Summit: Healing Trauma with EMDR and Applied Neuroscience

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is a pioneering clinician, researcher, and teacher in posttraumatic stress, integrating developmental, neurobiological, and interpersonal aspects of trauma. His bestselling The Body Keeps the Score transformed how we understand trauma. With 150+ peer-reviewed articles, he has studied neuroimaging, memory, neurofeedback, Developmental Trauma, yoga, theater, and EMDR. He is founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University, and PI of the MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy study.

Kai Cheng Thom, MSW, MSc, Qualified Mediator, Certified Professional Jungian Life Coach, and Certified Somatic Sex Educator, is a coach, process facilitator, and mediator whose work focuses on the intersections of trauma healing, Transformative Justice, and social change. A noted theorist and practitioner in the field of conflict resolution, Kai Cheng has made significant contributions towards the integration and application of conflict transformation, crisis intervention, and body-based trauma healing methods in an activist context through her writing and teaching. Kai Cheng maintains a private practice as a one-on-one somatic coach, consultant, and group facilitator, drawing from extensive professional trainings in a wide variety of healing and wellness disciplines. She has also trained hundreds of embodiment and wellness professionals as Adjunct Faculty with the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education and a Senior Teacher at The Embody Lab.

Dr. Scott Lyons (DO, PhD, MS, MFA, CHT, BMCP/T, RSMT, SME, BMCP, IDME, SEP, CST, BFA, RYT-500) is a Clinical Psychologist, Osteopath, and Mind-Body Medicine practitioner who specializes in therapies for infants, youth, and adults. Additionally, Dr. Lyons holds a BFA in Theater/Psychology, and an MFA in Dance/Choreography. Scott is the creator of The Embody Lab — a hub for embodied education, self-discovery and healing— and developer of Somatic Stress Release™ — a processes of restoring our biological adaptation system.

Karee Powers, LICSW, EMDR-C is certified in EMDR and is an EMDR trainer and consultant. She has over 17 years of experience providing psychotherapy in a variety of settings including inpatient facilities, and non-profit organizations offering care for children, adolescents and adult survivors of abuse, neglect, combat trauma, sexual trauma, phobias, generational trauma, and interpersonal traumas. Her private practice and training is centered in work with complex trauma and dissociation, using EMDR, CBT, psychodrama, somatic psychology, and mindfulness. She graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with her Master’s in Social Work.

Sergio Ocampo is a licensed psychotherapist, educator, and co-developer of Dynamic Somatic Touch (DST), an integrative trauma-resolution approach addressing emotional overwhelm, trauma, chronic pain, and illness. His work blends somatic and cognitive therapies including Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, family systems, generational trauma, and depth and spiritual psychology. An adjunct faculty member at Antioch University and contributor to The Embody Lab, Sergio holds leadership roles within Somatic Experiencing communities and teaches internationally, emphasizing that trauma is temporary and resolvable.

Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a clinical psychologist and leading voice in trauma healing. An internationally sought-out teacher, she is the author of seven books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers a mind-body approach to trauma therapy and shares mental health and wellness insights through her writing, speaking, social media, and blog. She believes the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart.

Craig Penner, LMFT, is a psychotherapist, trainer, and consultant who has been in private practice in California since 1982. His work integrates somatic psychotherapy, EMDR, and bilateral stimulation to support efficient, nervous-system–informed healing. Craig is the developer of Natural Processing, an approach grounded in the belief that people have an innate drive toward resolution. An EMDRIA-approved consultant and longtime facilitator with the EMDR Institute, he has trained and consulted therapists across North America for decades.

Stacy Ruse, LPC, RYT, is a trauma expert and owner of Aglow Counseling, where she offers global training and consultation services using IFS, EMDR, Transpersonal, and Yoga therapies. Her warm approach, while deeply rooted in trauma-informed methodologies, is also characterized by a transpersonal twist that transcends the boundaries of traditional therapy. She is an IFS-Institute Approved Consultant, Evergreen EMDR Consultant, and Registered Yoga Teacher.