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Lorimer Moseley
Keynote Speaker
Australia
Lorimer Moseley, DSc PhD FACEP
Session: Understand. Enable. Empower. Three ideas transforming Chronic Pain Care. It just might surprise you.
Lorimer is a Bradley Distinguished Professor in Clinical Neuroscience at the University of South Australia. He has authored 430 scientific articles and eight books. His research has transformed practice in chronic pain care internationally, including UK’s National Health Service, European pain management clinical standards and US Veterans Affairs clinical pathways. In 2020, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. His pain education videos attract over 10 million views per year.
Caroline Gleich
Keynote Speaker
USA
Caroline Gleich
Speaker Session: Climb Higher: Outdoor Adventure and the Power of the Human Spirit.
Caroline Gleich is a professional ski mountaineer, endurance athlete, and environmental and equality activist. She’s been on the cover of every major ski magazine, in award-winning films, and has summited some of the highest peaks in the world. When she’s not in the mountains, she’s interviewing athletes, elected officials, and others for her podcast, The Caroline Gleich Show, about how sports can change the world. She has testified to the House and the Senate about how climate change is affecting snow sports.
Dr. Pooja Tandon
Keynote Speaker
India/USA
Dr. Pooja Tandon
Speaker Session: Prescribing Nature for Health and Well-being — A Pediatrician’s Perspective.
Pooja Sarin Tandon, MD, MPH is a general pediatrician and professor at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, researcher at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and Director of Health at the Trust for Public Land. Her publications include over 60 peer reviewed papers, book chapters, and a recent book, Digging Into Nature – Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids. Her research funders have included the American Heart Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
Lee Hawkins
Keynote Speaker
USA
Lee Hawkins
Speaker Session: Beyond the Dream: Reclaiming Nonviolent Social Change in our Bodies, Homes, and Nation.
Lee Hawkins is the author of I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free, a critically acclaimed memoir that traces 400 years of his Black American family’s history through slavery, Jim Crow apartheid, and the intergenerational trauma that followed. Mr. Hawkins is also the Series Creator, Producer, and Writer of the 2024 long form podcast series What Happened in Alabama? Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2022, Hawkins is a nationally recognized investigative journalist.
Jen Holmes Beamer
New Zealand
Jen Holmes Beamer
Session: Interoceptively Attuned Psychotherapy
Jen Holmes Beamer is a yoga therapist, TCTSY-F and psychotherapist, with a background in occupational therapy. She works with survivors of sexual violence and abuse and facilitates trauma sensitive yoga groups and day retreats in Nelson, Aotearoa. Jen weaves body-based awareness and gentle inquiry into her practice, supporting pathways toward safety and embodiment.
Gemma Dwane
Ireland/New Zealand
Gemma Dwane
Session: The loss of self through birth trauma; the return to self through embodied practice.
I left Ireland to travel New Zealand for a year but NZ held me fast, growing deep roots and 13 years later I'm still here!
I have worn many hats, but my love of yoga and psychology eventually drew me on a new course, revealing their mergence in TCTSY.
In 2019, I began to work towards becoming a registered psychologist in NZ, my goal being to empower women in their recovery from trauma. Discovering the pervasiveness of birth trauma through my study and then becoming a mother has refined that goal.
When I’m not doing my research, I’m usually playing around in a forest or navigating the wild waters of toddlerhood with my partner and our little one.
Mark Tomasic,
USA
Mark Tomasic
Session: Cultivating dance as a primary tool to treat the effects of trauma.
Throughout his performing career of over 20 years, Mark Tomasic danced principal and featured roles in the masterworks of the most notable choreographers of the 20th century including Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, Paul Taylor, May O’Donnell, George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Talley Beatty, and Agnes de Mille. Mark has worked extensively in the field of physically integrated dance with the Dancing Wheels Company & School, one of the premier arts and disability organizations in the United States. Serving as Artistic Advisor to the Company, Mark travels nationally and internationally to teach physically integrated dance to students and professionals alike and is the author of the inclusive dance training manual, “Physically Integrated Dance: The Dancing Wheels Comprehensive Guide for Teachers, Choreographers and Students of Mixed Abilities.” Mark’s choreographic work for Dancing Wheels has been presented across the United States and internationally. One of his recent works for the Company, “Proof” (2022) received a major grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts to support a national tour and outreach initiatives. Mark is currently Chair of the Dance Department of Santa Monica College. At SMC, he has been awarded recognition as “Equity Champion” and “Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year” (2018-19). Mark holds an AA from Cuyahoga Community College, a BFA in Ballet from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, and an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine.
Luisa Pérez, LMHC
Mexico
Luisa Pérez, LMHC
Session: Trauma informed yoga in the Criminal Justice System: Supporting Incarcerated Women.
Luisa Pérez is a former human rights lawyer and current Restorative Justice practitioner who has taught yoga in Mexican prisons since 2016. A certified Iyengar teacher and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Mentor, she co-coordinates the Spanish-language Cohort in TCTSY Certification program. Luisa also facilitates Peace Circles with incarcerated people and victims of crime.
Sarah Dōjin Emerson
USA
Sarah Dōjin Emerson
Speaker Session: Zen practice and the ethics of embodiment.
Sarah Dōjin Emerson is a Dharma Teacher and priest at the Brooklyn Zen Center, NY. She trained residentially and monastically at the San Francisco Zen Center from 1998-2007, and received Dharma Transmission from Konjin Gaelyn Godwin in 2015. She has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, and has worked in the fields of mental health and pastoral care with children and adults. She experiences Zen practice as deeply supportive in transforming systems of domination, internally and in community. Sarah also works as a grief counselor- specializing in child loss. She lives with her partner, Charlie Pokorny (also a Zen priest), their children (her most profound teachers), and their pets in Brooklyn, NY.
Charlie Korin Pokorny
USA
Charlie Korin Pokorny
Speaker Session: Zen practice and the ethics of embodiment.
Charlie Korin Pokorny is a Dharma Teacher and priest at the Brooklyn Zen Center in NY. He grew up in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, and studied at M.I.T. and Stanford University. He lived and trained at the San Francisco Zen Center from 1992-2007. He was ordained as a priest by Tenshin Reb Anderson in1999 and received Dharma Transmission in 2018. He also teaches Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, CA. Charlie lives with his partner and their children in Brooklyn, NY.
Kristen Zappone
USA
Kristen Zappone
Session: Trauma Informed Mindful Eating (TIME)/CFTE's new care model.
Kristen Zappone is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Certified Mindful Eating Coach and 200 YTT certified. Kristen specializes in helping individuals get to the root of food and body challenges by untangling the development of their relationship with food. Kristen worked as a Clinical Dietitian with children and adults with Cystic Fibrosis before moving into work as a wellness and chronic disease case manager and supervisor. She has always been passionate about nutrition and its impact on our lives because of its essentiality. Her desire to create a refreshed approach to food and body stemmed from understanding the ongoing difficulty of connecting to one’s own body exacerbated by diet culture. Kristen is the co-creator of Trauma Informed Mindful Eating.
LICSW (she/her) is a co-developer of Rescripted and a member of its Leadership Team. She earned her MSW from Simmons College and has over a decade of experience working with latency-aged children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth in congregate care settings, specializing in complex trauma. As a trainer in the ARC (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency) framework, Valerie emphasizes the healing power of attuned and supportive communities. Her expertise spans creative therapeutic approaches, including improv theater, motivational interviewing, SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment), adolescent community reinforcement, and incorporating therapy dogs into treatment.
Helena Benton
USA
Helena Benton
Session: Trauma Informed Mindful Eating (TIME)/CFTE's new care model.
Helena Benton is an Intuitive Eating Professional Coach and TCTSY Facilitator. She holds a doctorate degree in Education from Hamline University, where her research focused on how complex trauma therapists use TCTSY. A Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider, Helena has taught yoga and meditation for decades, focusing on helping professionals incorporate mindfulness into their fields of practice. She has extensive experience helping people gain advocacy and empowerment with food in her work as a wellness case manager. Her volunteer projects include working with horses at an equine therapy organization that treats veterans and first responders, and leading a study to explore the effects of therapy dog programs on vulnerable youth. Helena is the co-creator of Trauma Informed Mindful Eating.
Elizabeth is a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program at the U. Nevada Reno and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Center for Fear Less Research Lab, and a Graduate Research Affiliate for the Mind-Body Trauma Care Lab at U. Minnesota Duluth. Elizabeth is trained in Trauma Informed Weight Lifting and her Master’s equivalent thesis “Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting as an Adjunctive Intervention for Post-traumatic Stress Among Youth in Residential Treatment” was the seminal study exploring the effects of TIWL.
Román Baca
USA
Román Baca
Session 1: Trauma, Embodiment and Ballet!: Lessons Learned from working with the Military Community through dance.
Session 2: (Experiential) Movement and Rhythm with Román Baca - ballet!
A Short Example of an Exit12 Veteran Workshop.
Román Baca is a U.S. Marine Iraq War Veteran, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company, a nonprofit that uses dance and storytelling to foster healing, dialogue, and community among military and civilian populations. His work bridges the fields of trauma, embodiment, and social impact, bringing movement into spaces of recovery, education, and cultural exchange. Recent projects have been presented at the Intrepid Museum in NYC, Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, and internationally at the Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Baca holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and is a 2024 Scholar with the Bush Presidential Center’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.
Román Baca’s research investigates the intersections of dance, trauma, and military experience, focusing on how embodied practices can create pathways for healing, understanding, and dialogue. Drawing on his own background as a Marine Iraq War Veteran and choreographer, his work examines the ways movement can both reveal and transform the embodied effects of military service. Through performances, workshops, and digital artifacts, his research engages veterans, cadets, and civilian communities in collaborative processes that challenge dominant narratives of war and highlight the body as a site of memory, resilience, and recovery.
Lisa Giannetta, PT
USA
Lisa Giannetta, PT
Session: Trauma Informed Physical Therapy (TIPT)/CFTE's new care model.
Lisa Giannetta, PT, is a highly experienced physical therapist, clinician, and entrepreneur. With over 30 years in the field, she has provided comprehensive care across diverse environments, including outpatient orthopedics, neurological rehabilitation, acute care, and home-care settings.
Lisa currently leads her specialized private practice, Therapeutic Stretches, LLC, which is dedicated to total body wellness and providing individualized relief for patients with chronic pain. Her core clinical work involves one-on-one, hands-on stretching with a keen focus on the myofascial system. This deep clinical focus on the mind-body connection and the physical manifestation of stress in the fascial system provides a crucial perspective on trauma-informed care.
She understands that effectively treating chronic pain requires establishing trust and safety, ensuring the patient has full voice and choice in their personalized treatment plan. Lisa is dedicated to equipping clinicians with the tools to recognize and address the needs of patients for whom persistent pain may be linked to trauma. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh, graduating magna cum laude.
Anthony Giannetta, PT, DPT, MS, CHC
USA
Anthony L. Giannetta, PT, DPT, MS, CHC
Session: Trauma Informed Physical Therapy (TIPT)/CFTE's new care model.
Anthony L. Giannetta, PT, DPT, MS, CHC, is a distinguished Senior-Level Healthcare Executive and Physical Therapist with a 37-year track record in the healthcare industry. His career has been defined by his commitment to effective strategy, regulatory compliance, and leading positive organizational culture.
Mr. Giannetta's focus on Quality and Continuous Improvement and Risk Management provides a powerful lens for discussing the implementation of trauma-informed care (TIC). He specializes in establishing the foundational structures, including policy and procedure development, necessary to integrate TIC principles across all levels of a healthcare organization. His approach emphasizes accountability and execution, ensuring that the critical tenets of safety, trustworthiness, and patient empowerment are upheld in every clinical interaction.
Academically, Mr. Giannetta earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Temple University, his Master of Science Degree and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh. He has further demonstrated his dedication to organizational excellence through certifications, including Certified Healthcare Compliance (CHC), Health Care Quality and Management (HCQM), and Six Sigma Green Belt.
He is eager to share his unique perspective on how executive vision, strong compliance, and quality oversight drive the shift to a truly patient-centered, trauma-informed model of physical therapy care. Lisa Giannetta, PT and Anthony L. Giannetta, PT, DPT, MS, CHC
.
Ranjeev Benjamin, LICSW
USA
Ranjeev Benjamin, LICSW
Session: ONEDOOR: Integrating Mental Wellness Across the YMCA of the North Shore.
Executive Director of Mental Wellness, YMCA of the North Shore
Ranjeev Benjamin is the inaugural Executive Director of Mental Wellness at the YMCA of the North Shore (YNS) in Massachusetts, a cause-driven organization committed to youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. He leads ONEDOOR — YNS’s path to mental wellness — through which he is establishing the organization’s first mental wellness department. His work focuses on promoting mental wellness, supporting mental health, and destigmatizing mental illness for staff, members, program participants, and housing residents through internal programs and community partnerships.
Ranjeev brings nearly 20 years of experience in community mental health as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and organizational leader. Before joining the Y, he served as Program Director at Riverside Community Care’s Behavioral Health Outpatient Center in Somerville, MA.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a chemical engineer and environmental consultant in the power generation and manufacturing industries.
Martin Urbach
USA
Martin Urbach
Session: Becoming A Circle Keeper: Growing Your School Based, Youth Led Restorative Justice Program.
Martin (pronounced mar-TEEN) Urbach is a Latine Immigrant, educator, activist and youth organizer. Martin has been an educator in New York City since 2006. His passion for education is based on facilitating brave spaces for young folks to develop their own identities as activists, restorative justice practitioners, researchers, and community organizers, working for social justice and toward collective liberation.
He holds a BA in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans, an MA in jazz arts from the Manhattan School of Music, and an Advanced Certificate in Music Education from Brooklyn College. He is currently a Doctoral candidate in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center.
David Yuan
USA
David Yuan
Session: Embodied Awareness for Self and Systems Change: Healing Through the I–WE–IT Lens.
David Yuan is a Co-founder and Managing Partner at Awareness in Motion (AIM) and an Adjunct Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, teaching Leadership through Self-Awareness. He is a certified Executive Coach and leadership development consultant helping leaders in culture change initiatives, leadership development across the system, and SEL initiatives with a focus on helping adults model SEL as a way of being through embodied self-awareness and conscious communication. He has a particular focus on empowering people as change agents in the systems in which they live and work. His clients include the NYC Department of Education, Chicago Public Schools, CA Department of Education, Gray Fellowship for Principal Excellence, the Cahn Fellowship, Big Apple Fellowship, Babson College, Hunter College, Columbia University, World Bank Group, Mastercard, and NYPD. His driving force in establishing AIM is a deep commitment to serving others. Beyond the professional sphere lies his true mission: to alleviate suffering and address collective challenges, contributing to a world that fosters well-being and enables fulfilling lives.
Ellie Williams, JD
USA
Ellie Williams, JD
Session: Trauma and the Law: Policy changes to address the criminalization of survival.
Ellie Williams is the Legal Director of the Justice for Incarcerated Survivors Program at the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She practices post-conviction criminal defense and represents survivors of domestic violence whose convictions are connected to their abuse and women with wrongful conviction claims. She is a seasoned speaker and trainer and has trained professionals and community members across the United States and internationally on domestic violence, trauma-informed service provision, and criminalized survival. Ellie is also involved in legislative advocacy work. She co-leads the Survivor Justice Initiative, a legislative advocacy effort that led to the passage Georgia Survivor Justice Act and now manages its implementation.
Ellie is a cum laude graduate of Furman University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in sociology and Spanish. She is also a cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor. While at UGA, she was the Jane W. Wilson Distinguished Law Fellow, the Senior Managing Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, a member of the Moot Court Team, a Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant to Professor Dan Coenen, and a Research Assistant for the National Family Violence Law Center. Ellie received the Ronald Carlson Award for Excellence in the Study of Evidence from the University of Georgia School of Law and the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Child Welfare Law; she also was inducted into the University of Georgia’s chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society. Ellie also received the Regional Public Interest Award for the South Region from Equal Justice Works in 2023.
Before law school, Ellie worked with domestic and sexual violence survivors in numerous government and non-profit agencies. She is fluent in Spanish and passionate about serving immigrant survivors. Ellie is a contributor to the State of Georgia’s Domestic Violence Benchbook, and in 2023, she published an article focused on criminalized survival and international human rights law in the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.
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