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Esly Carvalho, Ph.D.

Esly Regina Carvalho, Ph. D. is a Brazilian-American Trainer of Trainers for the EMDR Institute and EMDR Ibero-America (EMDR IBA). She has helped bring EMDR to Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and trained professionals in Portugal and Spain. A published author and speaker (in Spanish, Portuguese and English) as well as a Psychodrama Trainer, Esly has integrated her Psychodrama background into EMDR training and clinical practice. Presently residing in Brasilia, Brazil, she directs the TraumaClinic as well as an EMDR training center where trainings are held in more than 10 cities of Brazil. In 2014, she established a publishing house specifically dedicated to publishing books on EMDR, trauma and related issues. As one of its co-founders, Esly was President of EMDR Ibero-America (2007-2010; 2010-2013). Esly is married and loves those grandchildren!

Her curriculum vitae can be found here

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Sherrol Cassedy, J.D.

Sherrol Cassedy, J.D., is a Certified Family Law Specialist, who after 20 years of family law practice, since 2005 has dedicated herself exclusively to mediation and private judging. She is the principal of Threshold Resources, devoted to marriage and divorce resolution, education and ritual. Sherry is a frequent speaker to legal and psychological professionals on legal and financial topics, conflict resolution strategies, and self-care and self-awareness practices as well as on financial topics in family law such as stock options, tracing, premarital agreements and support. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology where she teaches Law and Ethics. Ms. Cassedy was selected for Best lawyers in America, 2003, and was named the 2008 Fellow of the Year by the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). Sherry has served on the Board of Directors of Overcoming Barriers including as Board President.

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Shelley Spear Chief, LCSW, MSWC

Shelley Spear Chief, MSW works with First Nation individuals with complex historical and ongoing traumatic experiences, within her private practice. She has supported First Nation Schools, Women Shelters, Children Services providing group counselling, art therapy, and a variety of kinship, parent capacity assessments. Shelley has been affiliated faculty for University of Calgary and Red Crow College teaching and infusing Indigenous framework into university transfer courses. In her clinical practice, she uses EMDR and Somatic approaches, as well as traditional psychotherapy, art therapy, mindfulness, and hypnotherapy within the cultural understanding of the client.

Shelley is a First Nations Lakota Woman who prioritizes client’s spiritual needs and strengths with a cultural framework of understanding. She is knowledgeable of the challenges faced by First Nations people. She is married to Moses Spear Chief of the Kainai Nation. They have three grandchildren members of the Kainai Nation. She is an accomplished Women’s Traditional Dancer along with her spouse who is a champion Men’s Traditional Dancer. They have been part of their sacred societies on the Nation. She has presented a variety of topics in the past on First Nation Trauma in surrounding Indigenous communities within Alberta.

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Anthony L. Chambers, Ph.D., ABPP

Anthony Chambers, Ph.D., ABPP, is the Chief Academic Officer at The Family Institute at Northwestern University (TFI). Dr. Chambers is also the Director of Northwestern University's Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Chambers is also the former President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Couple and Family Psychology (Division 43) and is the Past-President of the American Academy of Couple and Family Psychology (AACFP). He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Psychological Association (APA).

Dr. Chambers received his BA in Psychology from Hampton University and completed both his M.A. & Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Virginia. He completed his internship and postdoctoral clinical residency at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Chambers engages in scholarly writing, teaching and public speaking aimed at disseminating the latest knowledge about how to have a healthy relationship. Noteworthy academic achievements include co-authoring Integrative Systemic Therapy (IST); co-editing the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy; co-editing an APA Series on Couple and Family Psychology; and co-editing a TFI book series on IST.

Dr. Chambers' professional accomplishments have resulted in becoming a fellow of the APA, a fellow of the AACFP, and a diplomat of the American Board of Couple and Family Psychology. He also serves on the editorial board of the journal Family Process and is the past Associate Editor for the journal Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. 

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Emberly C. Cross, J.D., MSW

Emberly C. Cross, JD, MSW has been the Coordinating Attorney at the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic in San Francisco, CA since 1996, helping domestic violence victims obtain restraining orders and child custody and support orders. She obtained her law degree and her Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. Prior to working at CROC, she was in private practice in family law in San Francisco.

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Lynette Danylchuk, Ph.D.

Lynette Danylchuk, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist, has been working in the trauma field since mid-80, starting with Vietnam Vets and people with DID. She served 12 years on the original Board of Directors of Survivorship, and then worked for the Board of the Star Foundation for several more years. She had her private practice in San Mateo, California, where, in addition to working with clients, she did (and continues to do) periodic consultation and teaching where she sees a need, including a local graduate school, juvenile hall, and the county trauma-informed services conference. Lynette has been adjunct faculty to graduate schools in the San Francisco area where she has taught, and been a dissertation chairperson. She has given keynote speeches and workshops across the state and internationally at conferences of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). She is co-author with Kevin Connors of the book, “Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A Practical Guide for Navigating Therapeutic Challenges”, Routledge, 2016.

Lynette is a Past President of ISSTD. She has been an active society member since 1996. She has chaired the Volunteer Committee, the Professional Training Program, and the ISSTD UN Task Force, gaining Affiliate Status for ISSTD with the United Nations. She is currently a member of the Conference Committee, and Chair of the Certificate Program Committee. She is an ISSTD Fellow, and winner of the ISSTD Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Rachel Dash-Dougherty, LCSW

Bio:

Rachel Dash-Dougherty, LCSW, is a seasoned therapist with over 14 years of experience, serving clients through her growing practice at The Grounded Therapist in East Lyme, CT. Driven by a passion for holistic healing and mental wellness, Rachel specializes in anxiety, eating disorders, and women's issues. She recognizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in the healing process and integrates cutting-edge therapeutic approaches into her practice. Rachel has been utilizing EMDR for years to help clients process and heal from trauma and other distressing experiences. In addition to EMDR,

Rachel is deeply passionate about yoga therapeutics and its transformative potential in mental health treatment. Drawing from her extensive training and personal practice, she incorporates yoga-based techniques such as mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic awareness into her sessions. These practices not only promote relaxation and stress reduction but also empower clients to reconnect with their bodies, cultivate self-awareness, and develop healthier coping strategies. Rachel is dedicated to staying at the forefront of her field, continuously seeking out new knowledge and techniques to enhance her practice.

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Frank Davis, Ph.D.

Dr. Frank Davis provides multimodal, specialized trauma informed psychotherapy to adults, children, and families exposed to racial discrimination, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and severe neglect. He also provides individual and group psychotherapy treatment for both adult and child perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse. In addition, Dr. Davis provides psychotherapy treatment to children who have been abruptly separated from their parents (e.g., child abduction, high-conflict divorce, foster care, or parental relocation). He Provides specialized psychotherapy treatment to children and families of transracial adoption. Provides specialized psychotherapy treatment to adults, children, and families dealing with substance abuse. Provides comprehensive psychological test batteries for adults, children, and families. Dr. Davis Provides stress reduction and stress management techniques and strategies to corporate professionals (i.e., managerial staff, CEOs, and CFOs)

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Nick Demara, Ph.D.

Nick Demara, Ph.D. was born in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He has had two distinguished careers - as a Professor of Italian Literature at Michigan State University from 1973-1983 and as a licensed Psychologist from 1989 to present.  His dissertation focus was on the psychology of loss and grieving. He has had a long-term private practice in San Francisco and served as a Staff Psychologist in the Department of Adult Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa from 2001-2012. Dr. Demara opened a private practice in Santa Rosa in 2012 and has continued to work in that capacity. He has particular expertise in trauma and LGBTQ issues, having served on the Surgical Board for sexual reassignment at Kaiser Permanente.

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Robin Deutsch, Ph.D., ABPP

Robin Deutsch, Ph.D., ABPP was the founder and the Director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at the William James College (www.williamjames.edu/cffc). For 25 years she was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, most recently as an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology. Dr. Deutsch is a child and family forensic psychologist, mediator, Parenting Coordinator, and is board certified in couple and family psychology.  She provides consultation and expert witness services on child custody and parenting evaluations, ethical issues, complex custody issues, and child and adolescent development.  She developed and teaches the Certificate in Child and Family Forensic Issues at William James College and is a founder of Overcoming Barriers, an organization that provides family-centered services for families in conflict.  She has published extensively on issues related to attachment, alienation, co-parenting after divorce, high conflict divorce, parenting plans, and parenting coordination, and is the co-author of 7 Things Your Teenager Won’t Tell You: and How to Talk about Them Anyway (Ballantine, 2005, 2011) and co-editor of the book Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, Alienation (Oxford, 2016). 

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Mesha Ellis, Ph.D.

Mesha Ellis, Ph.D. is the founder of The Institute of Relationship Wellness and Sexual Health (IRWSH), a group practice dedicated to helping children, individuals, families, and couples have happy and fulfilling relationships. IRWSH has physical office locations in Atlanta, Georgia, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Torrance, California. Services are additionally provided through videoconference in California, Georgia, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Dr. Ellis is a Certified Gottman Method Therapist, Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Workshop Leader. In addition to also being certified in Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy, she is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor for those seeking AASECT Sex Therapy Certification. She spent the majority of her career supporting the education, professional development, and clinical skills training of graduate students matriculating through clinical psychology, masters in family therapy, public health, and medical school programs. She has additionally supervised and consulted with a plethora of students and licensed professionals for over 15 years.

Dr. Ellis is also Principal at Ellis Evaluation & Consulting Services, a private practice dedicated to the provision of psychoeducational, clinical, and forensic evaluations. She is a contract psychologist for the metro-Atlanta area Joint Admissions Testing Program (JATP). Dr. Ellis also regularly conducts child custody and juvenile forensic evaluations in California. She is licensed to practice as a psychologist in Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee, and California.

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Cress Forester, Psy.D.

Cress Forester, Psy.D. has been working with patients since 1986.  She is also adjunct faculty at the Wright Institute, as a clinical supervisor (since 2006).  She worked in Community Mental Health for 10 years, seeing patients, supervising, and providing trainings, and also worked at the Boyer House foundation as an individual psychologist.  She teaches at graduate and post-graduate level, has presented at international conferences (ISSD, ISTSS, ISPS), and provides trainings on trauma and clinician-self-care at clinics throughout the Bay Area including the VA, SFGH’s trauma team, and Mills College.  She has focused on working with severe mental illness, trauma and dissociation.  She is particularly interested in attending to somatic experience in the clinical hour.  Her paper on the use of somatic countertransference was published in 2007. She has private practices in San Francisco and Sonoma, offering psychotherapy and consultation.

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