University at Buffalo Counseling, School and Educational Psychology department.
Dr. Pratt has conducted numerous trainings in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at local, state, national and international forums. He is the author of CBT Toolkit for Depressed, Anxious and Suicidal Children and Adolescents (PESI Publishing, Inc., 2019) and Advanced CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents: Promoting Resilience, Positive Emotions and Personal Growth (in press, PESI, Publishing, Inc.).
David Mays, MD, PhD, is a licensed physician in the state of Wisconsin. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He has a dual appointment as a clinical adjunct assistant professor in the University of Wisc. Dept. of Psychiatry and Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies.
He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, member of the Wisconsin Psychiatric Association, and a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. Over his career, Dr. Mays has practiced psychiatry in a variety of settings, including an HMO, an assertive community treatment program, private clinical and forensic practice, and as the clinical director of the forensic program at the Mendota Mental Health Institute.
Dr. Mays has received numerous awards for his teaching and clinical work, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Alliance on Mental Illness in Dane County, the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Exceptional Performance Award from the Wisconsin Health and Family Services, the Outstanding Professional Award from the Wisconsin Association on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, and the Outstanding Mental Health Professional Award from the Wisconsin National Alliance on Mental Illness. He is a highly sought-after presenter on numerous topics in mental health, including psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, personality disorders, suicide and aggression risk management, mainstream and alternative treatments in psychiatry, and the biology of ethics.
Debra Alvis, PhD is a licensed psychologist, private practitioner, and yoga therapist with over twenty-five years of clinical experience in supporting clients' recovery from shame, trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational concerns. She retired as faculty from the University of Georgia where she developed and led the Mind/Body Program, created a clinician training program integrating contemplative approaches into psychotherapy, and taught health psychology graduate students to apply neuroscientific and somatic approaches.
Debra's interest in the treatment of shame began in the early 1990's while exploring self-psychology and neuroanatomy. Her curiosity about how psychotherapeutic interventions could best engage the brain's capacity to grow and change led her to study with leading experts Dan Siegel, Rick Hanson, and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. She combined this neuroscientific/somatic foundation with attachment, contemplative, and cognitive approaches. She discovered that wedding brain-based principals and body-oriented approaches with traditional psychotherapeutic orientations helped clients to recover more quickly from shame. As the shame lessened, clients' co-morbid anxiety, depression, and addictions resolved more easefully. Debra has refined the application of her integrative shame treatment model through her work in private practice and as a clinical supervisor, educator, and consultant.
Donald Hayes, PT, DPT, GTCCS, GCS, has been on the cutting-edge of telehealth in rehab for the past few years. As a physical therapist at the VA hospital in Des Moines, IA, Dr. Hayes worked on an award-winning tele-rehabilitation team to connect homebound veterans in rural settings to outpatient clinics and home health service via telehealth. He is also a member of the APTA's Frontiers in Research, Science, and Technology (FiRST).
His knowledge and passion for telehealth can be seen in the various articles he has authored or co-authored as well as the presentation that was featured at AOTA's annual conference in 2017. He has spoken on telehealth for physical and occupational therapists at national conferences. Dr. Hayes earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Northern Iowa in 1996 and his physical therapy degree from the University of Missouri in 2005.
Nancy Morgan combines her passion for excellence and her expertise as a registered nurse certified in wound care (WCC) to inspire others to make a difference in the lives of patients with wounds and ostomies. She started her career as a home health aide, where she saw her first pressure ulcer. From there, she obtained her CWOCN and worked as a wound consultant in various hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, and long-term acute care hospitals, and in home health care settings. She identified an urgent need to improve the knowledge base of clinicians doing wound care at the bedside. Her focus then shifted to wound care education program development.
In 2002, she, along with her business partner, Donna Sardina, formed the Wound Care Education Institute. The Wound Care Education Institute offers over 100 comprehensive skin and wound care training programs at various locations across the U.S. To date, over 16,000 clinicians have been taught by WCEI, making this unique group of specialists the largest network of wound care professionals in the United States. Forever committed to multidisciplinary education, these programs are offered to RNs, LPNs, MDs, PAs, NPs, PTs, PTAs, and OTs.
Making a difference for patients by the provision of quality wound care at the bedside is the guiding principle behind the company Nancy formed. As a professional educator, she is highly sought after as a speaker guaranteed to excite the crowd with her easy-to-understand presentation style and passion for translating evidenced based standards into daily practices. Many refer to Nancy as a "Wound Care Rock Star." Come and see why for yourself.
Dr. Charles Boulet, BSc, BEd, OD - "Dr. B" completed a Bachelor's of Science degree at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he majored in neural science and neuropsychology. This was followed by a Bachelor's of Education in French which included training in curriculum design and instruction. Dr. B immediately started teaching sciences in a new French Immersion program in Northern Alberta, Canada, where he authored a novel program of hands-on science instruction, and a new manual for high school chemistry instruction. During his time as a teacher, Dr. B continued to pursue studies in Information Technology After 8 years of instruction, he took a position as security technology coordinator for the BHP-Ekati Diamond Mine, a position he held for three years through to the end of the mine's commissioning. At that point, Dr. B started an independent IT consulting firm that took him to virtually every corner of the Northwest Territories. A strong desire to return to work in education and child development led him to Pacific University in Oregon where he completed a doctorate in developmental and rehabilitation optometry in 2008. After graduating from Pacific U., Dr. B returned to Alberta and set up a now thriving practice in Black Diamond, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Along with his clinical work, Dr. B is involved with ongoing research and advocacy with professionals from around the world, including a handful of publications and a growing library of online content. He has also been a loud advocate for essential vision care for underserved populations. Dr. B was instrumental in promoting Alberta's Child Vision Assessment Act in 2014, which sought to achieve common vision exams for all children in the Province. Dr. Boulet launched the Vision Mechanic project in 2020 which included a general information website, visionmechanic.net, as well as an online school for interested professionals at vision-mechanic.teachable.com.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University
Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She's the author of Don't You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula's research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.
Elana Rosenbaum, MS, LICSW, has been integrating mindfulness with psychotherapy for over 30 years. She is a leader in the clinical application of mindfulness meditation to cancer care and is a pioneering teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the Center for Mindfulness, the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She has authored, Here for Now: Living Well with Cancer through Mindfulness and Being Well (even when you're sick): Mindfulness Practices for People Living with Cancer and Other Serious Illness. Elana has a private practice in psychotherapy in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a sought-after mindfulness coach, teacher, speaker, Course leader and research consultant. She has been featured in "Chronicle" on CBS and mentioned in many magazine articles including Yoga Journal, Health, Coping, and the PBS audio series, "Walking through the Storm". She is currently working on her third book, a workbook of mindfulness exercises for optimal living.
Elisa DiFalco, MS, OT, CMLDT, LMT, began working as a Lymphedema Specialist & Clinic Day Educator for Robert Lerner, M.D., "The Pioneer of Lymphedema Treatment." Soon after receiving a master's degree in Occupational Therapy, she became Clinic Director/Owner of LTS Clinic where she opened a new MLD market with Florida's leading Plastic Surgeons. From her success, she was inspired to create new MLD courses for therapists to learn from and model after.
For 23 years, Ms. DiFalco has been public and practitioner educator through monthly radio broadcasts and column for Boomer Times, support group facilitator, physician in-services, consultant to major insurance companies, public speaker at American Cancer Society and serving on several university advisory boards. She was also appointed Educational Standards Chair for FSMTA of Florida and has won the NLN Lymphedema Day Award. The in-demand educator enjoys combining education and entertainment as presenter for: FOTA, FSMTA, AMTA, ISSE, World Massage Festival, Premier Day Spa Show, CSFA and Elite conventions. Today, Elisa is moving MLD forward through technology to reach the masses and offers a weekly show featuring expects in the field.
Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, MSW, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker and board approved supervisor. Trained as a cognitive behavioral therapist using exposure and response prevention for anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, she has been in private practice for 25 years, working with children, adolescents and adults. Elizabeth is a member of the International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation (IOCDF), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). She is a Clinical Fellow of the ADAA, and also received the 2012 Clinician Outreach Award and the 2017 Clinician of Distinction Award. Elizabeth is co-owner of AnxietyTraining.com with a mission to train clinician's nation-wide in evidence-based treatments. A graduate of Columbia University in New York City, and the University of Maryland at Baltimore's School of social work, she completed her clinical training at the National Institutes of Health and the Catholic University of America. She is the co-author of three books, The Anxiety Cure (2nd Ed., Wiley, 2003), The Anxiety Cure for Kids (2nd Ed., Wiley, 2014), and CBT for Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Training Manual for the Treatment of Fear, Panic, Worry, and OCD (PESI, 2018). Elizabeth works in Rockville, Maryland.Speaker Disclosures:
Erica H. Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT, is a licensed clinical social worker, qualified clinical supervisor, and professor of social work at Southeastern University. She has over 18 years of counseling and practice experience in the field of death, dying, and bereavement and has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Dr. Sirrine has conducted and published peer-reviewed research on the continuing bonds maintained by survivors following a death, and she is the author of Sammy's Story, an anticipatory grief counseling book for young children experiencing the serious illness of a loved one.
Filissa M Caserta MSN, ACNP-BC, CNRN is certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Neuroscience Registered Nurse who currently works in Endovascular Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD. She has worked in the field of Neurosciences, specifically Neuro-critical Care and Endovascular Neurosurgery in various capacities for most of her 34 year nursing career. In addition to her role as Nurse Practitioner, Filissa has held positions as Nurse Manager, Adjunct Faculty at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and Program Director for Nursing Practice. She instituted the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program for The Johns Hopkins Hospital Neuroscience Critical Care Unit. Filissa has contributed to a wide variety of academic publications on neurocritical care and advanced practice nursing. She has shared her specialty expertise through national and international lectures.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair, Director, Trainer for the Center for Self Leadership
Frank Guastella Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.
Dr. Anderson is the Vice Chair, Director, trainer for the Center for Self Leadership with Richard Schwartz, PhD, and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk's Trauma Center.
Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter "Who's Taking What" Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy- New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on "What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy" and recently coauthored the Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.
George Simon, PhD, has specialized in disturbances of personality and character for over 30 years. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on manipulative personalities and other problem characters. Dr. Simon received his PhD in clinical psychology from Texas Tech University, and, until just a few years ago, he maintained an active private practice, during which he served both individuals with serious character disturbances and their relationship partners.
He has also served as the supervising psychologist for the Arkansas Sex Offender Risk Assessment program, as well as in their only inpatient treatment program for offenders. His books, In Sheep's Clothing, Character Disturbance - The Phenomenon of our Age, and The Judas Syndrome, are all bestsellers. Dr. Simon has appeared on CNN and the Fox News Network, and he has conducted over 200 instructional seminars and workshops nationwide. He is a full clinical member of ATSA and a Diplomate of the American College of Forensic Examiners.
Hilary Waller, MS, LPC, is a psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is the director of education and programming at The Postpartum Stress Center outside of Philadelphia, which was founded by renowned perinatal expert Karen Kleiman and was listed in Philly Magazine as a "Center of Excellence" for Maternal/Fetal Care in 2008. In addition to providing direct care services to individuals, couples, and groups at the center, Hilary serves as an instructor with Karen Kleiman, providing a quarterly 12 CE hour postgraduate advanced training for clinicians across the US and abroad who want to specialize in treating the perinatal population. She conducts workshops and trainings for maternal mental healthcare providers as well as non-clinical staff working with the perinatal population. Hilary completed her master's degree in counseling psychology from Holy Family University in 2013. She is deeply honored to support new patients. Hilary's forthcoming clinical workbook on the treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), co-authored by perinatal experts Karen Kleiman and Dr. Tonya Cotler, will be published in the fall of 2022 (PESI Publishing).
Job Titles:
- Clinical Psychologist and Instructor at the Trauma Center
Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and instructor at the Trauma Center, founded by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. A faculty member of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, an EMDR International Association consultant, past president of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation, and former instructor, Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fisher lectures nationally and internationally on the integration of the neurobiological research and new trauma treatment paradigms into traditional psychotherapies.
He is the author of seven books The Anxiety, Depression, & Anger Toolbox for Teens, The Stress Survival Guide for Teens, Mindfulness for Teen Worry, 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child, 10 Days to Less Distracted Child, Liking the Child You Love, and Why Can't You Read My Mind. Dr. Bernstein has also published the Letting Go of Anger Therapeutic Card Deck, a therapeutic card deck widely used by mental health professionals.
Joni is also a college instructor in the Sociology Department where she teaches mental health and legal issues classes. She was recently nominated and presented with the award for "Teachers Who Make a Difference" due to her engaging and dynamic style of teaching. She makes learning an enjoyable experience with her passion for the topic of using technology for mental health.
Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC, has over 25 years experience as a licensed professional counselor, Fellow in Thanatology, chaplain, and ordained minister. She teaches in the graduate clinical mental health psychology department at Lipscomb University and at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in the United Methodist Church Course of Studies. She maintains a private counseling practice and supervises those seeking licensure as a LPC-MHSP. Dr. Samuels holds D.MIN. and MDIV. degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Additionally, she holds an MS degree in counseling psychology from California State University, Northridge, CA, and a counseling certificate in substance abuse from the Northern Virginia Community College, Annadale, VA. Among her areas of expertise are individual, couples and family counseling, trauma and bereavement, and post-masters supervision.
Karen Pryor, PhD, PT, DPT, ND, CH, CFPS, CPRCS, has practiced for 40 years in the field. Dr. Pryor is an international speaker and owner of Health Sphere Wellness Center, an integrative therapy clinic in Jasper, TN. Involved with orthopedic, chronic pain patients, she developed neuroplasticity techniques that are used in a wide variety of settings including orthopedic hospitals, out-patients clinic, home health, assisted living centers and nursing homes, to advance neurological-orthopedic programs. She is an author of a book teaching Neuroplasticity techniques. Dr. Pryor serves on several boards, including the Tennessee State University Physical Therapy School and Nashville State Community College. In 2010, she received the President's Volunteer Service Award for her contributions to advanced treatment by President Barack Obama. In addition to her pioneering neuroplasticity work, Dr. Pryor has served as an adjunct professor at Tennessee State University Occupational Therapy School, and Volunteer State Community College Physical Therapy Assistant program. She is a clinical instructor for several universities and colleges. With her years of experience and passion for complete wellness, Dr. Pryor advances a more expansive view of how to integrate therapy throughout the lifespan by using neuroplasticity techniques.
Kathryne Cammisa, MHE, OTR/L, is an SI/NDT certified occupational therapist, American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer, Pranakriya certified yoga therapist, Radiant Child/Family 200 hour certified yoga teacher and Mindful Schools certified mindfulness teacher. Kathee has over 25 years of experience working with children with special needs in home, school, child care and clinic settings. She works with children and their families through her private practice and at Children's Place, a therapeutic child care center. Kathee has extensive teaching experience throughout the country, with Georgia State's Project SCEIS, and the Medical College of Georgia where she served as assistant professor of occupational therapy. She has been published by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Mental Health and has taken yoga and occupational therapy to children in China, Vietnam, Costa Rica and Ghana.
Kathy Johnson, MS Ed., has been working with students since 2000 to overcome their reading struggles, as well as other learning issues. She found an excellent program that brought their decoding abilities to grade level in a matter of months. Yet, some could not read the test in grade level books, so she began her exploration into the trainings and therapies that brought students' success. Many increased their IQ and no longer required extra services. Kathy received training in order to bring these therapies to others which include Primitive Reflex Training by Samuel A. Berne, OD, Therapeutic Listening by Sheila Frick, Samonas Listening by Jill Stowell, PACE by Learning Rx, Phono-Graphix by Read America, Irlen Syndrome, Brain Gym 101, and An Introduction to Rhythmic Movement.
In 2000, Kathy started The Hunter School of Ballston Spa for struggling students, in which she and her assistant taught third through eighth graders required academics while remediating their struggles through therapy during the school hours. In 2002, she started an educational consulting business to screen and remediate student struggles individually. Since then she has also given lectures and workshops to clinics and schools, been a guest on Internet talk radio shows, and wrote The Roadmap from Learning Disabilities to Succes s plus other DVDs and publications. Kathy earned her Master's degree from the State University of New York at Albany where she instructed faculty and staff, was an adjunct professor at Schenectady County Community College, and taught at The Adirondack School of Northeastern New York.
Kirsten Lind Seal, PhD, LMFT holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lind Seal teaches Ethics at two universities and conducts trainings on Ethics and Cross-Cultural issues nationally and internationally. Dr. Lind Seal's research has been published in Psychology Today, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and Family Process. She has published several case studies and an ethics-focused "In Consultation" piece in the Psychotherapy Networker and has reviewed for The Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy (UK).
She has a completely virtual private practice where she works with individuals, couples and family, and offers ethics consultations to colleagues. She has been interviewed as a content expert by MPR, CNN.com, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune and has for the last 10 years has been a regular on-air contributor on Relationship Reboot, a weekly segment on relationships on WCCO TV's Channel 4 (CBS Twin Cities).
As a naturopathic physician, national speaker, and pioneering advocate for the use of whole foods nutrition in the treatment of mental health disorders and addictions, Dr. Allott is passionate about achievable results. With more than fifteen years of clinical experience, she has refined her expertise on how to promote increased mental, emotional and physical functioning by treating the physical causes of mental health, fatigue, and sugar cravings. Dr. Allott is the co-author of Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety: Stop the Cycle of Worry, Fatigue, and Sugar Cravings with Simple Protein-Rich Foods (February 2021).
Dr. Allott has worked as a residential counselor for adolescents in mental health crises and advocated for the educational rights for individuals with learning disabilities. She is currently on the academic faculty at Bastyr University and serves as a guest lecturer for a variety of groups. As a physician and acupuncturist, she enjoys studying how daily life affects the biochemistry, physiology, and qi (energy) of the body. As a black belt in Aikido, she has studied the intimate connections between the mind, emotions and body.
Lane Pederson, PsyD, LP, C-DBT, has provided Dialectical Behavior Therapy training and consultation to over 8,000 professionals in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. A real-world practitioner, Dr. Pederson co-owns Mental Health Systems, PC (MHS), one of the largest DBT-specialized practices in the United States with four clinic locations in Minnesota (www.mhs-dbt.com). At MHS Dr. Pederson has developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy programs for adolescents, adults, people with dual disorders, and people with developmental disabilities. He has served as clinical and training directors, has directed practice-based clinical outcome studies, and has overseen the care of thousands of clients in need of intensive outpatient services.
Dr. Pederson's Dialectical Behavior Therapy publications include: The Expanded Dialectical Behavior therapy Skills Training Manual, 2nd Edition (PPM, 2017); Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Contemporary Guide for Practitioners (Wiley, 2015); and Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training in Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment Settings (PPM, 2013).
Notable organizations he has trained for include Walter Reed National Military Hospital, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Ontario Psychological Association, and Psychotherapy Networker. Dr. Pederson currently serves on the advisory board for the doctorial counseling program at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and is a peer reviewer for Forensic Scholars Today.
Leslie Korn, PhD, MPH, LMHC is a renowned integrative medicine clinician and educator specializing in the use of nutritional, herbal and culinary medicine for the treatment of trauma and emotional and chronic physical illness. She is known for her dynamism and humor as a speaker. She has provided over 50,000 hours of treatment in private practice for diverse populations. Her clinical practice focuses on providing clients effective alternatives to psychotropics. She completed her graduate education in the departments of psychiatry and public health at Harvard Medical School and her life training in the jungle of Mexico where she lived and worked alongside local healers for over 25 years. She directed a naturopathic medicine and training clinic facilitating health, culinary and fitness retreats. She is licensed and certified in nutritional therapy, mental health counseling, and bodywork (Polarity and Cranial Sacral and medical massage therapies) and is an approved clinical supervisor. She introduced somatic therapies for complex trauma patients in out-patient psychiatry at Harvard Medical school in 1985 and served as a consultant in ethnomedicine to the Trauma Clinic, Boston. She is the former clinical director and faculty of New England School of Acupuncture and faculty at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine.
She is the author of the seminal book on the body and complex trauma: Rhythms of Recovery: Trauma, Nature and the Body (Routledge, 2012), Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health (W.W. Norton, 2016), Eat Right Feel Right: Over 80 Recipes and Tips to Improve Mood, Sleep, Attention & Focus (PESI, 2017), Multicultural Counseling Workbook: Exercises, Worksheets & Games to Build Rapport with Diverse Clients (PESI, 2015) and The Good Mood Kitchen (W.W. Norton, 2017). She was a founder of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, a Fulbright scholar in Herbal Medicine and an NIH-funded scientist, in mind/body medicine. She is an approved clinical supervisor and is the research director at the Center for World Indigenous Studies where she designs culinary and herbal medicine programs with tribal communities engaged in developing integrative medicine programs.
Linda Curran, BCPC, LPC, CACD, CCDPD, EMDR-C is president of Integrative Trauma Treatment, LLC, in Havertown, PA. She provides clients an integrative approach to trauma, and treats PTSD in adolescent and adult populations, including clients with eating disorders, sexual trauma, and self-injury. An international speaker on the treatment of trauma, Linda has developed, produced, and presents multi-media workshops on all aspects of psychological trauma.
Linda is the author of best selling Trauma Competency: A Clinician's Guide (PPM, 2010) and her newest book 101 Trauma-Informed Interventions (PPM, 2013). She is the producer of the best-selling Interview Trauma series DVD's in which she collaborated with the world's leaders in Trauma: Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Peter Levine, PhD; Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCS; Stephen Porges, PhD; Janina Fisher, PhD; and many more.
Lisa Weed Phifer, D.Ed., NCSP, CYMHS, is a nationally-certified school psychologist, certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, and author who has a well-established career supporting school-based mental health and social emotional learning for children and adolescents. Phifer's work has focused on integrating cognitive-based therapy (CBT) and core social emotional competencies into practical, child-focused activities. She has presented across the U.S. and internationally to educators, clinicians, and parents, on topics of CBT, trauma-informed practices, and social emotional learning. She is the lead author of the CBT Toolbox for Children & Adolescents (PESI, 2017), Parenting Toolbox (PESI, 2018) and the Trauma-Informed Social Emotional Toolbox for Children & Adolescents (PESI, 2020). Additionally, she is published in the School Mental Health Journal and contributed to both editions of Supporting and Educating Traumatized Children (Rossen, 2020).
Lois Ehrmann, PhD, LPC, NCC, CTTS, is a trauma-informed and sensitive clinician who works with individuals and families who suffer from trauma, abuse and attachment issues. She is the founder of The Individual and Family CHOICES Program, a holistic trauma-informed counseling center in State College, PA, that has been providing cutting-edge trauma-informed therapy for over 10 years. Prior to that she co-owned a dual diagnosis outpatient counseling program called Counseling Alternatives Group for over 18 years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has been in clinical practice for over 30 years, specializing in trauma and attachment for over 22 years.
A Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist (CTTS), Lois is also an Approved Consultant and Certified Clinician in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDRIA) as well as a Certified Internal Family Systems Clinician. Trained in IFS Levels 1, 2 and 3 as well as Somatic IFS, she has introduced the IFS model to the children and families she works with, as well as groups of parents of traumatized children and to professional healers who work with traumatized families. Lois is a Registered ATTACh Clinician, Certified Attachment Focused Family Therapist/Consultant and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (NCE). In addition, she is a trained neurofeedback clinician and trained in clinical hypnosis.
Lois is a sought-after trainer both locally and nationally and is also an adjunct assistant professor in counselor education and supervision at PSU. She has presented nationally for many years for the National ATTACh Conference and until very recently served on that organization's board of directors. Lois has also presented annually for the Internal Family Systems Conference specifically focusing on the use of IFS with children and families struggling with attachment issues.
Lois is the co-author of a book on best practices in attachment therapy and has self-published books for children and their parents on attachment and Internal Family Systems concepts. She was the lead researcher in the development of the Internal Family Systems Adherence Scale for the Internal Family System Foundation.
Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH, is a passionate and spirited clinical trainer speaking from her heart on social justice and eating disorders since 1995. Dr. Raimondo is a psychologist in Kaiser Permanente's eating disorder clinic in Oakland and runs a private practice. In 1997, Dr. Raimondo worked with About-Face, a nonprofit organization that addresses media impact on body image, serving as the Director of Media Literacy until 2005. Today she is on the About-Face Board of Founders and a consultant. Dr. Raimondo is on the Advisory Board for the Association of Size Health and Diversity (ASDAH), on the Advisory Board of Eating Disorder Recovery Support (ERDS) as Past President and serves as Co-Chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. Dr. Raimondo recovered from anorexia nervosa over 20 years ago. Her recovery and her martial arts training inspire her dedication to multicultural body nurturance and community celebration.
Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, is the author of 6 books on the treatment of anxiety and depression, including her most recent book for the general public, The 10 Best Anxiety Busters. An expert on the treatment of anxiety and depression, she also has extensive training and expertise in the neurobiology of psychological disorders. She earned her MA specializing in psychodrama and play therapy with children. Dr. Wehrenberg has years of experience as a drug and alcoholism counselor, working with the U.S. Army in Germany and Lutheran Social Services in Illinois. She also has training in trauma treatment, EMDR and Thought Field Therapy. She has a private psychotherapy practice in Naperville, IL, specializing in treating anxiety.
In addition to clinical work, she coaches business professionals on managing anxiety, she frequently contributes articles for The Psychotherapy Networker magazine, and she has produced Relaxation for Tension and Worry, a CD for breathing, muscle relaxation and imagery to use with anxious clients. Her book The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques, published by W.W. Norton, is a consistent top seller for anxiety management. You can find her on the web at www.margaretwehrenberg.com
Mary B. Asper, MS, CCC-SLP, has over 40 years experience working with children, adults, families and educators from all walks of life in many different capacities. For the last 10 years, Mary's focus has been on developing and implementing effective techniques and strategies to help students with language learning disabilities succeed in school. She is involved in all areas of treatment for dyslexia, including diagnosis, program development and implementation, therapeutic intervention and professional development for SLPs and educators. Mary has developed strategies to address linguistic, cognitive and social concerns based on best-practice recommendations and current neuro-scientific findings, through her work with students from the early grades through high school. Mary is the president and speech-language pathologist for her company, Codding Hollow Associates, Inc. and coordinates a team of related professionals who serve students with severe language learning disabilities and communication disorders. She holds certification from the American Speech-Language Association, is a former board member for the Vermont Speech-Language Association and an instructor in Special Topics: Language Disorder for Lyndon State College in Vermont.
Max Wiznitzer is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics and developmental disorders at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and in pediatric neurology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He then did a National Institutes of Health funded fellowship in disorders of higher cortical functioning in children at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Since 1986, he has been a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, OH. He is an associate professor of pediatrics, neurology and international health at Case Western Reserve University. He has a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disabilities, especially attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, and has been involved in local, state and national committees and initiatives, including autism treatment research, Ohio autism service guidelines, autism screening, and early identification of developmental disabilities. He is on the editorial board of Lancet Neurology and Journal of Child Neurology and lectures nationally and internationally about various neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Melissa Bradley-Ball, MS, NCC, BCETS, FAAETS, is a psychotherapist, clinical educator, corporate consultant and mediator. She is a Fellow, Diplomate and board-certified expert in traumatic stress for the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. She has been a frequent keynote speaker at national and statewide conferences and has provided training internationally to more than 350,000 professionals, including mental health providers, medical providers, clergy and chaplains, law enforcement, and legal professionals. She is a former child abuse investigator who has provided expert testimony in criminal and civil court. Ms. Bradley-Ball has been a frequent guest on regional and national radio and television news addressing rape and sexual abuse. She has served as a subject matter expert on a pilot program focused on military leadership and sexual assault and harassment.
Michael D. Gatson, PhD, is a renowned expert in military psychology/social work and issues related to military mental health. He brings with him an extensive wealth of knowledge as well as personal experience, having served in the Army Medical Reserves as a suicide prevention officer, sexual assault coordinator, and hospital administrator. Dr. Gatson is mental health program director at the Maryland VA Health Care System, contributing faculty in the online MSW program at Howard University, and lead faculty/assistant professor in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. He is the author of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a children's book that explains the aftermath of war from a child's perspective, and he has published in several professional journals on PTSD, suicide prevention, and LGBTQ military consultation, workshops and training to behavioral healthcare providers.
Shelly Denes, PT, CFPS, C/NDT, CGCP, is an expert in fall prevention and neuro-rehab with more than 25 years of experience treating patients with hemiplegia, and neuromuscular disorders, TBI, and SCI. She has a special interest in Covid-19 ‘Long Haulers' and advanced technology. She has had extensive involvement with neuroprosthetic devices, lower extremity orthotics, and exoskeletons, especially at the Rehab Institute of Michigan.
Ms. Denes presents nationally at seminars on fall prevention and geriatric rehabilitation. Denes is a graduate of University of Michigan's PT program and holds certifications in Neurodevelopmental Treatment for Adult Hemiplegia (NDT) done at The Rehab Institute of Chicago, a certification as a ‘Fall Prevention Specialist' and a ‘Geriatric Care Professional Certification'. She additionally serves on the Evergreen Certifications Advisory Board.
Mike Studer, PT, DPT, MHS, NCS, CEEAA, CWT, CSST, FAPTA has been a PT since 1991, a board certified in neurologic PT in 1995, and a private practice owner since 2005. Dr. Studer has been an invited speaker covering 50 states, 10 countries, and 4 continents speaking on topics ranging from cognition and psychology in rehabilitation, aging, stroke, motor learning, motivation in rehabilitation, balance, dizziness, neuropathy and Parkinson Disease. Dr. Studer is a co-founder and co-owner of Spark Rehabilitation and Wellness in Bend, OR. He is an adjunct professor at Oregon State University's DPT program, where he leads the coursework on motor control. Mike has adjunct duties at several other DPT programs and assists the USC-led national network of neurologic PT residencies (Neuroconsortium) as well. Mike is the co-owner of Spark Rehabilitation and Wellness, a multidisciplinary Healthy Aging and Neurology rehabilitation clinic, also in Bend. In 2011, Mike was recognized as Clinician of the Year in the Neurologic and (in 2014) the Geriatric Academies of the APTA. He received the highest honor available in PT in 2020, being distinguished as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA in 2020, joining a group of under 300 persons at the time for the history of the profession. Mike's honors additionally reflect his service for Vice Presidency of the Academy of Neurologic PT, the Mercedes Weiss award for service to the Oregon chapter of APTA. He holds a trademark in dual task rehabilitation and has a patent pending on the same. Over his career, Mike has authored over 35 articles, 6 book chapters, and routinely has clinical research projects in affiliation with one of many universities. He is a consultant to Major League Baseball on the motor control of pitching and hitting. As a very fun and lighthearted note, Mike is the four time and current WR holder for the fastest underwater treadmill marathon, a mark that was set most recently in January 2022.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Celebrate the Children / Profectum Foundation
Monica has worked with individuals with autism and other special needs and their families for over 30 years. She is Co-founder and Executive Director of the Celebrate the Children School (CTC) in Denville, NJ serving students from more than 70 school districts. CTC was the first school using the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR-FCD) approach to be state-approved for students ages 3-21. Monica is also the Executive Director of the Profectum Foundation, a global online DIR-FCD training and certification resource for professionals and parents. Monica enjoys teaching others how to use the DIR-FCD Model in educational settings all over the world. Additional accomplishments include speaking engagements and participation in television, network specials, and news articles (including a TIME Magazine cover story in 2006) across the USA, Wales, and Amsterdam.
Nanette Lavoie-Vaughan, MSN, ANPCP- DNP, is an adult nurse practitioner and currently practices in Raleigh, NC, focusing on geriatric and psychiatric care in long-term care. She has over 30 years of experience, including long term care, acute care, primary care and home health. She received her MSN from Florida State University and her DNP from Vanderbilt University. Nanette earned a Cultural Dementia Care from Stanford University and has presented nationally and internationally to various interdisciplinary audiences on various geriatric diagnoses/treatments, dementia, pain management, and caregiver concerns. She is the author of Eldercare: The Comprehensive Guide to Caregiving and a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the non-pharmacological management of behavioral problems in dementia. Her knowledge and research has been recognized through published work in Clinics of North America and in book chapters and online continuing education modules. Additionally, Nanette serves as an expert witness for law firms on cases related to her field of expertise.
Dr. Nicolle (Matthews) Carr received her PhD in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst through a program at Penn State University. Dr. Carr currently works as a behavioral consultant in local school districts and teaches online courses for universities and colleges around the country. She was most recently appointed to the Autism Crisis Committee at OU Health Science Center and the School Climate and Culture Task Force for Norman Public Schools. She is the secretary for the American Psychological Association's Society of Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology (Division 6) and the Applied Behavior Analysis Special Interest Group on Ethics.
Patti Ashley, PhD, licensed professional counselor has integrated 40 years of experience in special education, child development, and psychology into her wholehearted work as a psychotherapist, author, international speaker, and authenticity architect coach. She brings unique insights into the identification and treatment of shame, trauma, grief and dysfunctional family patterns.
Dr. Ashley owns and operates Authenticity Architects in Boulder, Colorado. Her inimitable Authenticity Architecture model facilitates long-term changes in the brain and nervous system, helping clients break through unconscious barriers and rediscover a sense of self-love, belonging, and connection. As a licensed professional counselor since 2000, Dr. Ashley has counseled a myriad of individuals, couples, families and groups in mental health agencies, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice settings. She also has many years of experience developing continuing education courses for physicians, hospital wellness programs, universities and other organizations.
Dr. Ashley holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in psychology from the Union Institute and University, a Master of Education Degree in early childhood from Old Dominion University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in special education from James Madison University. She is the author of Living in the Shadow of the Too-Good Mother Archetype (2014), Letters to Freedom (2019), and Shame-Informed Therapy: Treatment Strategies to Overcome Core Shame and Reconstruct the Authentic Self (2020). For more information, please visit www.pattiashley.com.
Paul Brasler, MA, MSW, LCSW, has worked in the social work field for the past 22 years. His work experience includes adolescent residential treatment, inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment, experiential group process, being a mental health provider on a hostage negotiation team, drug court senior clinician, private practice with individuals and families, and crisis interventions. For the past seven years, Paul has worked in five emergency departments in the greater Richmond, Virginia area conducting psychiatric assessments of patients in crisis. Paul helps the most vulnerable population in his community, and he enjoys the intersection of mental health, substance abuse and medicine.
Paul Foxman, PhD, has led hundreds of workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada, and he has appeared on television and radio as an expert on the topic of anxiety. His books include The Clinician's Guide to Anxiety Disorders in Kids & Teens (2017), Dancing with Fear (2007) and award-winning The Worried Child (2004). He also co-authored a casebook, Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders (with Glatzer). Dr. Foxman is known for his knowledge and clarity, sense of humor, compassion, and engaging speaking style.
Dr. Foxman is a clinical psychologist, as well as founder and director of the Vermont Center for Anxiety Disorders. In 1985 he co-founded the Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, VT, now flourishing from kindergarten through high school. Dr. Foxman has over 40 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, community mental health centers, schools and private practice. Dr. Foxman's education includes Yale University (BA in Psychology), Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (PhD in Clinical Psychology), and training at the Department of Psychiatry of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco, the Kennedy Child Study Center in Nashville, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute.
Pavel Somov, PhD is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from SUNY Buffalo, with 20+ years of clinical experience and is the author of numerous books on self-help 7 of which are on mindfulness-based applications to a variety of psychological issues.
Dr. Somov is on the Advisory Board for The Mindfulness Project (London, UK). Over the years, Dr. Somov has conducted a variety of continued education workshops domestically and internationally on the topics of shame and guilt and self-criticism, on mindful eating, on perfectionism, on anger management, and on mindfulness applications for worry, dysthymia, insomnia and substance use. His work has been discussed in a variety of radio interviews (Martha Stewart's Radio/Whole Living, Fully Alive!, etc.) and mentioned in a variety of print publications (Martha Stewart'sBody + Soul Magazine, Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine).
Dr. Somov offers an original, mindfulness-based approach to working with perfectionism, self-criticalness, and negative self-view/self-esteem issues. A recent, randomized study-published by Mindfulness Journal-shows that Somov's approach (described in his 2010 book Present Perfect) is effective as a standalone intervention. The study found that those who had read Present Perfect experienced a statistically significant reduction of self-criticalness, a result that was still maintained at a six weeks follow-up (Wimberley, Mintz, & Suh, Mindfulness, Nov. 2015).
Robert Constantine, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist with nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of visual and neurological rehabilitation. Mr. Constantine is employed by the Pearl Nelson Child Development Center, where he focuses on the treatment of eye movement disorders in neurotypical and special needs children. Mr. Constantine's passion leads him to intensive studying of the visual system and continuous searches for new ways to improve patient outcomes. He is a member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, a unique interdisciplinary organization that brings together the tools of optometry, occupational and physical therapy to improve outcomes for patients with neurological diagnoses. In addition, he is the only occupational therapist to be a member of the High Performance Vision Associates, an elite group of sports vision optometrists. As such, Mr. Constantine has participated in sports vision screenings at IMG Academy, Hendricks Motorsports, and on the LPGA tour. He has also developed and marketed drag-racing specific glasses that have been successful in NHRA Sportsman drag racing, as well as having worked with elite NHRA racers, golfers, and sporting clays champions.
Robin Gilbert, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, has over 25 years of experience in emergency nursing. She is both a certified emergency nurse and certified pediatric emergency nurse. Robin has extensive experience working in the emergency department, progressive care, intermediate care, transitional care, step-down and, currently, as the regional manager for staff development at Central Maine Medical Center. Robin draws on her expertise to teach her own hospital staff and experienced healthcare audiences throughout the country on a variety of critical care and emergency nursing topics. She has been an item writer for the Board Certification of Emergency Nursing (BCEN), a former Chairperson of BCEN, and most recently a contributing writer for the current CEN Review Manual. Robin is an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Association for Nursing Professional Development, and is a reviewer for the ANCC's Pathway to Excellence.
Russell A. Barkley, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children and Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA. He is a Diplomate (board certified) in three specialties, Clinical Psychology (ABPP), Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN, ABPP). Dr. Barkley is a clinical scientist, educator, and practitioner who has published 23 books, rating scales, and clinical manuals numbering 41 editions. He has also published more than 270 scientific articles and book chapters related to the nature, assessment, and treatment of ADHD and related disorders. He is the founder and Editor of the bimonthly clinical newsletter, The ADHD Report, now in its 25th year of publication. Dr. Barkley has presented more than 800 invited addresses internationally and appeared on nationally televised programs such as 60 Minutes, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and many other programs on behalf of those with ADHD. His websites are www.russellbarkley.org and ADHDLectures.com.
Sean G. Smith, MSc, FP-C, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CCRN-CMC (Adult), CCRN-K (Neonatal), CCRN-K (Pediatric), is a flight nurse-paramedic who has practiced and taught Trauma Care, Tactical Medicine, Emergency/Critical Care and Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, both in the military and the civilian world. He holds degrees in nursing and molecular biology, is a graduate of Duke University's Legal Nurse Consulting program and is currently pursuing a master's degree through the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. He holds multiple advanced specialty certifications as well as extensive instructor qualifications in critical care and emergency medicine. Career highlights include numerous author/co-author credits, including: a best-selling Laboratory Medicine textbook, a chapter on Shock in Trauma Nursing Core Curriculum, and a section in the newly released Resuscitation Crisis Manual. Sean consults on clinical, legal and certification prep for numerous high-profile hospital systems (Yale, Mayo…). He routinely lectures at national/international conferences, has completed 50 + medical missions (Dominican Republic, Honduras, Morocco, Liberia, and Haiti), and medical support to the NASA Space Shuttle Program.
Abi Blakeslee, SEP, CMT, MFT, PhD is an international expert in the field of trauma recovery and the founder of Implicit Psychotherapy. She is senior faculty at the Somatic Experiencing International and additionally legacy faculty for Dr. Peter Levine's Ergos Institute for Somatic Education. She is the Director of Training and Education for the Neuro-Consulting Group.
Dr. Blakeslee holds a PhD in clinical and somatic psychology and an MA in counseling and depth psychology. Her dissertation generated original research on the role of implicit memory in healing trauma. Dr. Blakeslee integrates the study of implicit memory and psychophysiology in clinical research, secondary trauma interventions, and the psychobiological principles of attachment and shock trauma. Dr. Blakeslee teaches and consults worldwide.
Seth J. Gillihan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and bestselling author of The CBT Deck and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple. Dr. Gillihan specializes in a mindfulness-centered form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) known as Think Act Be. He was a full-time faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine from 2008 to 2012, and has been in private practice for the past ten years. Find Dr. Gillihan online at his website: sethgillihan.com.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Owner of SPOT Therapy
Dr. Parikh is the founder and owner of SPOT Therapy, LLC, a company that specializes in providing Occupational and Physical Therapy services in public and private schools. Dr. Parikh is also an adjunct professor in the Masters and Doctorate Occupational Therapy programs at the University of the Sciences (USciences) in Philadelphia, PA.
Sherrie All, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, cognitive rehabilitation and brain health. She owns and directs the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness (CCCW), a group neuropsychology practice offering assessment and treatment services in cognitive rehabilitation and psychotherapy to people affected by cognitive decline. As a leader in the field of brain health, Dr. All works to educate the public on brain-healthy behaviors and innovating brain health coaching. Her work in this area earned her the 2010 Sharpbrains Innovation Award for Most Innovative Mental Health Program as well as the attention of media outlets such as The New Yorker and Crain's Chicago Business.Dr. All trains other professionals in how to implement cognitive rehabilitation interventions into their practice, through continuing education programs, supervision and individual consultations. Dr. All's forthcoming book and current keynote address, Brain Destiny: Everyday Choices to Lower Your Risk for Dementia and Change Your Life, offers an entertaining way of promoting a popular understanding of the scientific theory of cognitive reserve to empower people to effectively care for their brains. She has been an invited speaker by the Lifetime Education and Renewal Network (LEARN) of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and speaks regularly on the topics of brain health, cognitive rehabilitation and interventions for early-stage dementia. Dr. All's research includes examination of functional MRI (fMRI) and electrophysiological (EEG) biomarkers of cognitive deficits.
Sherry Skyler Kelly, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist with more than 30 years of experience in the field of child development. She is the founder of PositiviTeens® workshops that bring together the science of Neuropsychology with the powerful evidence-based strategies of Positive Psychology.
Dr. Kelly completed her undergraduate degree in Social Education at Boston University and holds multiple Masters degrees in Psychology from New York University and Yeshiva University. She earned her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from Yeshiva University in New York. Dr. Kelly completed an APA internship in Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Clinics. She was a National Cancer Institute Fellow and National Institute of Health (NIH) Fellow in Psycho-Oncology, as well as Neuropsychology, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She has also been an instructor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Weill-Cornell Medical School. Most recently, Dr. Kelly was a founding board member of Autism After 21, a Boca Raton based non-profit program of support, education, and skills training for young adults with special needs.
Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD, NCC, LMHC, DCMHS is a bestselling author and psychotherapist. She has been in practice for 20 years. She is an American Mental Health Counseling Association Diplomate (one of 100 in the U.S.) and an AMHCA Clinical Mental Health Specialist in Child and Adolescent Counseling (one of 20 in the U.S.). Dr. Sarkis received her degrees and training from the University of Florida. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She also is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator and Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. She maintains a private practice in Tampa, Florida, where she specializes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety. Dr. Sarkis is a blogger for Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. Her website is www.stephaniesarkis.com.
Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. He practices medicine in the greater Minneapolis area. In addition to his private practice, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years. Steven is the co-founder of Twin Cities Physicians, which serves older adults in nearly all levels of their care. He has presented nationally for over 15 years, primarily speaking bout geriatric-related syndromes. Steven is a published author and also sits on several boards whose purpose is to elevate the level of care in medicine for the patients they serve.
Tammy Nelson, PhD, is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, a relationship expert and international speaker, an author, a faculty member and teacher with a Doctorate in Philosophy in Clinical Sexology. She is a Board Certified Sexologist, a Diplomate of the American Board of Sexologists, a Licensed Professional Counselor, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, a Registered Art Therapist, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Certified Imago Relationship therapist and an Advanced Imago Clinician. Dr. Tammy is the author of several books including Open Monogamy: A Guide to Co-Creating Your Ideal Relationship Agreement (2021), Integrative Sex & Couples Therapy: A Therapist's Guide to New and Innovative Approaches (2020), The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity (2013), Getting the Sex You Want: Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together (2008), and What's Eating You?: A Workbook for Anorexia and Bulimia (2004). She is also a TEDx speaker, host of the podcast The Trouble with Sex, and Director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute.
Terry Fralich, LCPC, is a co-founder of the Mindfulness Retreat Center of Maine and former adjunct faculty member of the University of Southern Maine Graduate School. He has led more than 400 seminars, trainings and retreats both nationally and internationally. His expertise consists of mindfulness, neuroscience, CBT brain change, emotional intelligence, stress reduction, meditation and the treatment of anxiety and depression. He has been teaching transformative mindfulness skills and practices for 20 years and has pursed his own practice of mindfulness and meditation for 40 years. Terry studied extensively with his Holiness the Dalai Lama for 25 years and with some of the American pioneers of mindfulness. He is the author of Cultivating Lasting Happiness: A 7-Step Guide to Mindfulness and The Five Core Skills of Mindfulness: A Direct Path to More Confidence, Joy and Love.
Job Titles:
- President - Elect of the Florida Speech - Language - Hearing Association
Mr. Kowalski is the current President-Elect of the Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Inter-American Teacher Network. He is the recipient of the 2020 "Outstanding Service Award" and the "2010 Clinician of the Year Award" offered by the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and the FLASHA nominee for the ASHA Louis M. diCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement. He also holds the "TEAMS 2000 Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year" award for his work with Autism in the four-countywide greater Orlando, Florida metropolitan area and has served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Orlando Chapter of the Autism Society of America and the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida. He regularly presents on a wide variety of issues relative to Asperger syndrome and social-pragmatics at national and international seminars.
Tracey Davis, MOT, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist and the Chief Clinical Officer for TalkPath Live, a telehealth company offering virtual OT, PT, Speech, and Mental Health/Counseling services to schools and private pay clients. Tracey offers in person training, webinars, and consultations to teachers, therapists, psychologists, and families in the areas of dyslexia, learning differences, trauma-informed care, and telehealth services, and presents at professional conferences and guest lectures at universities. She is active in the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Telemedicine Association Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group. In addition to significant experience in the areas of dyslexia and learning differences, trauma-informed care, and telehealth, Tracey holds a Level I Mentorship certification from the STAR Institute, a sensory based organization. She often incorporates sensory processing treatment strategies into structured literacy tutoring sessions, using her knowledge of neurological systems to enhance the learning of children with dyslexia. Tracey received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 1998, followed by a Master's of Occupational Therapy in 1999. She has been working in the field of pediatric occupational therapy since that time, in various settings and with all ages of children around the world.
Trent Brown, MOT, OTR/L, ATP, BCG, is a practicing therapist in Utah and is one of 36 credential holders of a board certification in gerontology (BCG) from the AOTA. Mr. Brown also holds a certification as an assistive technology professional (ATP) from RESNA. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Utah where he is also an adjunct professor. He is employed by the Department of Health (UDOH) to develop, implement, and operate healthcare quality improvement programs and has authored multiple laws to legislate improved patient care. Mr. Brown also reviews clinical documentation for UDOH as an expert witness in reviewing cases. Mr. Brown has over 15 years of clinical experience in skilled nursing, transitional care, acute, and home health. Recently, he served as the VP for the UOTA where he co-authored SB 131 advancing OT practice in the state of Utah and has received multiple awards for his clinical, academic, and legislative work. Through his expertise in advocating for therapy services authoring law and rule he has evolved into an expert presenter on ethical and legal issues facing therapy. Mr. Brown has provided courses for thousands of clinicians throughout the country in conferences, private settings, and specialty conferences. Mr. Brown is a master clinician and lecturer on a myriad of topics including joint arthroplasty, core strengthening, documentation, aging, functional mobility, ethics, and fall reduction. He has also been a keynote speaker at multiple events throughout the country.
Job Titles:
- Doctor of Science in Holistic Nutrition
Vicki Steine is a Doctor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice working with children and adults. She has worked in the field of mental health for over twenty years. She is currently in private practice and specializes in treating neurological disorders, addiction, and trauma. Knowing that the brain and the body are connected, Dr. Vicki uses a combination of lifestyle education, mind/body therapies and talk therapy in her practice. She is a Board Certified Nutrition Professional, Integrative Nutrition Certified Practitioner, Certified HeartMath Practitioner, and Brainspotting Therapist. She is also trained in Emotional Freedom Technique, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Exposure Therapy. She is a national speaker for PESI teaching an integrative approach to psychotherapy.
William Brim, PsyD, is a clinical health and forensic psychologist and executive director of a large DoD healthcare provider training and education center. He has been involved in the military for over 40 years from ROTC in high school and college, to enlisting in the US Army and being commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force as a clinical psychologist. Dr. Brim is President-Elect of the Military Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. He delivered hundreds of seminars and workshops and has written over twenty book chapters and articles on military culture and its impact on the healthcare of service members, veterans and their families.