Faculty 

Tanya Zajdel

Tanya is a mental health worker, a women’s health nurse, and a published feminist author. She utilizes various therapeutic modalities to create programs that facilitate trauma healing.

She has featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, CBC News, Vox Tablet, and Iheart Radio.

Deirdre O'Connor

Deirdre’s career has spanned over three decades. She is a trauma-informed somatic therapist, counselor, and movement therapist.

Her work is informed by Craniosacral Therapy, Hakomi Mindfulness Psychotherapy, and the NeouroAffective Polyvagal Trauma-Informed work of Dr. Aline LaPierre.

Dr. Jorina Elbers

Dr. Jorina Elbers is a Canadian board-certified pediatric neurologist with a master’s degree in epidemiology from Stanford University.

She has over 20 peer reviewed publications to her name and is currently the Director of HeartMath Institute’s Trauma Recovery Project.

Vanessa Ruiz 

Vanessa earned her doctorate of naturopathic medicine at Southwest College in Tempe and has  been a practicing nurse for over 10 years. 

She has featured in two documentaries and is a national speaker on the effect of adverse childhood experiences, burnout, and healing through integrative health.

Ilene Smith

Ilene is a Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner (SEP) and holds master’s degrees in mental health counseling and exercise Physiology.

She is a best selling author on Amazon for her book “Moving Beyond Trauma: The Roadmap to Healing from Your Past and Living with Ease and Vitality."

Tina Lashambe

Tina is an advanced yoga teacher, a grief Educator, and an end of life doula.

She has a passion for body-positive yoga and has facilitated a wide range of students, from toddlers to seniors, with all ranges of abilities.

Dr. Kat Smith

Dr. Smith is a survivor, TEDx speaker, human behavior expert, author, and international presenter.

She has a doctorate of philosophy and has been featured on GMA, Huff Post Live, local GMT, Daybreak, Fox4, CW33 and she produces her own show, ResilientLivingTV.

Dr. Barbara Wade

Dr. Wade holds a PHD in social work, a degree in physiotherapy, and a master’s degree in psychology.

She has training experience in Somatic Experiencing™ and polyvagal theory.

Amy Baker

Amy is an author and co-author of 8 books and over 115 articles.

She has a PhD in developmental psychology from Teachers College of Columbia University. She is an internationally recognized expert in parental alienation and psychological maltreatment of children.

Dr. Jason Jones

Dr. Jones is a registered psychologist, an AASECT certified sex therapist, and a supervisor and member of the Society of Sex Therapy and Research.

Lai Tattis

Lai is a clinical hypnotherapist, master neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, and life coach.

Hannah Lowenthal

Hannah is a certified Waves & Heartbeat 5Rhythms® teacher who teaches, collaborates, and creates in South Africa, Europe, and the US.

Aaron Lightstone

Aaron has been a music therapist, musician, composer, and psychotherapist for over 20 years.

He is the founder and director of Music Therapy Toronto which specializes in neurological and mental health rehabilitation. He has a Canadian Folk Music Award and two JUNO award nominations for his ensemble “Jaffa Road”.

Heather MacDuffie

Heather is a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker.

She utilizes the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, in her which focuses on clients with long-term trauma and complex multisystem conditions.

Paula Kingwill

Paula is a counseling psychologist, specializing in dramatherapy, from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is a qualified Family Constellations Practitioner.

She now lives on a cattle farm in the Karoo, South Africa, where she runs in-person and online workshops and training sessions. 

Kelvin Pace

Kelvin holds a master’s in clinical psychology, an AASECT certification, and has been a LPC supervisor for two years.

He delivers trauma-informed sex-positive therapy to his clients. His current focus is on mindfulness-based interventions to help manage sexual concerns.

Dr. Kim DiRe’

Dr. DiRe’ is a certified Somatic Experiencing™ practitioner and a certified hypnotherapist.

She holds a master's in education as well as counseling, and has received her doctorate of behavioral health from Arizona State University.

Dr. Amber Gray

Dr. Gray is a trailblazer in the use of dance movement therapy with survivors of interpersonal, collective, and intergenerational trauma, particularly in torture, war, and human rights abuses.

She is the creator of the resiliency-based framework and clinical restorative movement psychotherapy approach.

Keara Mangham

Keara is a Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner, expressive arts practitioner, theta healer, and mindfulness teacher.

Her passion is in helping to guide clients back to their soul by calling home to their bodies.

Stephanie Lafazanos

Stephanie is a certified medical intuitive, an integrative somatic trauma and holistic practitioner, a tantra and intimacy instructor, and coach at Wildly Woman.

She uses her knowledge of Somatic Trauma therapies, Tao Tantra, Qigong, and Energy medicine to help individuals and couples who struggle with intimacy.

Chaya Notik

Chaya is the director of her own physiotherapy clinic based in Montreal.

She is passionate about raising awareness around pelvic health and using a whole-person approach to healing.

Maxine Bekker

Maxine is a registered arts therapist who practices dramatherapy, an expressive movement facilitator, and a family constellations practitioner.

She has an interest in intimacy, relationships, and active embodiment through therapeutic movement.

Bill Eddy

Bill is a licensed clinical social worker and lawyer.

He has provided training to thousands of people in over 35 states, 9 provinces in Canada, and eight other countries on the subject of managing high-conflict personalities. 

Rebecca Love

Rebecca is a New York City-based therapist and a visiting professor at Pratt Institute.

She provides creative arts psychotherapy for clients recovering from
trauma and mood disorders, as well as offers psychological support for the BIPOC community.

Rivka Cymbalist

Rivka has facilitated over 500 childbirths all over the world. She provides custom consults for women’s health, birth support, and teaches doulas-to-be.

She is the author of ‘The Birth Conspiracy’, and host of the ‘Baby Magic Podcast’.

Amy Nicole

Amy is a registered holistic nutritionist, yoga teacher, and CEO of NamaTASTE Nutrition.

She utilizes the wisdom of ayurveda to bring individuals back into balance - body, mind, and spirit.

Marlene Van Den Berg

Marlene is an occupational therapist with more than 14 years of experience.

She currently works in a specialist eating disorder unit and also hosts the Healing Spaces Wellness outpatient support community. She is a trained gestalt & play therapist, TRE and enneagram practitioner, and yoga teacher.

Christopher Anderson

Christopher is an activist, speaker, and survivor advocate.

His early experiences of abuse led him to serve as executive director of MaleSurvivor, a leading advocacy organization for male victims of sexual abuse, from 2012 until 2016.

Shaina Feingold

Shaina is a licensed clinical social worker, postpartum coach, reiki I and 2 practitioner, and is certified in brainspotting.

Shaina has worked with women for over ten years. She has a special interest in motherhood, pregnancy, childbirth, and conception.

Christopher Szabo

Christopher is a psychiatrist with a special interest in eating disorders. 

He is the author of the book Eating Disorders (2009; Reach Publishers) which is based on his clinical and research work, and is the editor-in-chief of South African Psychiatry. 

Behzad Bernous

Dr. Bernous is a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a certified life coach (LC).

He is a professor of psychology and runs his private practice in Newport Beach, CA.

Dr. Dana Harron

Dr. Harron is a Washington DC. based psychologist and is the founder and director of Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy.

Dr. Harron completed her doctorate at Widener University, where she was the recipient of the Neubauer community service scholarship as well as the IGCP Empathy and Caring Award.

Dena Register

Dana is a music therapy clinician, educator, researcher, and a chopra-certified meditation teacher who specializes in program development. 

As a Fulbright Scholar in Bangkok, Thailand, she developed training to build awareness and appreciation of music as a healthcare discipline.

Jooske Honig

Jooske is a qualified holistic drawing therapist, a certified intuitive energy reader, a trained holistic masseuse, an energetic bodyworker, and an acroyoga instructor.

She holds a certificate in mindful somatic approaches to trauma therapy and non-violent communication with children.

Terrice Bassler

Terrice is a professional life and leadership coach as well as a certified TRE Provider.

As a survivor of trauma herself, Terrice draws upon decades of personal experience and humanitarian work to support clients worldwide.

Matt Bennett

Matt is a founder of Optimal HRV and the president of the nonprofit Optimal Innovation Group.

Matt combines his master's degrees in community psychology and business to develop research-based solutions and training to help improve the health of individuals, staff, organizations, and systems. 

Trudy Kim

Trudy is a board-certified art therapist, a board-certified counselor, a certified clinical Anxiety, treatment professional, and a trauma sensitive yoga facilitator. 

She utilizes neuropsychologically-informed cognitive behavioral therapy as well as body-based yoga forms to assist those with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD.

Martez Schembri-Diskey

Martez is a registered massage therapist, integrative craniosacral therapist, massage therapy professor, solution focused counsellor, spiritual director, trauma care educator, and author of "From Stress to Bliss, Journey From Post-Traumatic Stress to Post-Traumatic Growth."

Rory O’Neill Schmitt

Rori s an art Therapist, educator, author, and filmmaker.

She served as Arizona Art Therapy Association president and is currently working on her third book.

Suzanne Gundersen

Suzanne is a speaker, educator, and mentor of Holistic Stress & Trauma Release Solutions. 

She is the founder and CEO of Transformed Connections, and ScreenWriteNow.

Mimi Kuo-Deemer

Mimi Kuo-Deemer, MA, is the author of two books:  Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis: Nourishing Practices for Body, and Mind and Spirit and Xiu Yang: The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Cultivation. She is a qigong, internal martial arts (6th generation lineage holder in Baguazhang), and meditation teacher.

Dr. Randy Sugawara

Dr. Randy Sugawara holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and he is the founder of the Qigong Behavioral Therapy Institute. His program Integrates both mental health protocols and somatic body healings. Dr. Sugawara’s martial art training is inspired by Buddhist and Taoist masters. He is an instructor of the internal martial arts Tai Chi Chuan, Bagua Zhang, Hsing-I, and I-Chuan moving meditations.

James Rafael

James is a mindfulness and movement coach who has been practicing and teaching for the last 15 years in London and internationally. James has used these practices to support his own journey to sobriety and life beyond drug addiction and to address the trauma and shame connected to his experience as an LGBTQ+ person.

Arielle Schwartz

Arielle Schwartz is a clinical psychologist, EMDR consultant, somatic psychotherapist, yoga instructor, and internationally sought-out teacher. She is the author of six books including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy, and Somatic Psychology, The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma.

Joann Lutz

Joann Lutz, MSW, LICSW, C-IAYT, E-RYT, YACEP, has been training mental health and yoga professionals, internationally, for 10 years. She is the author of the book “Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone” and the creator of the “Nervous-System Informed, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga" system (NITYA).

Robert Stickgold

Robert Stickgold is a professor of psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School and has published over 100 scientific papers. His work and research utilize a cognitive neuroscience perspective, with an emphasis on memory processing. His work is funded by NIMH. He is co-author, with Antonio Zadra, of the new book When Brains Dream.

Dr. Alex Dimitriu

Dr. Dimitriu completed a fellowship in sleep medicine at Stanford University and received his medical degree in psychiatry at Stony Brook University. Dr. Dimitriu applies a thorough knowledge of neuroscience and pharmacology to attain the most minimal, efficient, and holistic solutions to help those struggling with sleep difficulties.