Founders
Marissa Ghavami
Founder
Marissa Ghavami
Marissa founded Healing TREE in 2014 and currently serves as the nonprofit’s Chief Executive Officer. Healing TREE was established in direct response to a vast need that Marissa and her co-founders Debbie Ghavami and Bruce Hardy, Ph.D., saw during Marissa’s own healing journey. After experiencing various forms of abuse and suffering from severe trauma during her late adolescence, Marissa was fortunate to receive trauma-focused treatment modalities and heal from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). She then set out to create an organization that addresses the gaps she found preventing countless others from healing from various forms of abuse and trauma, the ramifications of which she learned greatly impact society as a whole.
As an advocate, in addition to developing and overseeing all of Healing TREE’s programming and operations, Marissa is a national and keynote speaker, giving educational and inspirational speaking engagements including workshops, trainings, Continuing Education Units, breakout speeches and keynotes on abuse, trauma and healing at college campuses, medical clinics, residential treatment facilities and conferences across the country. She is also a published writer and the producer and co-writer of Healing TREE’s upcoming short film, Silk to be directed by John Magaro (The Big Short, Carol).
Marissa is also an actor, singer, voice over artist and model. Marissa is passionate about merging the arts and advocacy, using the arts as both a healing tool and a platform for positive change. Her work in the entertainment industry spans theatre, film, television, cabaret, commercial, radio and print. Her talent brought her national attention when she won the opportunity to sing at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York City on NBC’s It’s Showtime at the Apollo and was named their “Star of Tomorrow.” It was there that she was discovered by the show’s producer, living legend Suzanne De Passe (Motown, The Jackson 5). She then went on to act on CBS’s Without a Trace, Disney’s The Suite Life on Deck, and in David Chase’s (Emmy-winning creator of the hit HBO show The Sopranos) theatrically released feature film Not Fade Away, starring James Gandolfini, et. al. She has been seen on stage in New York originating the leading role of Kate in the World Premiere of The White Oak of Johnston. She has sung at New York City hot spots 54 Below and Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater and was the runner up in the LA’s Next Great Stage Star Competition. She has done voice over work for such widely known brands as McDonald’s, Ford and JCPenney. Additionally, she has done commercial and print work for Belvedere, PepsiCo’s AMP Energy Drink, Kroger, Vartali Hair Salon in New York City, Girl Scout Cookies and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Recently, Marissa starred in the feature film A Good Journey: The Gift of Christmas featuring Academy Award Nominee Bruce Davison and Dee Wallace (E.T.) She was a guest star on The Rigano Songbook’s musical web series Broadway On Deck, hosted by All Things Broadway. She was seen as a lead in the Off-Broadway staged reading of They Told Me To Use It at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival and in the NYC premiere of The Alchemy of Imperfection. Additionally, she can be found modeling New York based fashion designer Claudia Amaya’s 2018/19 Fall/Winter line. She made her Birdland Jazz Club debut in January 2019.
In 2012 she completed a two-year actor training program at The William Esper Studio, the world’s foremost studio dedicated to Meisner-based actor training, and has studied singing with the renowned Seth Riggs and, currently, Liz Caplan. She is a 2015/2016 ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty) Fellow and participant in the 2015 ASTEP Artist As Citizen Conference at Juilliard. She is the winner of the “Way To Go Woman Award” for Today’s Woman magazine, featured in the September 2016 issue. She is featured in Nancy Miller’s book One Hundred Fascinating Louisville Women and was given a mayoral proclamation of “Marissa Ghavami Day” in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Marissa has two Bengal mix cat rescues, Sebastian and Viola and is based in New York City.
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Debbie Ghavami
Co-Founder
Debbie Ghavami
As a co-founder of Healing TREE and the mother to the Founder, whose experience with trauma and subsequent healing was the catalyst for this organization, Debbie knows firsthand the nightmare and devastation trauma can cause. Having witnessed the destruction her daughter was left to heal from, Debbie was not only determined to get her daughter the proper help she needed in order to fully heal but was also determined to make a difference. Debbie’s constant plea became, “Help me to help my daughter!”
Debbie heavily immersed herself in researching and talking with experts across the United States in order to understand how to heal from such trauma and to identify the best treatment for her daughter’s healing. Many of these contacts have contributed to the wealth of knowledge that can be found on Healing TREE’s website.
Prior to the family’s devastation, ensuing healing and her interest in advocacy, Debbie’s professional career has included being a Buyer and Manager for an upscale woman’s shoe and clothing store, a Cosmetic Manager, and a Director of Event Planning at a four star restaurant. Currently, Debbie holds a Kentucky Real Estate license, on occasion assists her restaurateur husband, Majid, during special events at his restaurant, and started working part time in cosmetics again.
Debbie is so grateful and proud of her daughter’s fortitude, in not only healing, but in starting Healing TREE. Today mother and daughter continue to work together to help all those whose plea is, “Help me to help………!”
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Bruce Hardy, Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Bruce Hardy, Ph.D.
Dr. Bruce Hardy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, approved as a Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor and certified as a Sexual Addiction Therapist and Multiple Addictions Therapist. He has been practicing since 1986. Prior to his work in the mental health field, Dr. Hardy worked as a police officer, EMS responder and pastor. He also holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology. Since 2000, he has been the Director and Owner of Hardy Associates, LLC where he specializes in treating people who have experienced trauma. He treats people with a history of physical, emotional, verbal, and religious abuse, people who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and dissociative disorders and people with sexual compulsive disorders and addictions. He also offers Marriage and Family Therapy. He is certified in EMDR therapy and holds a certificate from the International Institute For Trauma and Addiction as well as the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
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Board of Directors
Jeff Burnett
President, Treasurer
Jeff Burnett
Jeff is a Financial Advisor with Somnio Capital Solutions, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., where he works with individuals and businesses in the areas of retirement planning strategies, investments and insurance. In addition, he is also a partner in REM Real Estate, LLC. A Louisville native, Jeff may best be known for his years of providing countless hours of entertainment as a musician in the band Nervous Melvin & the Mistakes, where he won Louisville Magazine, “Best of Louisville” awards as well as helping to raise both money and recognition for numerous charities and organizations. Today, he continues that work with the popular local band This, That & the Other, often performing Emcee duties at various galas and events. Jeff holds a Masters in Arts and Teaching degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Louisville.
In addition to his role with Healing TREE, Jeff is the President of the Lyndonwoods Office Condo Association. He has previously served as Chairman of the Holy Spirit School, School Advisory Committee, Board member for Wesley House Community Services, Board member for Afterimages Dance Company, and Chairman of the Board of Crescent Hill United Methodist Church. Jeff also served eight years as a Commissioner for the city of Thornhill, KY.
When he isn’t working, Jeff spends time with his daughters Eliza and Charlotte. He cherishes his time with friends and family and most loves being a dad. Nicknamed “the mayor,” Jeff loves being involved in the community and helping others in any way he can.
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Sarah Rogers
Secretary, Strategy
Sarah Rogers
Sarah Rogers works for Humana, a Fortune 100 company, as a Strategic Consultant within the Innovation Center partnered with Humana’s At Home business. In her role, she is focused on developing programs for members with Congestive Heart Failure using the principles of User Centered Design. Since joining Humana in 2005 as part of the Consulting Practice, she has held roles of increasing responsibility in Medical Cost Management, Medicare Network Filing, National Contracting, and Healthcare Services Finance, Planning, and Administration.
Sarah graduated from Mary Baldwin College with a BA in Psychology and obtained an MBA in Entrepreneurship and New Business Development from the University of Louisville. In her free time, Sarah serves on the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky board and as board treasurer for the Levy Building Condo Association. In 2015, Sarah was honored as one of Louisville Business First’s top Forty Under 40.
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Andrew Aebersold
Digital Marketing
Andrew Aebersold
Andrew brings over 25 years of professional experience in advertising and technology. Starting at the age of 10 he taught himself computer programming, and he went on to get degrees in business administration and a bachelor of arts from Indiana University. Prior to founding Mediaura 14 years ago, Andrew launched two successful digital departments for other agencies. His vast knowledge of technology and experience in advertising steers the Mediaura ship in the right direction, creatively helping clients by using technology to enhance traditional advertising techniques.
The proprietary software solution known as ADBuilder (aka Pro Builder PDF) platform was created by Andrew and subsequently licensed to Community Health Systems. This system managed all marketing materials for hundreds of hospitals, assisting in multiple mergers and acquisitions to ensure all messaging was branded correctly and delivered in the appropriate format to the proper publications. This system was licensed to other brands, including LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and Einstein Brother’s Bagels.
Andrew innovated and patented a unique digital menu board software system that streamlined in-store messaging for over 1,000 displays in KFC restaurants nationwide, reducing operating costs and increasing revenue by showing the right message to consumers at the right time of day. This system was also licensed to other companies, such as Long John Silver’s and Back Yard Burgers.
Andrew also built an online ad approval software package to streamline ad approvals from hundreds of local agencies creating and advertising on behalf of franchisees for KFC. The corporate office wanted to reduce liability by having all appropriate parties sign off on correct materials in a digital format. This system aggregated content, assigned it to the appropriate people for approval, tracked revisions and feedback, and organized it all in an easy to use online portal. This system is still in use today for all advertising nationally and reduces the total time required to seek approval and has improved branding consistency.
Andrew developed an online coupon software platform and licensed it to KFC and Long John Silver’s to help with distributing offers to the appropriate geographically targeted areas. This portal has served millions of users annually and allows the brands to track their consumers, create additional touch points, improve lead generation, and ultimately increase revenue by driving sales with a system controlled and operated by Mediaura. This system is still in use today by Long John Silver’s.
In addition to these larger software projects, Andrew has personally developed and overseen hundreds of websites on a variety of platforms over the years. He was an original developer for the Joomla CMS and has developed custom plugins and software on the WordPress platform as well. Integrating various platforms and utilizing them in the most efficient and effective way is a hallmark of Andrew’s technical methodology. Being a developer first and an advertiser second, he has the vision to create a solid foundation that can be fine-tuned to maximize results.
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Natalie Andrews
Production & Administrative Assistant
Natalie Andrews
Natalie is a teaching artist, musician, actress, and producer and in recent years has become an advocate for creativity as an effective mental health management tool. She owns and operates Songbird Studios, offering voice and piano lessons to learners of all ages. She also serves as Vice President of the Board for The Bridge Initiative, a theatre nonprofit promoting gender parity in leadership roles in the arts. While earning her B.F.A. at the University of Oklahoma she worked for the Office of Recruitment, gaining extensive experience in conducting interviews, database management and team building. She has also been a presenter at the Berklee City Music Summit hosted at Columbia College, where she spoke about her ongoing research collaboration Original Music Programming: Nurturing the Human Artist.
Natalie’s knowledge and personal practice of treatment modalities developed out of necessity when she began her own healing process in 2014 and includes yoga, Somatic Experiencing (SE), theatre and music, movement, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and mindfulness. Having been through the therapist search both for herself and others, Natalie understands how difficult and important it is for vulnerable individuals to find good care. Natalie resides in Phoenix, AZ with her husband Brian, and her two cats, Ophelia and Pierre.
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Jeff Hadley
Jeff Hadley
Jeff has over 20 years of leadership experience designing, developing and administering services within the non-profit, behavioral and mental health treatment field.
He created a Community-Based Treatment Services Division for the Home of the Innocents, and established one of Kentucky’s largest in-home treatment programs for child victims of abuse and those with developmental disabilities.
For eight years he served as the Chief Executive Officer for Boys and Girls Haven, one of the Kentucky’s premier providers of mental health treatment services for children in the child welfare system. During that time, Jeff became a public policy advocate and change agent for issues affecting funding for health care services for Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.
Jeff is now parlaying the management and new initiative creation skills that he developed in the social service arena with a move into the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Venture First, a leading financial services group, Jeff is adapting innovative strategies and business solutions to tackle complex problems within social impact groups. Jeff is leveraging his executive leadership skills and the business management principles he developed with his Entrepreneurship MBA from the University of Louisville, as he helps to affect lasting change via innovative companies and organizations.
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MJ Kinman
Strategy & Fundraising
MJ Kinman
MJ has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in the non-profit sector, Corporate America, and as a successful textile artist. “Multi-faceted” is an apt word, given that she is now known for the giant diamond portraits she creates with fabric and paint.
For the past 25 years, MJ has guided programs and projects in the not-for- profit and private sectors. She led Louisville’s earliest self-sufficiency programs and served as one of the first Administrators of the innovative Neighborhood Place program, a collaboration of state and local agencies. MJ also guided development efforts that raised nearly $1 million for local organizations, as well as National Public Radio’s popular program, “This I Believe”.
After making the leap from the non-profit arena to the corporate world, MJ served as a technology project manager leading teams at a Louisville Fortune 100 company. Her teams implemented online systems, developed benefit programs, and participated in Merger & Acquisition efforts.
Concurrently with her 25-year tenure in the non-profit and business worlds, she developed her unique style of art quilts that look like faceted diamonds. In 2014, the call to the creative life became so deafening that she walked away from the lucrative corporate gig to pursue her artistic career on a full-time basis. Since then, her gems have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and national juried competitions. The Women’s Jewelry Association featured an exhibit of her work at their 2017 annual Awards for Excellence Gala in New York City. Her work has been featured in Quilting Arts Magazine and Quilting Arts TV, a program distributed nationally by PBS affiliates. She teaches around the country, is developing a line of fabric for quiltmakers, and has three books in the works with C&T Publishing. Since receiving the green light from curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, MJ has started working on a new series of gem art quilts inspired by the National Gem Collection including the Hope Diamond, the Blue Heart Diamond, the Janet Annenberg Hooker Emerald, and others.
Her gems are also part of numerous residential and corporate collections. Most notably, Maker’s Mark Distillery recently commissioned a major work for their permanent art collection. (If you visit Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY, you’ll see MJ’s work “Maker’s Flame” in the Star Hill Provisions restaurant.)
MJ returns to our Board of Directors after having served as Board President in 2016. During her tenure as President, MJ helped navigate the team through our rebranding effort, developed our organizational policies and procedures, helped us plan and host our first annual gala, and implemented our Customer Relationship Management software to track donations and improve our fundraising capacity.
MJ holds a master’s degree in Social Work Administration from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She lives in Louisville with her husband Joe and their three pups, Lexie, Xena and Sherlock.
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Laura Krebs Lewis
Laura Krebs Lewis
Laura has 20+ years of experience in the behavioral and mental health treatment field. She is Executive Director-Kentucky for Omni Community Health; Board Chair for Children’s Alliance Kentucky; Partner in Solutions: Your Guide to Kentucky Mental Health Services; Event Committee member for the Bridge to Light Awards; Presentation Academy Alumni Board Member and Ascension Festival Chair.
Laura created Transformations, with her business partner, in 1998 to serve those most vulnerable with intensive in home services to reduce the need of out of home care and/or psychiatric hospital admissions. In 2013 she partnered to create Ability! to provide conflict free case management for the Supports for Community Living & Michelle P Waiver recipients. She actively worked as a partner until accepting the role of Executive Director of Omni Community Health in January of 2019.
Identifying the need for access to resources & supports she partnered in 2014 with Road to Recovery (adult nursing home resource magazine) to create Solutions: Your Guide to Kentucky Mental Health Services in order to establish a free, easily accessible guide for those seeking help. Laura continues to work on the success of Solutions, and its collaborative partnership with Bridgehaven, to hold the annual Bridge to Light Awards recognizing providers across the state who excel at supporting providers making a difference in the lives of others.
Most importantly- Laura can always be found on the sidelines cheering on her amazing kids as they do what they love most!
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Staff + Volunteers
Marissa Ghavami
CEO
Marissa Ghavami
Marissa founded Healing TREE in 2014 and currently serves as the nonprofit’s Chief Executive Officer. Healing TREE was established in direct response to a vast need that Marissa and her co-founders Debbie Ghavami and Bruce Hardy, Ph.D., saw during Marissa’s own healing journey. After experiencing various forms of abuse and suffering from severe trauma during her late adolescence, Marissa was fortunate to receive trauma-focused treatment modalities and heal from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). She then set out to create an organization that addresses the gaps she found preventing countless others from healing from various forms of abuse and trauma, the ramifications of which she learned greatly impact society as a whole.
As an advocate, in addition to developing and overseeing all of Healing TREE’s programming and operations, Marissa is a national and keynote speaker, giving educational and inspirational speaking engagements including workshops, trainings, Continuing Education Units, breakout speeches and keynotes on abuse, trauma and healing at college campuses, medical clinics, residential treatment facilities and conferences across the country. She is also a published writer and the producer and co-writer of Healing TREE’s upcoming short film, Silk to be directed by John Magaro (The Big Short, Carol).
Marissa is also an actor, singer, voice over artist and model. Marissa is passionate about merging the arts and advocacy, using the arts as both a healing tool and a platform for positive change. Her work in the entertainment industry spans theatre, film, television, cabaret, commercial, radio and print. Her talent brought her national attention when she won the opportunity to sing at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York City on NBC’s It’s Showtime at the Apollo and was named their “Star of Tomorrow.” It was there that she was discovered by the show’s producer, living legend Suzanne De Passe (Motown, The Jackson 5). She then went on to act on CBS’s Without a Trace, Disney’s The Suite Life on Deck, and in David Chase’s (Emmy-winning creator of the hit HBO show The Sopranos) theatrically released feature film Not Fade Away, starring James Gandolfini, et. al. She has been seen on stage in New York originating the leading role of Kate in the World Premiere of The White Oak of Johnston. She has sung at New York City hot spots 54 Below and Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater and was the runner up in the LA’s Next Great Stage Star Competition. She has done voice over work for such widely known brands as McDonald’s, Ford and JCPenney. Additionally, she has done commercial and print work for Belvedere, PepsiCo’s AMP Energy Drink, Kroger, Vartali Hair Salon in New York City, Girl Scout Cookies and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Recently, Marissa starred in the feature film A Good Journey: The Gift of Christmas featuring Academy Award Nominee Bruce Davison and Dee Wallace (E.T.) She was a guest star on The Rigano Songbook’s musical web series Broadway On Deck, hosted by All Things Broadway. She was seen as a lead in the Off-Broadway staged reading of They Told Me To Use It at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival and in the NYC premiere of The Alchemy of Imperfection. Additionally, she can be found modeling New York based fashion designer Claudia Amaya’s 2018/19 Fall/Winter line. She made her Birdland Jazz Club debut in January 2019.
In 2012 she completed a two-year actor training program at The William Esper Studio, the world’s foremost studio dedicated to Meisner-based actor training, and has studied singing with the renowned Seth Riggs and, currently, Liz Caplan. She is a 2015/2016 ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty) Fellow and participant in the 2015 ASTEP Artist As Citizen Conference at Juilliard. She is the winner of the “Way To Go Woman Award” for Today’s Woman magazine, featured in the September 2016 issue. She is featured in Nancy Miller’s book One Hundred Fascinating Louisville Women and was given a mayoral proclamation of “Marissa Ghavami Day” in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Marissa has two Bengal mix cat rescues, Sebastian and Viola and is based in New York City.
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Mediaura
Digital Marketing
Mediaura
Founded in 2003, Mediaura has built a solid reputation in the community through our integrity, expertise, and client satisfaction. We are a company that strives to achieve the best possible results for a fair price. Mediaura takes pride in all the work we do, and our staff is available to explain and educate along the way.
Privately-owned, the company has experienced consistent annual growth over the past 14 years. We service clients that are local, regional, national, and international; as well as companies that are both from the for-profit and non-profit sectors.
Our company began as the “Interactive Partner” for several traditional advertising firms, most notably Creative Alliance (now known as Scoppechio). Mediaura team members were at the forefront of the digital media revolution, and that has given us not only the edge when implementing new technologies, but combined with our experience with traditional advertising agencies, we can thoroughly assess and speak to our client’s needs. We are a company that knows how to be innovative and push boundaries, while also remaining accessible enough to an audience that may prefer more traditional methods. This allows our clients to maintain their core base demographic while increasing their market reach.
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Michaela White
Executive Assistant
Michaela White
Michaela White is currently a junior at college in Annapolis, Maryland where she majors in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. At school she is involved with planning vigils for trauma survivors where their voices can be heard during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Additionally, she wears multiple hats as the operations officer for school wide events as well as running the social media pages for various groups on campus. She also has experience with other non-profits such as the Ronald McDonald House and Girl Scouts of the USA. She believes in breaking the stigma in the media with trauma through holding open conversation about the subject and showing survivors that their voices can be heard.
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Board of Advisors
Jessica Blank
Board of Advisors
Jessica Blank
Jessica Blank is an actor, writer, director, speaker, and coach. With her husband Erik Jensen, she is author of THE EXONERATED, a play based on interviews they conducted with over 40 wrongfully convicted death row inmates across the United States. THE EXONERATED won Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Ovation, Fringe First and Herald Angel Awards; it has also received awards from Amnesty International, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Death Penalty Focus, and Court TV, and was listed by the New York Times as “the number 1 play of the year.” It was made into an award-winning movie adapted by Jessica and Erik, starring Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn and Delroy Lindo, has received hundreds of productions across the United States and internationally, read into the Senate record, and translated into Mandarin, French, Spanish and Japanese. LIVING JUSTICE, their book about the making of THE EXONERATED, was published by Simon and Schuster. Their documentary play AFTERMATH, based on interviews they conducted with Iraqi civilian refugees in Jordan, directed by Jessica, was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, toured internationally for two years and was nominated for two Drama League Awards. Their latest play, HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC (based on the writings of Lester Bangs), recently completed sold-out runs at the Kirk Douglas Theater, South Coast Rep, ArtsEmerson, Steppenwolf, and Off-Broadway at the Public Theater, with Erik starring and Jessica directing, and is in development for feature film with Likely Story. They are at work on a new documentary play under commission from the Public Theater, about the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, with original music by the Grammy-Award winning musician Steve Earle.
Jessica is also active as a writer, director and actor for film and television; she and Erik recently completed their first feature, ALMOST HOME, which they directed and adapted from Jessica’s first novel (Hyperion, 2008), and which premieres in fall of 2018. Their second feature, HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC, is in development with Likely Story. They wrote the pilot THE NEGOTIATOR for Gaumont TV (Tom Fontana, EP) and have developed for TV with Fox TV Studios, 20th Century TV, Avenue Pictures, Sunswept Entertainment, Virgin Produced, and Radical Media.
As an actor, Jessica appeared regularly as the lead’s loudmouthed big sister in CBS’ MADE IN JERSEY. Additional TV credits include BLUE BLOODS, ELEMENTARY, THE FOLLOWING, THE MENTALIST, HBO’s HIGH MAINTENANCE, BORED TO DEATH, RESCUE ME, LAW AND ORDER: CI, THE BRONX IS BURNING, and several more. Film acting credits include THE NAMESAKE (dir. Mira Nair), YOU’RE NOBODY TILL SOMEBODY KILLS YOU (prod. Spike Lee), SLENDER MAN, and over a dozen indies including CREATIVE CONTROL (Grand Jury Prize, SXSW) and ON THE ROAD WITH JUDAS (Sundance).
As a story consultant and narrative coach, Jessica works with TV showrunners, Sundance-supported filmmakers, Off-Broadway playwrights, published novelists, Broadway actors and series regulars. She also works with thought leaders, changemakers, and progressive candidates to harness the power of story, including national and state level progressive candidates and numerous national and international NGOs. She was a founding mentor for the Writers Guild Initiative’s Veterans’ Writing Project and, has taught writing to vets, wounded veterans’ caregivers, formerly incarcerated individuals, and death row exonerees for eight years. Jessica is a resident teacher at several New York acting schools, a mentor for the Firelight Documentary Lab, and has guest-taught at numerous colleges and universities including Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, NYU, The New School, Northwestern, Indiana University, Macalester College, and Hamline University. She is a frequent speaker and panelist on the arts and social justice, and has a thriving private practice in New York and Los Angeles as a story consultant and performance coach for professional writers and actors.
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David Grand, Ph.D.
Board of Advisors
David Grand, Ph.D.
David Grand, Ph.D is the founder and developer of groundbreaking brain-body based Brainspotting method. Through his Brainspotting Trainings, Inc he has trained over 8,000 therapists internationally and has developed 22 trainers worldwide. Dr. Grand is the author of the acclaimed book, Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Chance and the Co-author of This is Your Brain on Sports. Dr. Grand is in demand as a lecturer on a variety of topics. He has accomplished breakthroughs in performance and creativity with his Brainspotting Sports Work and Brainspotting Acting and Singing Coaching. Dr. Grand has been widely featured in the media including The NY Times, NBC National News, The Discovery Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated and Sirius Radio.
Dr. Grand still finds time for a full-time private psychotherapy and performance practice in Manhattan, NY.
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Jamie Marich, Ph.D.
Board of Advisors
Jamie Marich, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LICDC-CS, REAT, RMT
Jamie Marich’s friends and colleagues describe her as a renaissance woman. A dancer, musician, performer, writer, clinical counselor, and registered expressive arts therapist, Marich unites these elements of her experience to achieve an ultimate mission: bringing the art and joy of healing to others. Marich’s career in counseling and human services began while she worked in Bosnia-Hercegovina from 2000-2003. While in Bosnia, Marich served as an English and music teacher, in addition to working freelance for other humanitarian aid projects.
Marich, currently working in private practice after obtaining many years of experience in inpatient mental health, inpatient chemical dependency, and outpatient dual diagnosis treatment, travels the country for several professional continuing education providers, offering instruction on a variety of clinical topics. Jamie is the author of five books: EMDR Made Simple (2011), Trauma and the Twelve Steps (2012), Creative Mindfulness (2013), and Trauma Made Simple (2014), and her latest book, Dancing Mindfulness: A Creative Path to Healing and Transformation, which was released in the Fall of 2015 (SkylightPaths Publishing). Jamie was interviewed as a master clinician in the DVD, Trauma Treatment: Psychotherapy for the 21st Century (2012) alongside icons like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Peter Levine, Dr. Robert Scaer, and Belleruth Naparstek. Jamie had the privilege of offering trauma recovery retreats at the Kripalu School for Yoga & Health in the Fall of 2012, at the Esalen Institute in the Spring of 2013 and Winter of 2014, and at Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida in the Fall of 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Marich launched her own EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Therapy training curriculum and now enjoys training a new generation of EMDR clinicians alongside her collaborative faculty members (and friends) Amber Stiles-Bodnar and Dr. Stephen Dansiger. Marich and Dansiger are working collaboratively on a book EMDR Therapy & Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, due out with Springer Publishing later in 2016.
Jamie strives to incorporate music and other forms of creative expression into her practice. As her career developed, Marich’s love for experience-oriented methods of healing and trauma resolution intensified, prompting her to explore the conscious dance scene and various ways of applying these wonderful, “come as you are” practices into the healing process. Having completed several trainings and experiencing other conscious dance practices at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts, Marich was encouraged and inspired to develop her own, unique practice, which now exists in the form of Dancing Mindfulness. To date, Marich has taught conscious dance seminars at various conferences nationally and internationally and has trained more than 170 facilitators in the Dancing Mindfulness practice. She completed her Reiki Master teacher training in the Usui Shiki Ryoho system of Reiki under Master Valerie Spitaler. Marich is a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) through the International Association of Expressive Arts Therapists and offers a full certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy through her Institute for Creative Mindfulness. Trained in several modalities of recovery and trauma-informed yoga, Marich recently launched the Yoga Unchained method of trauma-informed yoga with Jessica Sowers.
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Shannon Moody
Board of Advisors
Shannon Moody
Shannon Moody joined Kentucky Youth Advocates in July 2013. In her role as a Policy Director she conducts policy advocacy and research, coordinates the Kosair Charities’ Face It® Campaign, and staffs the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky. Shannon chairs the Jefferson County Citizen’s Review Panel and is a member of both state and national coalitions focused on child welfare work. Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and is currently pursuing at PhD at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. Shannon began her career working with adults with traumatic brain injury or severe autism followed by years of direct service work for adjudicated youth in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, and then mental health case management at a transitional high school
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Artist Advocates
Emily Althaus
Artist Advocate
Emily Althaus
Emily Althaus is a proud Louisville native, an alumni of duPont Manual High School / YPAS (Youth Performing Arts School), and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts from Western Kentucky University. She recurs on both Orange Is The New Black (NETFLIX) as ‘Maureen Kukudio,’ inmate and love interest to Emmy Award Winner Uzo Aduba’s ‘Crazy Eyes,’ as well as Togetherness (HBO) as ‘Natalie’ opposite Mark Duplass. She has also guest starred on Law & Order: SVU (NBC), Blue Bloods (CBS), Adam Ruins Everything (TRU), You’re The Worst (FX) and The Resident (FOX). On film, Emily will next be seen in the independent feature film The Strange Ones
scheduled for theatrical release January 5th, 2018. Her theater background includes significant stage performances in Harvey (Broadway), Assistance (The Wilma Theatre), Three Sisters (Classic Stage Company), as well as The Torchbearers and Stop Possuming, Mommy all at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
scheduled for theatrical release January 5th, 2018. Her theater background includes significant stage performances in Harvey (Broadway), Assistance (The Wilma Theatre), Three Sisters (Classic Stage Company), as well as The Torchbearers and Stop Possuming, Mommy all at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
In addition to her work with Healing TREE, Emily works alongside organizations focused on prison reform (#CLOSErikers) as well as organizations that aid the formerly incarcerated (#WPA: Women’s Prison Association), giving public speaking engagements and marching. Follow Emily on social media and join her on the next march!
Twitter and Instagram: @emilyalthaus
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Charles Baker
Artist Advocate
Charles Baker
Charles Baker left his mark in Hollywood and the homes of fans across the world as ‘Skinny Pete,’ on the hit AMC show Breaking Bad, which has been nominated for 151 awards and has won 48. Before stepping on Hollywood soil, Baker already had 37 credits to his name and now has moved to Los Angeles permanently with his wife and three children to pursue his craft, which he has been studying for over 20 years. Notable film projects for Baker include To The Wonder, a Terrence Malick film, opposite Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints opposite Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster, Wild opposite Reese Witherspoon, and Nicholas Winding Refn’s Neon Demon with Elle Fanning and Keanu Reeves.
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Rodney Hicks
Artist Advocate
Rodney Hicks
Ford’s: KUDZU. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys; RENT (Closing Cast, DVD); Jesus Christ Superstar; RENT (Original Cast -OBC Recording). Off-Broadway: Jacques Brel is Alive… (New Cast Recording) ; RENT (Closing Cast/DVD -Benny); Bring in the Morning. Regional: The 5th: Paint Your Wagon; HAIR. La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away (Outstanding Ensemble); Seattle Repertory Theatre: Come From Away; PCS: The Mountaintop; Dreamgirls; Oklahoma. Seattle Rep/La Jolla: Come from Away. DTC: King Lear. Geva: Lobby Hero. Philadelphia Theatre Company: The Scottsboro Boys (Barrymore Award Leading Actor); Royal George: White Noise. CenterStage: Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: Leverage; GRIMM; Law & Order: Criminal Intent; NYPD Blue. Film: Bad Decisions; Django. Playwright: NC-17.
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Kevin Kilner
Artist Advocate
Kevin Kilner
Kevin has most recently appeared on television in The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Happyish, Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, Castle, Blue Bloods, Royal Pains and the hit Netflix series House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Kevin co-starred with Nancy Travis on the CBS sitcom Almost Perfect, and was the star of Gene Roddenberry’s EARTH: Final Conflict, as “Boone,” which was syndicated worldwide. He has also been on such shows as Greek, Whit Collar, CSI: NY, Damages, Ugly Betty, Cashmere Mafia, Ghost Whisperer, The Closer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, One Tree Hill, Monk, Crossing Jordan, Judging Amy, Malcolm in the Middle, CSI: Miami, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, and Murder, She Wrote.
His film credits include the upcoming The Unattainable Story (with Irina Björklund) as well as Paranoia (with Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford), Julia with Tilda Swinton, Raising Helen (with Joan Cusack, Kate Hudson) A Cinderella Story, (with Hillary Duff, Chad Michael Murray), American Pie II and Home Alone III.
He starred on Broadway in the 50th anniversary production of The Glass Menagerie with Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart and Zeljko Ivanek, directed by Frank Galati for which he won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Off-Broadway credits include Dinner With Friends (2000 Pulitzer Prize), directed by Daniel Sullivan and Lemon Sky, directed by Jonathan Silverstein. Regional theatre credits include Bucks County Playhouse’s Other Desert Cities, Adobe Rose Theatre’s Time Stands Still, Denver Center For the Performing Arts’ The Christians, Baltimore Centerstage’s An Enemy Of The People, NY Stage & Film’s Ninety and Pasadena Playhouse’s Defiance.
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Samantha Scaffidi
Artist Advocate
Samantha Scaffidi
Samantha Scaffidi is a Manhattan based actress, independent film producer, and filmmaker. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Salve Regina University and a Certificate in Acting from the William Esper Studio, Samantha is deft in both the production and creative sides of the craft. Samantha has worked with top commercial clients such as Google, Deeplocal, Dior, and Netflix. She was a freelance producer for the Emmy Awarding winning interactive media company Skin Deep, working on “The And 2.0” and “Senior Orientation”. Her main passion as a producer is creating narrative content. In this realm she has produced a feature film, six short films, as well as a music video. As an actress she has worked on over 40 productions. In January of 2017, Samantha attended the Women’s March on Washington where she directed her first project, the short film Documentary: This is America: The Women’s March on Washington, solidifying her move into directing.
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