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Featured Speakers
- HARVILLE HENDRIX, PHD and HELEN LAKELLY HUNT, PHDCo-creators of Imago Relationship TherapyHARVILLE HENDRIX, PHD and HELEN LAKELLY HUNT, PHDCo-creators of Imago Relationship Therapy
Co-founders of Imago Relationships International that supports over 1100 Imago therapists in 37 countries. Author and co-author of three NYT best sellers and seven other books on relationship therapy. Co-creator of Safe Conversations and co-founder of Relationships First, a relationship education movement located in Dallas and dedicated to furthering the creation of a relational culture.
- DANIEL SIEGEL, MDClinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of MedicineDANIEL SIEGEL, MDClinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine
Martin received his medical degree from Harvard University and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent and adult psychiatry. He is currently clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine where he is on the faculty of the Center for Culture, Brain, and Development and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. Dr. Siegel has lectured for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, London’s Royal Society of Arts (RSA), and TEDx.
- Galen Cole, PhD, MPH, LPC, NCC, ABCPPsychotherapist, Educator, Thought Leader, Founder of The Alive and Well FoundationGalen Cole, PhD, MPH, LPC, NCC, ABCPPsychotherapist, Educator, Thought Leader, Founder of The Alive and Well FoundationGalen Cole, PhD, MPH, LPC, NCC, ABCP, is a master of public health, licensed professional counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, American Board Certified Psychotherapist, World Certified Psychotherapist, and a nationally certified hypnotherapist. Galen’s private practice consists largely of treating high conflict couples and adult clients referred with a history of trauma, mood problems and/or anxiety conditions. In addition to relying heavily on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Galen has been recognized for his innovations around an emerging “3rd Wave CBT” psychotherapy known as Life Script Restructuring, which is described in his book by the same title. Galen has taught counseling psychology, equine assisted mental health, behavioral and evaluation research, public health, and a number of other counseling and health-related courses at the university level. He's been on the undergraduate and/or graduate faculty at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Emory University.Galen has extensive experience practicing what he teaches, including working on staff and as a consultant at numerous clinics, hospitals, and community based organizations; consulting on a number of popular television series (e.g., The Young and the Restless, Private Practice, The Big C, 90210, Chasing Life, Hostages) — He is currently the psychotherapist on the 7th and 8th seasons of the popular TLC reality show “The Seven Little Johnstons”; serving as the Executive Director of two different 501(c)3 Foundations; working as an Associate Director of the county public health department in Phoenix, Arizona; and working for 24 years as a research psychologist, behavioral scientist, and director of research, evaluation, and strategic communication activities in various centers, institutes, and offices at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2003, Galen was appointed by the Governor of Georgia to serve on the Georgia Human Resources (DHR) Board. In this capacity he served as chair of the DHR committee that provided policy guidance to the state Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases. After leaving CDC in 2014, Galen took a position as a Senior Mental Health Strategist and Thought Leader at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), headquartered in Washington, D.C. In this position he lead the development of AIR’s vision and creative strategies to address the mental health needs of the nation. Galen has served on numerous local, regional, and national boards of directors, including the Board of Professional Counselors at the American Psychotherapy Association. He recently served as President of the Georgia Association of Licensed Professional Counselors.In addition to his private practice, Galen also currently travels throughout the U.S. conducting intensive continuing education workshops on “Mindful--Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,” on behalf of PESI (pesi.com) and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Galen has been a trainer and consultant in the Central Asian Republics, Nigeria, China, Thailand, Kenya, Switzerland, Australia, Peru, Germany, Uganda, and the Middle East, where he has consulted and conducted trainings with the Palestinian Health Authority, the Israeli Ministry of Health, and many other NGOs. He has also provided technical support to a number of prominent international organizations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); the World Bank; Hollywood, Health and Society (HH&S); and the World Health Organization (WHO). Galen has published numerous books and scientific papers, and made presentations at conferences and training seminars across the world. In recognition of his many accomplishments, he has received distinguished alumni awards from two of the universities.
- DANIEL AMEN, MDNY Times bestselling author, founder of Amen ClinicsDANIEL AMEN, MDNY Times bestselling author, founder of Amen Clinics
Daniel is a double board-certified psychiatrist, NY Times bestselling author, founder of Amen Clinics and brain imaging pioneer. He has written and hosted 11 television specials about the brain. Discover Magazine named his brain imaging research as one of the top 100 stories in all of Science for 2015.
- BESSEL A. VAN DER KOLK, MDClinicianBESSEL A. VAN DER KOLK, MDClinician
Kolk is a clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of posttraumatic stress. His work integrates developmental, neurobiological, psychodynamic and interpersonal aspects of the impact of trauma and its treatment. Dr. van der Kolk has published over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles on such diverse topics as neuroimaging, selfinjury, memory, neurofeedback, Developmental Trauma, yoga, theater and EMDR. He is founder and Medical Director of the Trauma Center at JRI in Brookline, Massachusetts; past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School. His most recent New York Times Science best seller, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Treatment of Trauma transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring— specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, somatically based therapies, EMDR, psychodrama, play, yoga, and other therapies.
- DAVID BURNS, MDClinical Psychiatrist, Bestselling AuthorDAVID BURNS, MDClinical Psychiatrist, Bestselling Author
David is a clinical psychiatrist and author of the best-selling, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, which has sold more than five million copies worldwide. His When Helping Doesn’t Help was recently featured in PsychotherapyNetworker (March, 2017). His free Feeling Good podcasts are available on iTunes and www.feelinggood.com.
- SUSAN BLANK, MDAddiction Psychiatrist, Host of "Detailing Addiction" podcastSUSAN BLANK, MDAddiction Psychiatrist, Host of "Detailing Addiction" podcast
Susan Blank, MD, is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer for the Atlanta Healing Center. A graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, she completed a residency in Psychiatry and Neurology at Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her training in Forensics at the University of Virginia, and her training in Addiction Medicine in Atlanta at the Talbott Recovery Campus. She also completed a Fellowship and Advance Fellowship training in Anti-aging and Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Blank is President of the Georgia Society of Addiction Medicine and serves on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Physician’s Health Program. She is co-chair of the Medical Association of Georgia’s "Think About It Campaign.” She is also a past member of the Board of Directors for The Georgia Council on Alcohol and Drugs and Let’s Be Clear Georgia. Dr. Blank and Dr. Lori Karan co-authored the chapter on Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction for the ASAM Patient Criteria released in September 2013. Dr. Blank is a contributor to the ASIPP Opioid Prescribing Guidelines, March 2017, and is a member of the Technical Expert Panel for PCPI Preventive Care guidelines for Tobacco Cessation, Influenza Immunizations and Alcohol Screening.
She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Board of Addiction Medicine and the American Board of Anti-aging and Regenerative Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Examiners, a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and a Certified Medical Review Officer.
Finally, she can be heard nationwide every Tuesday on her weekly radio show “Detailing Addiction” on America’s Web Radio.
- ESTHER PERELLicensed Marriage and Family therapistESTHER PERELLicensed Marriage and Family therapist
Esther is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist and AASECT certified sex therapist and supervisor. She has run her private practice in New York City for over 30 years. Author of Mating in Captivity and her upcoming book, The State of Affairs, Esther also serves on the faculty of the International Trauma Studies Program, affiliated with Columbia University and the Ackerman Institute for the Family.
Anam Cara, A Call to Conscious Living
Mar 14, 2020
John O’Donohue, in his book Anam Cara, explains that, in the Gaelic language, there are two powerful words that serve to awaken us and assess the depth of our lives and relationships. These two words are Anam Cara. In the Celtic tradition Anam Cara...
read moreThe Lesson In Not Knowing
Feb 21, 2020
It has always been interesting to me that patients (or clients) would come in and be in one of three stages: Stage one was “I know what I want to do, or I need to do.” In this stage they are so certain about their decisions they are simply wanting...
read moreDr. Bessel Van der Kolk
Dec 14, 2018
Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk Receives the American College of Psychotherapy 2018 Anam Cara Award “There are many who change how others think, but few with the wisdom and courage, to influence the path of an entire professional culture. Such a man is Bessel Van der...
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