Our team of leaders.
Center for Trauma and Embodiment's team of professionals comprises decades of experience in mental health, social work, education, movement, and mindfulness practices.
Organizational Staff & Collaborators

Jenn Turner, LMHC
Executive Director
Editor of Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator voices from the practice of Trauma Sensitive Yoga
My pronouns are she/her

Jenn Turner, LMHC RYT, TCTSY-F/S
Co-Founder & Co-Director Massachusetts, United States
Jenn has had the honor of working with survivors of trauma for all of her career. Along with working in private practice as a trauma-informed therapist, Jenn is the Executive Director of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment where she works to oversee training and supports the development of body-first interventions for healing from trauma. Jenn also leads trainings in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) throughout the U.S, provides consultation to organizations on how to become more trauma informed at all levels. Jenn co-founded the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI in 2018.

Dave Emerson, YACEP
Director of Research and Public Policy
Founder of TCTSY; co-author of Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga; author of Trauma Sensitive Yoga In Therapy
My pronouns are he/him

Dave Emerson, YACEP, TCTSY-F,
Co-Founder of CFTE & Director of Research
and Public Policy
Dave is the co-founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) and the co-founder and Executive Director of Reseach & Public Policy for the Center for Trauma and Embodiment . Dave has provided training internationally since 2006 and has developed, conducted, and supervised TCTSY groups for rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, residential programs for youth, active duty military personnel, survivors of terrorism, and Veterans Administration centers and clinics and more. He is the author or co-author of numerous papers on yoga and trauma; the co-author of Overcoming Trauma through Yoga; and the author of, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy.

Sydney Spears, PhD
Leadership Team Member CFTE
Author of Finding Self-Compassion: A Mindfulness Workbook for Getting to Know and Love Yourself
My pronouns are she/her

Sydney Spears, PhD, LCSW, TCTSY-F
Leadership Team CFTE
Sydney Spears (she/her) is a certified TCTSY-F facilitator, 200 hour yoga teacher, Center of Trauma and Embodiment Leadership Team member, and a private practice psychotherapist specializing in working with survivors of complex trauma and sociocultural trauma. Sydney has deep passion for advancing sociocultural equity and social justice for underserved communities across the globe. Additionally, she is highly committed to providing anti-oppressive practices and trauma-sensitive yoga facilitation into her clinical psychotherapy work.

Karen Schwartz, LMSW, C-IAYT
Director of Operations
My pronouns are she/her
A lifelong New Yorker, Karen has more than 30 years of experience helping people live happier, healthier lives. With a background combining social work, fitness instruction, yoga and yoga therapy, she has worked with people of all ages coping with a wide range of issues, including trauma, addiction, eating disorders, domestic violence, depression and anxiety, as well as with people seeking personal growth, greater well being and a deeper expression of their spirituality. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Karen serves as Director of Operations for the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI. She is also a journalist whose work has appeared in a variety of online and print publications.

Mindy Levine, YACEP, E-RYT 500
Donor Engagement Coordinator
My pronouns are she/her
Mindy has dedicated over two decades to practicing and teaching yoga, finding it a transformative path that has deepened her connection to her body and inner self. Her extensive training as a crisis counselor and certification as a Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F) have equipped her with the knowledge and skills to support individuals in healing from trauma.
She has delved into Polyvagal Theory and relational neuroscience, further enhancing her ability to provide trauma-informed yoga practices that promote healing and resilience. Mindy's commitment to helping others has led her to publish articles on human rights and facilitate trauma-informed yoga sessions for groups and individuals. She also directed yoga teacher trainings and educates others on trauma awareness within the yoga community and on an organizational level. She is a founding member and co-chairs the grant review of the collective giving nonprofit Impact 100 NY, providing grants to nonprofits in New York City.

E Ragonese
Digital Content Manager
My pronouns are they/them
E Ragonese (they/them) is the Digital Content Manager at the Center for Trauma and Embodiment. A queer, trans/nonbinary, neurodivergent artist based in Boston, E holds a degree in psychology and gender and sexuality studies, which informs their approach to content creation and advocacy. E is passionate about using art as a medium for activism, working to amplify marginalized voices and promote healing through inclusive, trauma-informed content. With a deep commitment to community care, embodiment, and self-reflection, E strives to foster spaces that encourage connection and empowerment for all.

Anna Malmi, TCTSY-F
Recertification Coordinator
My pronouns are she/her
Anna is a social sciences graduate, yoga teacher, and TCTSY-F practitioner. She has extensive experience working with vulnerable communities, providing psychosocial, health, and social support through various organizations. Her work spans across children, youth, and adult migrants and refugees. Since 2022, she has been an active member of the TCTSY community, facilitating classes in both group and individual settings, as well as in prisons, migrant shelters, and women’s shelters.

Desmonette Hazly, MA, MSW, PhD, CBAB
CFTE Consultant & Collaborator
My pronouns are she/her
Dr. Hazly is an Integrative Health Specialist in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Hazly currently develops and implements trauma-informed culturally inclusive health and wellness education programs for marginalized groups in underserved communities. Dr. Hazly approaches health and wellness from a mind, body and spirit perspective and provides simple health and wellness skills and techniques that can be easily incorporated into daily activities. Dr. Hazly has developed and implemented community health and wellness program locally, nationally, and internationally and has collaborated with the LA County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the VA Hospital in West Los Angeles, International Red Cross, the United Nations, and UNICEF. Dr. Hazly has taught integrative health and wellness education for over 15 years.

Elena Mamatas, TCTSY-F
Bookkeeper
My pronouns are she/her
Elena is passionate about body-based trauma healing modalities, and is honored to facilitate powerful practices like TCTSY and Somatic Experiencing in her local community and private practice. Having joined the Center for Trauma and Embodiment as a bookkeeper, she is enthusiastic about advancing the organization’s mission to provide quality trauma care through a lens that deeply recognizes the interpersonal and systemic nature of complex trauma.
Program Staff & Collaborators

Sarah Carter,
LMHC, RDT
TIIP Co-Director
My pronouns are she/her
Sarah Carter, LMHC, RDT (she, her, hers) is a co-developer of Rescripted and is member of the Rescripted Leadership Team. After obtaining a BA in Theatre Arts from Boston College, Sarah moved to Chicago where she trained at the famed improv theatre, The Second City, and toured with an educational theatre troupe across high schools in the Chicago suburbs. Sarah later went on to receive an MA in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Therapies from Lesley University with a specialization in Drama Therapy. In addition to being an LMHC, Sarah is a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT) with the North American Drama Therapy Association. She is trained in the ARC (Attachment, Self Regulation, and Competency) Framework and SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment) and has completed PESI’s intensive training course in DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). Over the past 10 years of her clinical career, Sarah has worked in inpatient, outpatient and residential psychiatric settings specializing in treatment of youth and adults with complex trauma through arts-based and trauma-informed interventions. More recently, Sarah coordinated the therapeutic group program for Boston Children's Hospital's Inpatient Psychiatry Service. Currently, Sarah works in private practice and provides group therapy on McLean Hospital’s Short Term Unit.

Sasha Garfunkel Corrado,
LICSW
TIIP Co-Director
My pronouns are she/her
Sasha Garfunkel Corrado, LICSW (she/her/hers) is a co-developer of Rescripted and is member of the Rescripted Leadership Team. Sasha received her Masters in Social Work from Simmons Graduate School of Social Work. Over the past 12 years, Sasha has become experienced in working with clients across their lifespan to help them gain skills to navigate symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and challenges with executive functioning and social skills. She has an in-depth understanding of working with children and adults across multiple treatment modalities and levels of care including residential treatment, intensive home-based family therapy, and outpatient therapy. Sasha’s practice integrates her experience in the ARC (Attachment, Self Regulation, and Competency) Framework, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment). Sasha’s work is governed by a belief in the innate resiliency of people. Sasha currently works as an outpatient clinician at an eating disorder program and in private practice.

Valerie Krpata,
LICSW
TIIP Co-Director
My pronouns are she/her
Valerie Krpata, LICSW (she/her/hers) is a co-developer of Rescripted and is member of the Rescripted Leadership Team. Valerie received her master’s degree in social work from Simmons College. Throughout her clinical career, she has gained extensive experience working with the latency, adolescent and transitional age youth within congregate care settings who have experienced complex trauma. Valerie is also a trainer in the ARC (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency) framework and believes in the healing power of a caring and attuned community. She has over 10 years of experience providing, collaborating and/or training on creative therapeutic approaches, including improv theater, motivational interviewing, sensory motor arousal regulation treatment (SMART), adolescent community reinforcement, and the therapeutic benefits of therapy dogs.

Krystal Pérez, TCTSY-F
TCTSY Certification Program Coordinator
My pronouns are she/her
Krystal Pérez is a Puerto Rican sociologist passionate about eradicating gender based violence and understanding how traumatic experiences affect people's physical, emotional and social processes. With 15 years’ experience facilitating supporting groups of gender based violence victims she dedicated her graduate studies to find ways to improve care spaces for immigrant women in Puerto Rico and Spain, where she completed her Master's degree in Communication for Social Change and Development. In turn, she did her first Yoga TT in 2014 and went to India to deepen the practice. She is the Co-founder of “Arme: Narrativa Psico-corporal “ a program who gives psychotherapy and trauma sensitive yoga services for trauma survivors to Spanish speaking people in Latin America since 2017. She is a clinical intern for family and children therapy in “Gateway Mountain Center” In California.

Keri Sawyer, TCTSY-F, YACEP, RYT 500, BBA
TCTSY Trainer Coordinator
My pronouns are she/her
Keri Sawyer, has over a decade of experience facilitating movement and breath, embodiment, and trauma informed practices. She is a seasoned speaker and facilitator who has trained thousands of people as an experienced 500 hour yoga teacher and licensed Trainer with the Center for Trauma and Embodiment.
Keri provides Trauma Sensitive yoga to trauma survivors of all ages, facilitates trainings for yoga teachers and healthcare workers, and provides research-based information and trauma-informed treatment practices to the therapeutic world. She oversees the implementation of of trauma informed practices into therapeutic models in clinical and residential treatment programs across the country along with agency trainings and regular consultation for mental health clinicians, therapists, nurses, massage therapists, yoga teachers and more. Her passion is to provide an opportunity for survivors of trauma to have an authentic experience with a safe and predictable felt sense of their body along with spreading awareness of trauma-informed practices.
Keri is the owner of Openview yoga, Somatic Director at the Developmental Trauma Training Institute and The Trainer Liaison for the Center for Trauma and Embodiment where she supports, builds community and communicates with the training team. Keri is also the director of training for the Namapsa foundations non profit group that brings yoga into areas of Central Oregon that need it most. Keri specializes in training and facilitating Trauma Sensitive Yoga, yoga for mental health and therapeutic yoga. She also coaches new and advanced yoga teachers in deepening their personal practice and exploring teaching practices, workshops and business.

Candace Liger, NASM-SPS, CE
TIWL Director
My pronouns are she/they
Originally from Greenville, Mississippi, Candace is a NASM - certified fitness coach, consent & harm reduction educator, and founder of the Center for Body Autonomy. Blending her background in social justice and wellness, her work specializes in creating safe, healthy, and inclusive spaces for all bodies to thrive. Her signature programs, JahRation Nation Dance Fitness and Fortify & Flex help teach individuals how to tap into the knowledge within their bodies by engaging in proactive self-care, joyful movement, and strength-based training. They were the co-host of the Decolonizing Fitness podcast, a social justice-conscious platform redefining fitness by unpacking mainstream toxic fitness culture.
Candace is also a TedX speaker & award-winning activist and performance artist. She is a graduate of the National Organization of Victim Advocates’ Academy and has organized national campaigns to examine the impact of racial and gender-based oppression, sexual violence, and mass incarceration. Her latest campaign, #ConsentConscious, advocates for more comprehensive, trauma-informed consent education to support our overall wellness and pleasure. Throughout the entirety of their work, Candace has used movement-based healing practices to support individuals and organizations with a particular focus on Black communities, Queer & Trans individuals, and people with disabilities. They are a self-proclaimed "Body-Enthusiast" and deeply committed to imagining what liberation can feel like in our bodies.

Mariah Rooney, MSW, LICSW
TIWL Co-Founder & Consultant
My pronouns are she/they
Mariah Rooney is weight lifter and a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in treating the complex challenges that arise as a result of traumatic stress, attachment trauma, intergenerational trauma, and dissociation in children and adults. She is also an adjunct professor in the graduate School of Social Work at Winona State University, and a trauma-informed care consultant who supports systems change and capacity building efforts in systems of all sizes and types. As a previous Fellow at the Trauma Center at JRI she received extensive training in trauma and supported various project and research efforts.
Additionally, Mariah is a movement practitioner and coach with extensive training in trauma-sensitive and culturally-informed yoga and meditation practices through Warriors at Ease, Prison Yoga Project, Insight Prison Project, Mind Body Solutions, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Her writing and research has explored posttraumatic outcomes among combat veterans with histories of interpersonal violence, trauma sensitive education, as well as outcomes among traumatized youth in an outpatient setting using a sensory-based intervention. You can see her writing in Becoming a Student of Your Students: Trauma-Informed, Culturally Relevant Practices for Physical Education Teachers; Bulletproofing the Psyche and in American Military Life in the 21st Century: Social, Cultural, Economic Issues and Trends.
Licensed TCTSY Trainers
Board of Directors
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