Advisory Board

April Christopherson, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years and has worked with diverse populations in a variety of settings. She is the founder and owner of Exploration Kids Therapy in Colorado. April worked as the director of OT and director of training and development for over 10 years for The Shandy Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. She sits on the clinical advisory board for Interactive Metronome Corporation. She is a member of both the Advanced Brain Technologies and Interactive Metronome adjunct faculty where she teaches introductory and advanced continuing education courses to professionals. She has traveled around the USA and the world teaching on Neuroplasticity and Development. April was granted her degrees in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from St Ambrose University in Davenport, IA in 1991.

Robert Constantine, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist with nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of visual and neurological rehabilitation. Mr. Constantine is employed by the Pearl Nelson Child Development Center, where he focuses on the treatment of eye movement disorders in neurotypical and special needs children. Mr. Constantine’s passion leads him to intensive studying of the visual system and continuous searches for new ways to improve patient outcomes. He is a member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, a unique interdisciplinary organization that brings together the tools of optometry, occupational and physical therapy to improve outcomes for patients with neurological diagnoses. In addition, he is the only occupational therapist to be a member of the High Performance Vision Associates, an elite group of sports vision optometrists. As such, Mr. Constantine has participated in sports vision screenings at IMG Academy, Hendricks Motorsports, and on the LPGA tour. He has also developed and marketed drag-racing specific glasses that have been successful in NHRA Sportsman drag racing, as well as having worked with elite NHRA racers, golfers, and sporting clays champions.

Amanda Crowder, LCSW, is co-author of the best-selling book CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents: Over 200 Worksheets & Exercises for Trauma, ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression & Conduct Disorders (PESI, 2017). Amanda is an expert at moving evidence-based interventions into practical methods for application and moving research into action.

She has created and adapted evidence-based interventions to work with the most challenging children, adolescents, and families in the most difficult situations. By helping to establish the Trauma Informed Care initiative within Carolinas Medical Center, Amanda has proven her leadership in moving clinical concepts into practice. Amanda runs a private practice in Charlotte, NC, and continues to work for Carolinas Medical Center within a crisis center and virtual mental health emergency room.

Her specialties include depression, anxiety, trauma, behavioral issues, and family issues. Amanda uses realness, humor, and passion to build rapport with clients and audiences.

Linda Curran, BCPC, LPC, CACD, CCDPD, EMDR-C is president of Integrative Trauma Treatment, LLC, in Havertown, PA. She provides clients an integrative approach to trauma, and treats PTSD in adolescent and adult populations, including clients with eating disorders, sexual trauma, and self-injury. An international speaker on the treatment of trauma, Linda has developed, produced, and presents multi-media workshops on all aspects of psychological trauma.

Linda is the author of best selling Trauma Competency: A Clinician’s Guide (PPM, 2010) and her newest book 101 Trauma-Informed Interventions (PPM, 2013). She is the producer of the best-selling Interview Trauma series DVD’s in which she collaborated with the world’s leaders in Trauma: Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Peter Levine, PhD; Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCS; Stephen Porges, PhD; Janina Fisher, PhD; and many more.

Tracey Davis, MOT, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist and the Chief Clinical Officer for TalkPath Live, a telehealth company offering virtual OT, PT, Speech, and Mental Health/Counseling services to schools and private pay clients. Tracey offers in person training, webinars, and consultations to teachers, therapists, psychologists, and families in the areas of dyslexia, learning differences, trauma-informed care, and telehealth services, and presents at professional conferences and guest lectures at universities. She is active in the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Telemedicine Association Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group. In addition to significant experience in the areas of dyslexia and learning differences, trauma-informed care, and telehealth, Tracey holds a Level I Mentorship certification from the STAR Institute, a sensory based organization. She often incorporates sensory processing treatment strategies into structured literacy tutoring sessions, using her knowledge of neurological systems to enhance the learning of children with dyslexia. Tracey received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1998, followed by a Master’s of Occupational Therapy in 1999. She has been working in the field of pediatric occupational therapy since that time, in various settings and with all ages of children around the world.

Shelly Denes, PT, CFPS, C/NDT, CGCP, is an expert in fall prevention and neuro-rehab with more than 25 years of experience treating patients with hemiplegia, and neuromuscular disorders, TBI, and SCI. She has a special interest in Covid-19 ‘Long Haulers’ and advanced technology. She has had extensive involvement with neuroprosthetic devices, lower extremity orthotics, and exoskeletons, especially at the Rehab Institute of Michigan.

Ms. Denes presents nationally at seminars on fall prevention and geriatric rehabilitation. Denes is a graduate of University of Michigan’s PT program and holds certifications in Neurodevelopmental Treatment for Adult Hemiplegia (NDT) done at The Rehab Institute of Chicago, a certification as a ‘Fall Prevention Specialist’ and a ‘Geriatric Care Professional Certification’. She additionally serves on the Evergreen Certifications Advisory Board.

Elisa DiFalco, MS, OT, CMLDT, LMT, began working as a Lymphedema Specialist & Clinic Day Educator for Robert Lerner, M.D., “The Pioneer of Lymphedema Treatment.” Soon after receiving a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, she became Clinic Director/Owner of LTS Clinic where she opened a new MLD market with Florida’s leading Plastic Surgeons. From her success, she was inspired to create new MLD courses for therapists to learn from and model after.

For 23 years, Ms. DiFalco has been public and practitioner educator through monthly radio broadcasts and column for Boomer Times, support group facilitator, physician in-services, consultant to major insurance companies, public speaker at American Cancer Society and serving on several university advisory boards. She was also appointed Educational Standards Chair for FSMTA of Florida and has won the NLN Lymphedema Day Award. The in-demand educator enjoys combining education and entertainment as presenter for: FOTA, FSMTA, AMTA, ISSE, World Massage Festival, Premier Day Spa Show, CSFA and Elite conventions. Today, Elisa is moving MLD forward through technology to reach the masses and offers a weekly show featuring expects in the field.

Janene M. Donarski, PhD, LP, LMSW, CCATP, is a fully licensed clinical psychologist and licensed master social worker who works in counseling therapy as well as psychological testing for mental health issues. Dr. Donarski specializes in neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, adults and geriatric populations including head injury, organic issues, emotional and complex behavior disorders. Dr. Donarski works extensively with anxiety issues including panic, hypervigilance and PTSD. She trains others in techniques of relaxation, reduction of fear, and exposure therapies to reduce triggers and symptoms in daily life. She also assists in testing within the academic areas including ADHD, learning disabilities and autism for IEPs and/or 504 plans/behavior plans.

Dr. Donarski works with all population counseling/therapy, including individual, martial/couple, family, LGBTQ, and group counseling. She is a certified EMDR Level II counselor as well as a certified hypnotherapist and practitioner for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Time Line Therapy®.

Dr. Donarski is also experienced in working with victims of violence, foster care/adoption issues, sexual issues, as well as those who are seeking sex offender treatment. She often works with attorneys as a forensic psychologist/expert witness for legal cases involving custody, guardianship, social security benefits, and criminal cases. Dr. Donarski has spoken on a variety of mental health issues, including somatic ailments, behavioral disorders and mental health concerns in the geriatric population.

Alissa Drescher, LPC, FT, GC-C, MA, is a highly sought after speaker addressing topics related to grief and mourning, and is known for her creative, interactive, and story-telling presentation style. She began working in the field of bereavement services in 2006, offering encouragement to grieving parents. Alissa’s passion for supporting people through the grief process led to counseling both grieving children and adults in individual and group settings.

At the Tristesse Grief Center in Tulsa, OK, she served as senior program director, overseeing a variety of programming including the Healing Hearts Camp, Oklahoma’s first overnight camp for grieving children and teens (now Camp Erin Tulsa). Alissa was an adjunct professor at Southern Nazarene University teaching several undergraduate counseling courses including Death, Grief and Loss. After relocating to Tennessee, Alissa became the founder/executive director of the Grief Center of Middle Tennessee, whose mission is to help children, teens, and adults cope with loss and change.

Alissa is a Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying & Bereavement and holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy with a focus in Play Therapy. She is also a member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling and the National Alliance for Grieving Children.

Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, MSW, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker and board approved supervisor.  Trained as a cognitive behavioral therapist using exposure and response prevention for anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, she has been in private practice for 25 years, working with children, adolescents and adults.  Elizabeth is a member of the International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation (IOCDF), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).  She is a Clinical Fellow of the ADAA, and also received the 2012 Clinician Outreach Award and the 2017 Clinician of Distinction Award.  Elizabeth is co-owner of AnxietyTraining.com with a mission to train clinician’s nation-wide in evidence-based treatments.  A graduate of Columbia University in New York City, and the University of Maryland at Baltimore’s School of social work, she completed her clinical training at the National Institutes of Health and the Catholic University of America.  She is the co-author of three books, The Anxiety Cure (2nd Ed., Wiley, 2003), The Anxiety Cure for Kids (2nd Ed., Wiley, 2014), and CBT for Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Training Manual for the Treatment of Fear, Panic, Worry, and OCD (PESI, 2018).  Elizabeth works in Rockville, Maryland.Speaker Disclosures:

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.

Lois Ehrmann, PhD, LPC, NCC, CTTS, is a trauma-informed and sensitive clinician who works with individuals and families who suffer from trauma, abuse and attachment issues. She is the founder of The Individual and Family CHOICES Program, a holistic trauma-informed counseling center in State College, PA, that has been providing cutting-edge trauma-informed therapy for over 10 years. Prior to that she co-owned a dual diagnosis outpatient counseling program called Counseling Alternatives Group for over 18 years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has been in clinical practice for over 30 years, specializing in trauma and attachment for over 22 years.

A Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist (CTTS), Lois is also an Approved Consultant and Certified Clinician in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDRIA) as well as a Certified Internal Family Systems Clinician. Trained in IFS Levels 1, 2 and 3 as well as Somatic IFS, she has introduced the IFS model to the children and families she works with, as well as groups of parents of traumatized children and to professional healers who work with traumatized families. Lois is a Registered ATTACh Clinician, Certified Attachment Focused Family Therapist/Consultant and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (NCE). In addition, she is a trained neurofeedback clinician and trained in clinical hypnosis.

Lois is a sought-after trainer both locally and nationally and is also an adjunct assistant professor in counselor education and supervision at PSU. She has presented nationally for many years for the National ATTACh Conference and until very recently served on that organization’s board of directors. Lois has also presented annually for the Internal Family Systems Conference specifically focusing on the use of IFS with children and families struggling with attachment issues.

Lois is the co-author of a book on best practices in attachment therapy and has self-published books for children and their parents on attachment and Internal Family Systems concepts. She was the lead researcher in the development of the Internal Family Systems Adherence Scale for the Internal Family System Foundation.

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and instructor at the Trauma Center, founded by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. A faculty member of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, an EMDR International Association consultant, past president of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation, and former instructor, Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fisher lectures nationally and internationally on the integration of the neurobiological research and new trauma treatment paradigms into traditional psychotherapies.

Daniel J. Fox, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and multiple-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 15 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice. His specialty areas include personality disorders, ethics, burnout prevention, and emotional intelligence. He has published several articles in these areas and is the author of The Clinician’s Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders, the award winning Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic Workbook: Treatment Strategies for Cluster B Personality Disorders, award winning Narcissistic Personality Disorder Toolbox, and The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook.

Dr. Fox has been teaching and supervising students for over 15 years at various universities across the United States, some of which include West Virginia University, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Florida State University. He is currently a staff psychologist in the federal prison system, Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Houston, as well as maintaining a private practice that specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with complex psychopathology and personality disorders. Dr. Fox has given numerous workshops and seminars on ethics and personality disorders, personality disorders and crime, treatment solutions for treating clients along the antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic personality spectrum, emotional intelligence, managing mental health within the prison system, and others. Dr. Fox maintains a website of various treatment interventions focused on working with and attenuating the symptomatology related to individuals along the antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic personality spectrum (www.drdfox.com).

Paul Foxman, PhD, has led hundreds of workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada, and he has appeared on television and radio as an expert on the topic of anxiety. His books include The Clinician's Guide to Anxiety Disorders in Kids & Teens (2017), Dancing with Fear (2007) and award-winning The Worried Child (2004). He also co-authored a casebook, Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders (with Glatzer). 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 Vermont Center for Anxiety Disorders. In 1985 he co-founded the Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, VT, now flourishing from kindergarten through high school. Dr. Foxman has over 40 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, community mental health centers, schools and private practice. Dr. Foxman’s education includes Yale University (BA in Psychology), Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (PhD 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.

Terry Fralich, LCPC, is a co-founder of the Mindfulness Retreat Center of Maine and former adjunct faculty member of the University of Southern Maine Graduate School. He has led more than 400 seminars, trainings and retreats both nationally and internationally. His expertise consists of mindfulness, neuroscience, CBT brain change, emotional intelligence, stress reduction, meditation and the treatment of anxiety and depression. He has been teaching transformative mindfulness skills and practices for 20 years and has pursed his own practice of mindfulness and meditation for 40 years. Terry studied extensively with his Holiness the Dalai Lama for 25 years and with some of the American pioneers of mindfulness. He is the author of Cultivating Lasting Happiness: A 7-Step Guide to Mindfulness and The Five Core Skills of Mindfulness: A Direct Path to More Confidence, Joy and Love.

Michael D. Gatson, PhD, is a renowned expert in military psychology/social work and issues related to military mental health. He brings with him an extensive wealth of knowledge as well as personal experience, having served in the Army Medical Reserves as a suicide prevention officer, sexual assault coordinator, and hospital administrator. Dr. Gatson is mental health program director at the Maryland VA Health Care System, contributing faculty in the online MSW program at Howard University, and lead faculty/assistant professor in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. He is the author of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a children’s book that explains the aftermath of war from a child’s perspective, and he has published in several professional journals on PTSD, suicide prevention, and LGBTQ military consultation, workshops and training to behavioral healthcare providers.

Robin Gilbert, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, has over 25 years of experience in emergency nursing. She is both a certified emergency nurse and certified pediatric emergency nurse. Robin has extensive experience working in the emergency department, progressive care, intermediate care, transitional care, step-down and, currently, as the regional manager for staff development at Central Maine Medical Center. Robin draws on her expertise to teach her own hospital staff and experienced healthcare audiences throughout the country on a variety of critical care and emergency nursing topics. She has been an item writer for the Board Certification of Emergency Nursing (BCEN), a former Chairperson of BCEN, and most recently a contributing writer for the current CEN Review Manual. Robin is an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Association for Nursing Professional Development, and is a reviewer for the ANCC’s Pathway to Excellence.

Joni M. Gilbertson, MA, NCC, LCPC, BC-TMH, is a licensed clinical professional counselor, Certified Clinical Telemental Health Provider (CTMH), Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider and the owner/founder of COPE Counseling Services, LLC where she uses telemental health to assist individuals, couples and families with everyday coping in areas such as relationship, depression, suicide, and general coping skills. She is a Board-certified Telemental Health Provider with years of experience seeing clients using distance counseling. Her counseling centers specialize in treatment for both adults and children. Joni is also experienced as a clinical counselor supervising a mental health staff within a hospital setting and within her clinical practice. She regularly uses distance counseling to work with diverse populations in multiple states. She is licensed as a mental health professional in Illinois and Florida while presently residing in Florida.

Joni completed many trainings in distance counseling and even edited numerous online courses for telemental health. She is a certified trainer in mental health first aid and motivational interviewing. She is also certified in domestic violence facilitation, phototherapy and selective other methods that enhance client awareness. For many years she trained mental health agencies, children and family services, first responders, jails, prisons, and detention centers on mental health topics along with legal and ethical matters of relative concern to each population.

Joni is also a college instructor in the Sociology Department where she teaches mental health and legal issues classes. She was recently nominated and presented with the award for “Teachers Who Make a Difference” due to her engaging and dynamic style of teaching. She makes learning an enjoyable experience with her passion for the topic of using technology for mental health.

Seth J. Gillihan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and bestselling author of The CBT Deck and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple. Dr. Gillihan specializes in a mindfulness-centered form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) known as Think Act Be. He was a full-time faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine from 2008 to 2012, and has been in private practice for the past ten years. Find Dr. Gillihan online at his website: sethgillihan.com.

Donald Hayes, PT, DPT, GTCCS, GCS, has been on the cutting-edge of telehealth in rehab for the past few years. As a physical therapist at the VA hospital in Des Moines, IA, Dr. Hayes worked on an award-winning tele-rehabilitation team to connect homebound veterans in rural settings to outpatient clinics and home health service via telehealth. He is also a member of the APTA’s Frontiers in Research, Science, and Technology (FiRST).

His knowledge and passion for telehealth can be seen in the various articles he has authored or co-authored as well as the presentation that was featured at AOTA’s annual conference in 2017. He has spoken on telehealth for physical and occupational therapists at national conferences. Dr. Hayes earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Northern Iowa in 1996 and his physical therapy degree from the University of Missouri in 2005.

Cheryl Herrmann, RN, MS, APRN, CCRN, CCNS-CSC/CMC, has 35+ years of nursing experience – 15 years as a bedside nurse in SICU, Neuro ICU, and CVICU, and 20 years as a cardiac clinical nurse specialist. As a cardiac SNS, she cares for patients in cardiac prep and recovery, cardiac catheterization, surgery, ICU, telemetry/progressive units, and at discharge. In addition, Cheryl is a prehospital RN for the local ambulance service. She has a passion for cardiac nursing and is an advocate for heart health.

Cheryl is a reviewer for a critical care textbook as well as several nursing journals, one of which, Critical Care Clinics, recently published her article “A Woman’s Heart Is Different.” She is a popular presenter for national conferences such as the American Association of Critical Care Nurses NTI. Cheryl has been honored with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Circle of Excellence – Excellent Clinical Nurse Specialist Award.

Kathy Johnson, MS Ed., has been working with students since 2000 to overcome their reading struggles, as well as other learning issues. She found an excellent program that brought their decoding abilities to grade level in a matter of months. Yet, some could not read the test in grade level books, so she began her exploration into the trainings and therapies that brought students’ success. Many increased their IQ and no longer required extra services. Kathy received training in order to bring these therapies to others which include Primitive Reflex Training by Samuel A. Berne, OD, Therapeutic Listening by Sheila Frick, Samonas Listening by Jill Stowell, PACE by Learning Rx, Phono-Graphix by Read America, Irlen Syndrome, Brain Gym 101, and An Introduction to Rhythmic Movement.

In 2000, Kathy started The Hunter School of Ballston Spa for struggling students, in which she and her assistant taught third through eighth graders required academics while remediating their struggles through therapy during the school hours. In 2002, she started an educational consulting business to screen and remediate student struggles individually. Since then she has also given lectures and workshops to clinics and schools, been a guest on Internet talk radio shows, and wrote The Roadmap from Learning Disabilities to Success plus other DVDs and publications. Kathy earned her Master’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany where she instructed faculty and staff, was an adjunct professor at Schenectady County Community College, and taught at The Adirondack School of Northeastern New York.

Nancy Joyner, RN, MS, APRN-CNS, ACHPN is a nationally recognized consultant, speaker, educator, and author. As a Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, she works as the palliative care specialist disseminating awareness and education regarding palliative care statewide. Nancy has over 40 years of nursing proficiency that includes 17 years as an advanced practice nurse in palliative care. She has had training through the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Nancy created numerous CME sessions on palliative care for the University of North Dakota’s Project ECHO. She has presented and published at local, state, and national levels. She has researched and published articles on POLST and advance care planning. Nancy is an ambassador for the Serious Illness Community of Practice, Ariadne Labs. She is currently president of  Advanced Care Planning of North Dakota (formerly, Honoring Choices® North Dakota), North Dakota’s POLST Program Coordinator and co-creator of the HCND ACP Facilitator Certification Course.