Expert Strategies to Unlock Post-Traumatic Growth

Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, FABP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified psychoanalyst, and active leader in the bio-behavioral sciences. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Research Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and Research Chair & Past-President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy. A Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis, he serves as Clinical Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute and was honored as a 2024 Gina Ogden Curatorial Scholar. His clinical interests span somatic psychotherapy, relational psychoanalysis, human sexuality, and trauma psychology.

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.

Jessica Montgomery, MSW, Certified Hakomi Trainer, has been a somatic counselor and catalyst for over 30 years. Blending brain science with mindful experiential techniques, she facilitates individuals, couples, and communities toward greater wholeness. Her background spans community mental health, private practice, retreats, integrative medicine, and counselor education. A Trainer at the Hakomi Institute of the Pacific Northwest, she has served on faculty at the National University of Natural Medicine, META Institute, and as program director at Breitenbush Retreat Center. She is co-developer of the Primary Attachment model and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Deb Dana, LCSW, is an author, clinician, and consultant using Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve trauma while honoring the autonomic nervous system. She developed the Rhythm of Regulation Clinical Training Series and lectures internationally. Deb is a founding member of the Polyvagal Institute, clinical advisor to Khiron Clinics, and advisor to Unyte. Her clinical works with W.W. Norton include The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection, and the Polyvagal Flip Chart. With Sounds True, she released Befriending Your Nervous System and the book Anchored.

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He is the originator of the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral, mental, and health problems related to traumatic experiences.