Advisory Board

Chris Aiken, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist whose work focuses on natural and lifestyle approaches to mood disorders. He is the director of the Mood Treatment Center, Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report, the bipolar Section Editor for Psychiatric Times, and an instructor at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He hosts the weekly Carlat Psychiatry Podcast with Kellie Newsome, PMH-NP.

Dr. Aiken’s interest in mood disorders came from experience with close friends who suffered from depression. He began his career as a research assistant at the National Institute of Mental Health and went on to complete medical school at Yale and residency at Cornell and Duke Medical Centers. He remains active in research, and his work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and books. He lives in North Carolina with his wife Lisa and twin children, David and Eleanor.

Sherrie All, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, cognitive rehabilitation and brain health. She owns and directs the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness (CCCW), a group neuropsychology practice offering assessment and treatment services in cognitive rehabilitation and psychotherapy to people affected by cognitive decline.

As a leader in the field of brain health, Dr. All works to educate the public on brain-healthy behaviors and innovating brain health coaching. Her work in this area earned her the 2010 Sharpbrains Innovation Award for Most Innovative Mental Health Program as well as the attention of media outlets such as The New Yorker and Crain’s Chicago Business.Dr. All trains other professionals in how to implement cognitive rehabilitation interventions into their practice, through continuing education programs, supervision and individual consultations.

Dr. All’s forthcoming book and current keynote address, Brain Destiny: Everyday Choices to Lower Your Risk for Dementia and Change Your Life, offers an entertaining way of promoting a popular understanding of the scientific theory of cognitive reserve to empower people to effectively care for their brains. She has been an invited speaker by the Lifetime Education and Renewal Network (LEARN) of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and speaks regularly on the topics of brain health, cognitive rehabilitation and interventions for early-stage dementia. Dr. All’s research includes examination of functional MRI (fMRI) and electrophysiological (EEG) biomarkers of cognitive deficits.

As a naturopathic physician, national speaker, and pioneering advocate for the use of whole foods nutrition in the treatment of mental health disorders and addictions, Dr. Allott is passionate about achievable results. With more than fifteen years of clinical experience, she has refined her expertise on how to promote increased mental, emotional and physical functioning by treating the physical causes of mental health, fatigue, and sugar cravings. Dr. Allott is the co-author of Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety: Stop the Cycle of Worry, Fatigue, and Sugar Cravings with Simple Protein-Rich Foods (February 2021).

Dr. Allott has worked as a residential counselor for adolescents in mental health crises and advocated for the educational rights for individuals with learning disabilities. She is currently on the academic faculty at Bastyr University and serves as a guest lecturer for a variety of groups. As a physician and acupuncturist, she enjoys studying how daily life affects the biochemistry, physiology, and qi (energy) of the body. As a black belt in Aikido, she has studied the intimate connections between the mind, emotions and body.

Debra Alvis, PhD is a licensed psychologist, private practitioner, and yoga therapist with over twenty-five years of clinical experience in supporting clients’ recovery from shame, trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational concerns. She retired as faculty from the University of Georgia where she developed and led the Mind/Body Program, created a clinician training program integrating contemplative approaches into psychotherapy, and taught health psychology graduate students to apply neuroscientific and somatic approaches.

Debra’s interest in the treatment of shame began in the early 1990’s while exploring self-psychology and neuroanatomy. Her curiosity about how psychotherapeutic interventions could best engage the brain’s capacity to grow and change led her to study with leading experts Dan Siegel, Rick Hanson, and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. She combined this neuroscientific/somatic foundation with attachment, contemplative, and cognitive approaches. She discovered that wedding brain-based principals and body-oriented approaches with traditional psychotherapeutic orientations helped clients to recover more quickly from shame. As the shame lessened, clients’ co-morbid anxiety, depression, and addictions resolved more easefully. Debra has refined the application of her integrative shame treatment model through her work in private practice and as a clinical supervisor, educator, and consultant.

Frank Guastella Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is the Vice Chair, Director, trainer for the Center for Self Leadership with Richard Schwartz, PhD, and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy- New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on “What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy" and recently coauthored the Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.

Patti Ashley, PhD, licensed professional counselor has integrated 40 years of experience in special education, child development, and psychology into her wholehearted work as a psychotherapist, author, international speaker, and authenticity architect coach. She brings unique insights into the identification and treatment of shame, trauma, grief and dysfunctional family patterns.

Dr. Ashley owns and operates Authenticity Architects in Boulder, Colorado. Her inimitable Authenticity Architecture model facilitates long-term changes in the brain and nervous system, helping clients break through unconscious barriers and rediscover a sense of self-love, belonging, and connection. As a licensed professional counselor since 2000, Dr. Ashley has counseled a myriad of individuals, couples, families and groups in mental health agencies, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice settings. She also has many years of experience developing continuing education courses for physicians, hospital wellness programs, universities and other organizations.

Dr. Ashley holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in psychology from the Union Institute and University, a Master of Education Degree in early childhood from Old Dominion University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in special education from James Madison University. She is the author of Living in the Shadow of the Too-Good Mother Archetype (2014), Letters to Freedom (2019), and Shame-Informed Therapy: Treatment Strategies to Overcome Core Shame and Reconstruct the Authentic Self (2020). For more information, please visit www.pattiashley.com.

Mary B. Asper, MS, CCC-SLP, has over 40 years experience working with children, adults, families and educators from all walks of life in many different capacities. For the last 10 years, Mary’s focus has been on developing and implementing effective techniques and strategies to help students with language learning disabilities succeed in school. She is involved in all areas of treatment for dyslexia, including diagnosis, program development and implementation, therapeutic intervention and professional development for SLPs and educators. Mary has developed strategies to address linguistic, cognitive and social concerns based on best-practice recommendations and current neuro-scientific findings, through her work with students from the early grades through high school. Mary is the president and speech-language pathologist for her company, Codding Hollow Associates, Inc. and coordinates a team of related professionals who serve students with severe language learning disabilities and communication disorders. She holds certification from the American Speech-Language Association, is a former board member for the Vermont Speech-Language Association and an instructor in Special Topics: Language Disorder for Lyndon State College in Vermont.

Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. He practices medicine in the greater Minneapolis area. In addition to his private practice, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years. Steven is the co-founder of Twin Cities Physicians, which serves older adults in nearly all levels of their care. He has presented nationally for over 15 years, primarily speaking bout geriatric-related syndromes. Steven is a published author and also sits on several boards whose purpose is to elevate the level of care in medicine for the patients they serve.

Aimee M. Bailey, PT, DPT, RYT-200hour, has 17 years of experience in a variety of settings, but with a focus in Women’s Health/Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. Aimee has advanced training in assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor, pelvic pain, and orthopedic assessment of the pelvic floor through the APTA and Herman Wallace. She is a member of Global Pelvic Health Alliance (GPHAM) and the Pelvic Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

She is a certified Clinical Instructor through APTA since 2011, training students for the last 8 years in her passion for women’s health. She served as a Director of Rehab for 6 years and managed a clinical staff of 80 therapists. She is a yoga instructor at the 200-hour level, prenatal yoga instructor and paddle board yoga instructor. She loves to use yoga to help treat people with pelvic pain and incontinence.

She is the owner of a cash-based private practice- Terra Lotus, LLC and the creator and host of The Nashville Women’s Health Podcast. She balances her work with her family and has 3 lively daughters. She is actively homeschooling her children and they are teaching her how to live life to the fullest.

Justin Baker, PhD, ABPP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at OSUMC and the Clinical Director for the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans (STRIVE), a research and clinical treatment program that prioritizes evidence-based treatment for veterans, first responders, and their family members. He is a board-certified clinical psychologist and military veteran focused on improving interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and suicide among military service members and veterans. He is currently project lead on several federally funded studies to include a peer-mentoring program aimed at suicide risk reduction that teaches peer mentors how to implement crisis response plans (CRP), a suicide prevention intervention demonstrated to reduce suicide attempts by 76%, with at risk peers within their military unit. Dr. Baker is also a national consultant and trainer for CRP and Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (BCBT), two evidence-based suicide prevention interventions and is currently principal investigator on a clinical trial adapting BCBT for telehealth services.

Russell A. Barkley, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children and Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA. He is a Diplomate (board certified) in three specialties, Clinical Psychology (ABPP), Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN, ABPP). Dr. Barkley is a clinical scientist, educator, and practitioner who has published 23 books, rating scales, and clinical manuals numbering 41 editions. He has also published more than 270 scientific articles and book chapters related to the nature, assessment, and treatment of ADHD and related disorders. He is the founder and Editor of the bimonthly clinical newsletter, The ADHD Report, now in its 25th year of publication. Dr. Barkley has presented more than 800 invited addresses internationally and appeared on nationally televised programs such as 60 Minutes, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and many other programs on behalf of those with ADHD. His websites are www.russellbarkley.org and ADHDLectures.com.

Kiplee Bell, MD, earned board certification as a Physician Assistant, an additional master’s degree in Gerontology and finally her Doctorate in Medicine. Over the course of her career, Dr. Bell has worked in acute care, urgent care, ambulatory care and long-term care settings. Currently, she often diagnoses and treats geriatric patients for a variety of medical and behavioral symptoms.

She has served as a consultant to pharmaceutical companies across the U.S. on the impact of drug development on geriatric patients and has been published in several academic journals. She is respected by both her patients and professional associates for her ability to communicate meaningful information in a memorable, practical manner. To learn more about Dr. Bell, please visit: www.impactfulcaregiving.com

Jeffery Bernstein, PhD, is a licensed counseling psychologist with extensive experience working with children and teens, as well as adults, couples, and families. He completed his post-doctoral internship at the University of Pennsylvania Counseling Center and holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. Dr. Bernstein has appeared on the Today Show and Court TV as an expert advisor and frequently presents at conferences for school counselors and mental health professionals.

He is the author of seven books The Anxiety, Depression, & Anger Toolbox for Teens, The Stress Survival Guide for Teens, Mindfulness for Teen Worry, 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child, 10 Days to Less Distracted Child, Liking the Child You Love, and Why Can’t You Read My Mind. Dr. Bernstein has also published the Letting Go of Anger Therapeutic Card Deck, a therapeutic card deck widely used by mental health professionals.

Abi Blakeslee, SEP, CMT, MFT, PhD is an international expert in the field of trauma recovery and the founder of Implicit Psychotherapy. She is senior faculty at the Somatic Experiencing International and additionally legacy faculty for Dr. Peter Levine’s Ergos Institute for Somatic Education. She is the Director of Training and Education for the Neuro-Consulting Group.

Dr. Blakeslee holds a PhD in clinical and somatic psychology and an MA in counseling and depth psychology. Her dissertation generated original research on the role of implicit memory in healing trauma. Dr. Blakeslee integrates the study of implicit memory and psychophysiology in clinical research, secondary trauma interventions, and the psychobiological principles of attachment and shock trauma. Dr. Blakeslee teaches and consults worldwide.

Dr. Charles Boulet, BSc, BEd, OD - “Dr. B” completed a Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he majored in neural science and neuropsychology. This was followed by a Bachelor’s of Education in French which included training in curriculum design and instruction. Dr. B immediately started teaching sciences in a new French Immersion program in Northern Alberta, Canada, where he authored a novel program of hands-on science instruction, and a new manual for high school chemistry instruction. During his time as a teacher, Dr. B continued to pursue studies in Information Technology After 8 years of instruction, he took a position as security technology coordinator for the BHP-Ekati Diamond Mine, a position he held for three years through to the end of the mine’s commissioning. At that point, Dr. B started an independent IT consulting firm that took him to virtually every corner of the Northwest Territories. A strong desire to return to work in education and child development led him to Pacific University in Oregon where he completed a doctorate in developmental and rehabilitation optometry in 2008. After graduating from Pacific U., Dr. B returned to Alberta and set up a now thriving practice in Black Diamond, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Along with his clinical work, Dr. B is involved with ongoing research and advocacy with professionals from around the world, including a handful of publications and a growing library of online content. He has also been a loud advocate for essential vision care for underserved populations. Dr. B was instrumental in promoting Alberta’s Child Vision Assessment Act in 2014, which sought to achieve common vision exams for all children in the Province. Dr. Boulet launched the Vision Mechanic project in 2020 which included a general information website, visionmechanic.net, as well as an online school for interested professionals at vision-mechanic.teachable.com.

Melissa Bradley-Ball, MS, NCC, BCETS, FAAETS, is a psychotherapist, clinical educator, corporate consultant and mediator. She is a Fellow, Diplomate and board-certified expert in traumatic stress for the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. She has been a frequent keynote speaker at national and statewide conferences and has provided training internationally to more than 350,000 professionals, including mental health providers, medical providers, clergy and chaplains, law enforcement, and legal professionals. She is a former child abuse investigator who has provided expert testimony in criminal and civil court. Ms. Bradley-Ball has been a frequent guest on regional and national radio and television news addressing rape and sexual abuse. She has served as a subject matter expert on a pilot program focused on military leadership and sexual assault and harassment.

Paul Brasler, MA, MSW, LCSW, has worked in the social work field for the past 22 years. His work experience includes adolescent residential treatment, inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment, experiential group process, being a mental health provider on a hostage negotiation team, drug court senior clinician, private practice with individuals and families, and crisis interventions. For the past seven years, Paul has worked in five emergency departments in the greater Richmond, Virginia area conducting psychiatric assessments of patients in crisis. Paul helps the most vulnerable population in his community, and he enjoys the intersection of mental health, substance abuse and medicine.

William Brim, PsyD, is a clinical health and forensic psychologist and executive director of a large DoD healthcare provider training and education center. He has been involved in the military for over 40 years from ROTC in high school and college, to enlisting in the US Army and being commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force as a clinical psychologist. Dr. Brim is President-Elect of the Military Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. He delivered hundreds of seminars and workshops and has written over twenty book chapters and articles on military culture and its impact on the healthcare of service members, veterans and their families.

Trent Brown, MOT, OTR/L, ATP, BCG, is a practicing therapist in Utah and is one of 36 credential holders of a board certification in gerontology (BCG) from the AOTA. Mr. Brown also holds a certification as an assistive technology professional (ATP) from RESNA. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Utah where he is also an adjunct professor. He is employed by the Department of Health (UDOH) to develop, implement, and operate healthcare quality improvement programs and has authored multiple laws to legislate improved patient care. Mr. Brown also reviews clinical documentation for UDOH as an expert witness in reviewing cases. Mr. Brown has over 15 years of clinical experience in skilled nursing, transitional care, acute, and home health. Recently, he served as the VP for the UOTA where he co-authored SB 131 advancing OT practice in the state of Utah and has received multiple awards for his clinical, academic, and legislative work. Through his expertise in advocating for therapy services authoring law and rule he has evolved into an expert presenter on ethical and legal issues facing therapy. Mr. Brown has provided courses for thousands of clinicians throughout the country in conferences, private settings, and specialty conferences. Mr. Brown is a master clinician and lecturer on a myriad of topics including joint arthroplasty, core strengthening, documentation, aging, functional mobility, ethics, and fall reduction. He has also been a keynote speaker at multiple events throughout the country.

Colleen Burns, MA, LMHC, LADCI, CIMHP has over 20 years of experience in counseling individuals and families and is the founder of Restore Body Balance in Brookline, MA, where she guides clients as an integrative health counselor, using tailored whole-health programs to meet the needs of each client. Ms. Burns injects emerging research into her practice and her vast expertise and pivotal methodology of combining traditional psychotherapy with adjunct therapies allows her clients to experience the full breadth of long-lasting changes in their lives. Ms. Burns received a Master's in counseling psychology from Boston College, MA. She has worked for public and private sector organizations, as well as nonprofit agencies and government-sponsored programs. Ms. Burns was a staff clinician at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, has lectured nationally at conferences and co-authored a treatment manual for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), a National Institute on Drug Abuse- (NIDA) funded study.

Colleen A. Burns is a licensed mental health counselor, LMHC, licensed alcohol and drug counselor LADCI, a certified integrative health coach and certified mind-body practitioner. She has over 20 years of experience in counseling individuals and families and is the founder of Restore Body Balance in Brookline, MA, where she guides clients as an integrative health counselor, using tailored whole-health programs to meet the needs of each client. Ms. Burns injects emerging research into her practice and her vast expertise and pivotal methodology of combining traditional psychotherapy with adjunct therapies allows her clients to experience the full breadth of long-lasting changes in their lives.

Ms. Burns received a Master's in counseling psychology from Boston College, MA. She has worked for public and private sector organizations, as well as nonprofit agencies and government-sponsored programs. Ms. Burns was a staff clinician at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, has lectured nationally at conferences and co-authored a treatment manual for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), a National Institute on Drug Abuse- (NIDA) funded study.

Kathryne Cammisa, MHE, OTR/L, is an SI/NDT certified occupational therapist, American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer, Pranakriya certified yoga therapist, Radiant Child/Family 200 hour certified yoga teacher and Mindful Schools certified mindfulness teacher. Kathee has over 25 years of experience working with children with special needs in home, school, child care and clinic settings. She works with children and their families through her private practice and at Children’s Place, a therapeutic child care center. Kathee has extensive teaching experience throughout the country, with Georgia State’s Project SCEIS, and the Medical College of Georgia where she served as assistant professor of occupational therapy. She has been published by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Mental Health and has taken yoga and occupational therapy to children in China, Vietnam, Costa Rica and Ghana.

Dr. Nicolle (Matthews) Carr received her PhD in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst through a program at Penn State University. Dr. Carr currently works as a behavioral consultant in local school districts and teaches online courses for universities and colleges around the country. She was most recently appointed to the Autism Crisis Committee at OU Health Science Center and the School Climate and Culture Task Force for Norman Public Schools. She is the secretary for the American Psychological Association's Society of Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology (Division 6) and the Applied Behavior Analysis Special Interest Group on Ethics.

Filissa M Caserta MSN, ACNP-BC, CNRN is certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Neuroscience Registered Nurse who currently works in Endovascular Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD. She has worked in the field of Neurosciences, specifically Neuro-critical Care and Endovascular Neurosurgery in various capacities for most of her 34 year nursing career. In addition to her role as Nurse Practitioner, Filissa has held positions as Nurse Manager, Adjunct Faculty at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and Program Director for Nursing Practice. She instituted the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program for The Johns Hopkins Hospital Neuroscience Critical Care Unit. Filissa has contributed to a wide variety of academic publications on neurocritical care and advanced practice nursing. She has shared her specialty expertise through national and international lectures.