John Briere, Ph.D.
website: www.JohnBriere.com

John Briere is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and Director of the Psychological Trauma Program at LAC-USC Medical Center. He is a past president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), and recipient of the Robert S. Laufer Memorial Award for Scientific Achievement from ISTSS and the Outstanding Professional Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). Recently designated as "Highly Cited Researcher" by the Institute for Scientific Information, he is author or co-author of over 70 articles, 20 chapters and encyclopedia entries, 10 books, and 8 psychological tests in the areas of trauma, child abuse, and interpersonal violence.

David Burns, M.D.
website: www.feelinggood.com

Dr. Burns is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatryand Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He also has served as Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Medicine School and Acting Chief of Psychiatry at the Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Burns has authored six books on cognitive behavior therapy including his best-selling Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (1980), which has sold over four million copies. In a national survey, Feeling Good was rated # 1—from a list of over 1,000 self-help books—and is the most frequently recommended book by mental health professionals in the United States and Canada for clients suffering from depression. His most current work is titled When Panic Attacks.

Although he is best known for his work on psychotherapy, Dr. Burns has also done significant research on the central nervous system and received the A.E. Bennett Award for his studies of serotonin metabolism. Currently he is investigating variables associated with therapeutic success or failure. His research has been published in numerous scientific journals. Dr. Burns is a dynamic and engaging educator. Every year, thousands of mental health professionals attend his workshops. Dr. Burns also maintains a strong interest in public education. He was recently featured in a ninety minute PBS special on depression and received the Distinquished Contribution to Psychology through the Media Award from the Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology in 1995.

Christine Courtois, Ph.D.
website: www.drchriscourtois.com

Dr.Christine A. Courtois is a Psychologist in independent practice (Christine A. Courtois, PhD & Associates, PLC) in Washington, DC. She received her PhD from the University of Maryland in College Park, in 1979. Dr. Courtois is President-Elect of Division 56 (Psychological Trauma) of the American Psychological Association and has recently published Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide (2009) co-edited with Dr. Julian Ford. She has authored three other books, Recollections of Sexual Abuse: Treatment Principles and Guidelines (1999), Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: A Workshop Model (1993), and Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy (1988) (revised edition to be published in early 2010). She has also published numerous articles and chapters on related topics and is the Associate Editor of the new APA journal, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, & Policy. She routinely conducts professional training locally, nationally, and internationally on topics related to traumatic stress. Dr. Courtois is Co-Founder and past Clinical and Training Director of The CENTER: Posttraumatic Disorders Program at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. She has received the following professional awards: 2008 Outstanding Alumni Award (College of Education), The University of Maryland, College Park; 2007 University of Maryland College of Education Alumni Outstanding Professional Award; 2007 Outstanding Contributions to Professional Practice Award from Division 56 (Psychological Trauma), American Psychological Association; 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation; 2005 Distinguished Contribution to the Psychology of Women Award from the Committee on the Psychology of Women, American Psychological Association; 2003 Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; 2001 Cornelia Wilbur Award, International Society for the Study of Dissociation; 1996 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as A Professional Practice, American Psychological Association.

Paul Foxman, Ph.D
website:www.drfoxman.com

Paul Foxman, Ph.D., has led hundreds of top rated workshops throughout the U.S. and has appeared on television and radio as an expert on the topic of anxiety. His books include Dancing with Fear (2007) and The Worried Child (2004). Dr. Foxman is known for his knowledge and clarity, sense of humor, compassion, and engaging speaking style.

Dr. Foxman is a clinical psychologist as well as Founder and Director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders in Vermont. In 1985 he co-founded the Lake Champlain Waldorf School, now flourishing from kindergarten through high school.

Dr. Foxman has 30 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, community mental health centers, schools, and private practice. His education includes Yale University (B.A. in Psychology), Vanderbilt University (Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology), and training at the Department of Psychiatry of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco, the Kennedy Child Study Center in Nashville, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute.

Ross Greene, Ph.D.

Ross Greene is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Founding Director of the Collaborative Problem Solving Institute in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also author of the highly acclaimed book The Explosive Child and co-author of the forthcoming Treating Explosive Kids: The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach.

Dr. Greene specializes in the treatment of explosive children and adolescents at home and school and in inpatient, residential, and juvenile detention facilities. He has authored numerous articles, chapters, and scientific papers on the effectiveness of the Collaborative Problem Solving approach; comorbidity and familiality in oppositional defiant disorder; classification and longitudinal outcomes of children with severe social impairment; and teacher stress. Dr. Greene’s research has been funded by the Stanley Research Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Mental Health, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. Greene received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Virginia Tech after completing his predoctoral internship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Prior to his current positions, he served as Visiting Assistant Professor on the clinical psychology faculty at Virginia Tech and as Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and in Pediatrics at University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

He lives in Boston with his wife and two children.

livesinthebalance.org

Jack Hirose, M.A., C.C.C.

Jack Hirose is a Vancouver based counsellor and training co-ordinator with over 25 years experience developing high quality training programs for mental health professionals, educators, community organizations and parents. Jack is a certified counsellor with the Canadian Counselling Association and a certified Addictions Counsellor Trainer. He has had a long counseling/teaching career in working with youth, adults and families in many different environments, eg. outpatient clinics, community colleges, schools, correctional settings, hospitals, treatment centres, and group homes. Jack has organized well over 300 workshops and conferences in his career. In the last decade, 20,000 participants have attended his professional training events. He is co-founder of the highly rated Western Canadian Conference on Addictions and Mental Health held annually in Vancouver during the third week of November. During the past fifteen years, 1,500 professionals completed Jack’s Addiction Training Intensive for Youth Practitioners.

In another chapter of Jack’s life, he was a member of Canada's National Judo Team and had a brief profesional football career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts. Jack resides in North Vancouver with his wife, Julie, and two daughters.

Michael Leeds, Ph.D.
website:www.docleeds.com

Dr. Michael Leeds is an internationally recognized community mental health trainer and consultant. He has designed and implemented strength-based community mental health treatment programs, in both residential treatment and out-patient settings, addressing Substance Abuse, Violence and Aggression, Domestic Violence, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and Gang Prevention.
As a Master Trainer for the National Institute on Drug Abuse he has designed and delivered educational and professional development training’s in the areas of substance abuse prevention / education, assessment and treatment, and tobacco education and cessation.

His presentations include student assistance programs, bullying and harassment, team building, communication skills training, stress and anger management, mindful meditation, management of uncivil behavior, management of assaultive behavior, counselor training, rituals and rites of passage, experiential education, mentor programs, peer helper and mediation training.
Dr. Leeds has worked with hundreds of school districts, colleges and universities, tribal administrations, state agencies, businesses and community organizations to develop health promoting programs and strategies. A licensed marriage and family therapist with a doctoral degree in psychology, Dr. Leeds offers a range of mental health services through his consultation practice in Eugene, Oregon.

Jane Middelton-Moz, M.S.

Jane Middelton-Moz is currently living in the State of Vermont and is the Director of the Middelton-Moz Institute a division of The Institute of Professional Practice, Inc. Ms. Middelton-Moz is on the advisory board of the National Association for Native American Children of Alcoholics. She has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and over thirty-five years experience in the treatment of mental health and substance abuse problems. She has held numerous direct service, management and executive positions in community agencies.
Over the last several years, Ms. Middelton-Moz has become well known nationally and internationally for her work in the areas of Adult Children of Alcoholics, Multi-Generational Grief in individuals and families, Children of Trauma, Ethnic and Cultural Awareness, Differential Diagnosis, Cultural Self-Hate and Multi-Generational Sexual and Physical Abuse in families.
Ms. Middelton-Moz is well known for Corporate Consultation, Intervention, Training, Lecturer and Author, She is the author of: Children of Trauma: Rediscovering Your Discarded Self; Shame and Guilt: The Masters of Disguise; Will to Survive: Affirming the Positive Power of the Human Spirit; Boiling Point: Dealing with the Anger in Our Lives; Boiling Point, The Workbook; Welcoming our Children to a new Millennium; and co-author of Bullies: From the playground to the boardroom; Strategies for Survival; The Ultimate guide to Transforming Anger, and After the Tears: Reclaiming the Personal Losses of Childhood.
Ms. Middelton-Moz has appeared on national television including Oprah, Maury Povich, Montel Williams and had her own PBS special.

Scott Miller, Ph.D.
website: www.talkingcure.com

Scott D. Miller is a co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change, a private group of clinicians and researchers dedicated to studying “what works” in treatment. He also works as a therapist providing all clinical services pro bono to traditionally under served clients. Dr. Miller conducts workshops and training in the United States, Canada and Europe and is known for his engaging and humorous presentation style. He has presented to many audiences including the American Psychological Association, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the International Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, and the National Association of Social Workers. He is the author of numerous articles and co-author of Working with the Problem Drinker: A Solution Focused Approach (Norton, 1992), The “Miracle” Method: A Radically New Approach to Problem Drinking (with Insoo Kim Berg, Norton, 1995), Finding the Adult Within: A Solution-Focused Self-Help Guide (with Barbara McFarland, Brief Therapy Centre Press, 1995), Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Foundations, Applications, and Research (with Mark Hubble, Jossey-Bass, 1996), Escape from Babel: Toward a Unifying Language for Psychotherapy Practice (with Barry Duncan and Mark Hubble, Norton, 1997), Psychotherapy with Impossible Cases: Efficient Treatment of Therapy Veterans (with Barry Duncan and Mark Hubble, Norton, 1997), The Heart and Soul of Change: Common Factors in Human Services (APA Press, 1999), The Heroic Client: Principles of Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed Clinical Work (Jossey-Bass, 2000), and the forthcoming Creating Hope: “What Works” with Borderline-Diagnosed Clients (with Kay Vaughn and Linda Willits).

Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D.
website: www.gordonneufeld.com

Dr. Neufeld is a developmental and clinical psychologist who has been putting the pieces of the aggression puzzle together for over 30 years. He has dealt with aggression from toddlers to teens and from the most banal to the most violating. He has a proven track record in working effectively with violent young offenders and acts as a consultant to parents and professionals. Dr. Neufeld has served as a parent consultant to various media programs including CBC’s Almanac. He has presented at conferences across Canada including the Annual Conference of Canadian School Boards and the Canadian Teachers Federation in Ottawa. Dr. Neufeld’s 3 day workshop is rooted in years of experience with violent young offenders and thousands of consultations with parents and teachers of children/youth with aggression problems. His training on aggression and violence are in high demand particularly among professionals in the fields of education, health care, social services and corrections. Dr. Neufeld educates in a most engaging way, speaks with passion and compassion and makes difficult concepts easily understood no matter what one’s exposure to the psychological literature is. Those who have heard him present, inevitably comment on how he makes sense of the very complex problem and opens the door to change.

John Preston, PSY.D., ABPP
website: www.psyd-fx.com

Dr. John Preston Psy.D., ABPP is professor emeritus with Alliant International University and formerly taught at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. He is the author of twenty-one books, five of which are psychopharmacology texts. He is the author of the Drugs in Psychiatry chapter in the Encyclopedia Americana. He has lectured in the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe, and Russia.

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Bessel van der Kolk has been active as a clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of posttraumatic stress and related phenomena since the 1970s. He founded the first clinic in Boston, the Trauma Center, which specializes in the treatment of traumatized children and adults, in 1982.

Dr. van der Kolk was investigator on the first neuroimaging study of PTSD. He recently completed the first NIMH funded study of a new exposure treatment, EMDR for the treatment of PTSD. He was co-principal investigator of the DSM IV Field Trial for PTSD, in which he and his colleagues specifically delineated the impact of trauma across the life span, and the differential impact of interpersonal trauma.

His current research is on how trauma affects memory processes; brain-imaging studies of PTSD, treatment outcome of exposure treatment vs. pharmacological interventions, and the effects of theater groups on preventing violence among chronically traumatized youth.

Dr. van der Kolk is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. He is Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School, and Clinical Director of the Trauma Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He is co-director of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Community Program in Boston and originator of, and currently on the steering committee of, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.