34th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA: NEUROSCIENCE, EMBODIMENT AND THE RESTORATION OF THE SELF
May 17th - 20th, 2023
REAL, THREE DIMENSIONAL, ON THE GROUND, IN-PERSON AS WELL AS VIRTUAL
Trauma research foundation
&
Bessel van der Kolk
are delighted to announce
the 34TH Annual
Boston international trauma conference
For the 34th year, Bessel van der Kolk hosts some of the world’s most innovative leaders from the field of trauma, attachment, neuroscience, mindfulness, body oriented work and psychedelic studies.
The study of trauma has probably been the single most fertile area in helping to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship among the emotional, cognitive, social and biological forces that shape human development. Starting with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults and expanding into early attachment and overwhelming attachment and social experiences in childhood (“Developmental Trauma”), this endeavor has elucidated how certain
experiences can “set” psychological expectations, bodily experiences and biological selectivity.
When addressing the problems of traumatized people who, in a myriad of ways, continue to react to current experiences as a replay of the past, there is a need for therapeutic methods that do not depend exclusively on drugs, talk or understanding. We have learned that most experience is automatically processed on a subcortical level of the brain; i.e., by “unconscious” interpretations that take place outside of conscious awareness. Insight and good intentions only have a limited influence on the operation of these subcortical processes, but synchrony, movement and reparative experiences do. This conference will present both basic research about the impact of trauma over the life cycle, and a range of effective interventions that are being practiced in clinics, schools, prisons, families, and communities around the world.
JOIN US LIVE Online AND In-Person
Objectives
- The main objective of this conference is to present current understanding of how people’s minds, brains, bodies and social organizations respond to traumatic experiences, and what currently appear to be the optimal clinical interventions, including the role of relationships, movement, synchrony, justice and processing to protect and restore safety and regulation.
- Central is the role of affect regulation and the resolution of misinterpretation of innocuous stimuli as threats, which require interventions that can restore a sense of active mastery and the capacity to mindfully focus on the demands of the present.
- We will also explore how different populations, ethnic groups and cultures may deal differently with traumatic experiences, and address how the legacy of trauma, systematic discrimination, isolation, blame, and social inequality can have profound effects on the capacity to cope and recover from trauma.
Seaport Hotel, Boston
Join us in person as we host the conference live in Boston!
Virtual - Join from Home
Register to join us online from all over the world.
May 17th - 20th, 2023
Save the date in your calendar.
JOIN US WITH...
Bessel van der Kolk
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Bessel van der Kolk, MD, is a clinician, researcher, and teacher best known for his work with PTSD. Kolk has been active in the mental health field since the 1970s and is the author of the New York Times best-seller The Body Keeps the Score, which has been translated into 35 languages, and of well over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles.
Tania Singer
X
Tania Singer is the head of the Social Neuroscience Lab of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. She is founder and principal investigator of the ReSource project, a large-scale longitudinal study on the effects of mental training on brain plasticity, mental and physical wellbeing and prosocial behavior, co-financed by the European Research Council. She further holds a cooperation with Prof. Dennis Snower, the former president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, on the topic of Caring Economics, funded by the Institute of New Economic Thinking. They investigate how biology and psychology can inform new economic models and decision-making. In the context of her longtime membership at the Mind and Life Institute, she helped organize together with Matthieu Ricard two large-scale conferences with the Dalai Lama in 2010 in Zürich and in 2016 in Brussels. These two conferences were published in two books, "Caring Economics" and "Power and Care". Tania has further published her findings in more than 150 high-impact peer-reviewed journals and book chapters.
Richard Schwartz
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Richard Schwartz began his career as a systemic family therapist and an academic. Grounded in systems thinking, Dr. Schwartz developed Internal Family Systems (IFS) in response to clients’ descriptions of various parts within themselves. He focused on the relationships among these parts and noticed that there were systemic patterns to the way they were organized across clients. He also found that when the clients’ parts felt safe and were allowed to relax, the clients would experience spontaneously the qualities of confidence, openness, and compassion that Dr. Schwartz came to call the Self. He found that when in that state of Self, clients would know how to heal their parts.
A featured speaker for national professional organizations, Dr. Schwartz has published many books and over fifty articles about IFS.
Adriana Barton
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Bethany Brand, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist practicing in Towson, Maryland. As an expert in trauma, she specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma related disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders.
Dr. Brand is a Full Professor of Psychology at Towson University and maintains an independent practice in clinical psychology in Towson, Maryland. Additionally, she serves as an expert witness in criminal, civil, disability, and employment matters. Dr. Brand conducts research on the assessment and treatment of trauma related disorders, including the assessment of feigned dissociative disorders.
Dr. Brand also provides consultation and supervision of psychology students, postdoctoral fellows, and licensed mental health professionals. She has presented research papers and clinical trainings around the world. postdoctoral fellows, and licensed mental health professionals. She has presented research papers and clinical trainings around the world.
Matt Fleishman
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Matthew Fleischman, PhD, Co-Director of the Neurofeedback Advocacy Project whose mission is to implement neurofeedback within our existing healthcare system with particular concern for agencies working with the underserved and difficult-to-serve. To date the project has implemented neurofeedback is over 20 agencies, trained over 100 clinicians and is tracking the session-by-session results for over a 1000 clients. This ever growing data is published live to our website, NeurofeedbackAdvocacyProject.com using our Results Tracking System, a HIPAA-compliant, multilingual, online program to demonstrate the clinical, behavioral, social and medical impact of neurofeedback when implemented in real-world settings.
Cathy Malchiodi
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Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, REAT is the executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and
Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, is the 2022 Cecil and Eda Green Honors Chair on trauma and
expressive arts, and is an investigator on a five-year grant with the US Department of
Education, integrating trauma-informed expressive arts into classrooms. A popular presenter
and workshop leader, she given over 700 invited keynotes and workshops throughout the US,
Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. She has authored 20 books, including the
bestselling Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing
Process and Understanding Children’s Drawings. Her publications have been translated in over
20 languages.
Ron Siegel
Stephan Wolfert
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Actor/Writer/Director; AEA/SAG member; U.S. Army ’86-’93 –Medic and Infantry Officer has taught and performed his award winning play Cry Havoc throughout North America, Europe and Australia. His program De-Cruit uses Shakespeare’s text and actor training to heal trauma and to aid in the transition from military service back into life as a civili
Diana Fosha
X
Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is Founder and Director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.
Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.
Josefin Wikstrom
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Josefin Wikström TCTSY-F, YOGA THERAPY FOR THE MIND, E-RYT 500, YACEP, RCYS Josefin is the Prison Yoga Project’s (PYP) Program Director and Training Coordinator for Europe and the founder of Trauma-adapted yoga (TAY) in Sweden. She has been the primary teacher for the Swedish Probation services and co-developed the national, evidence based Swedish Krimyoga program. She is the national program developer for the current research on the therapeutic effects from Trauma Informed Yoga within Sweden's forensic psychiatry.
Josefin is a certified yoga teacher/ therapist with additional special certifications in the field of trauma rehabilitation. She has taught PYP teacher trainings in Europe, the U.S., Israel, Mexico and India. She and the Prison Yoga Project are currently training staff of the UK Prison System (HMPPS) in trauma informed therapeutic yoga practices for their women’s prisons. Josefin is the co-author of Freedom from the Inside, A Woman’s Yoga Practice Guide, a book written together with PYP’s founder James Fox and published in 2020, specifically intended for incarcerated women.
Tian Dayton
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Dr. Dayton is a Senior Fellow at The Meadows. She is the author of fifteen books including The Soulful Journey of Recovery, The ACoA Trauma Syndrome, Emotional Sobriety,Trauma and Addiction, Forgiving and Moving On and The Living Stage. She has developed an approach for incorporating experiential work into treatment programs and group work, Relationship Trauma Repair RTR.
Tian Dayton has a masters in educational psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology and is a board certified trainer in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. She is a certified Montessori teacher. Dr. Dayton is the director of The New York Psychodrama Training Institute. She is a nationally renowned speaker, expert, and consultant in psychodrama, trauma and addiction, ACoAs and self help related issues. Dr, Dayton was on the faculty at NYU for eight years teaching psychodrama. Dr. Dayton is a fellow of the American Society of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy ASGPP, Lifetime Achievement Award, the scholar’s award, President’s Award and Gratitude Award, former editor in chief of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy and professional standards committee. She is also the winner of The Mona Mansell Award and The Ackermann Black Awaard. Dr. Dayton has been a guest expert on NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Montel, Rikki Lake, John Walsh, Geraldo. Tian blogs for Thrive Global and The Huffington Post,
Psychodramatist
Dr. Dayton is a fully certified practitioner and trainer by the American Society of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy (ASGPP).
She served for eight years as the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy and eight years as an executive editor of same. She is the winner of ASGPP’s Lifetime Achievement Award, The Scholars’/Research Award, The President’s Award and The Gratitude Award for her contributions to this field. Tian has spent her career raising the standard of expertise and training of these methods in the addictions’ field and adapting psychodrama and sociometry for work specifically with relational trauma and addictions. Her trademarked processes Socio Metrics, are in use nationally and around the world, as is her model Relational Trauma Repair (RTR). These processes combine research with psychodrama and sociometry creating a contained, psycho-educational, experiential approach to healing. Clients learn about the issues and symptoms while engaging in an experiential, relational healing process. Her books The Living Stage, Relational Trauma Repair (Therapist’s Guide) and her upcoming book Socio Metrics all explore this process along with the basics of psychodrama and sociometry. The videos in the nav bar are examples of Socio Metrics and psychodrama, they are living, spontaneous case studies.
Andres Gonzalez
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Andres Gonzalez is one of the Co-Founders of the Holistic Life Foundation. For twenty years, Andres has taught yoga to diverse populations throughout the world, including Baltimore City Public School students, drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, wellness centers, colleges, private schools and other various venues throughout the nation. He has partnered with John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health and the Penn State’s Prevention Research Center on a Stress and Relaxation Study and is a published author in the Journal of Children’s Services. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News, CNN, and CBS, as well as O the Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Upworthy, Mindful Magazine, Yoga Journal, Shambala Sun, and many other publications. He is a certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, maintains a B.S. in Marketing from University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College.
Ali Smith
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Ali Smith was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he is a graduate of the Friends School of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park, where he received a BS in Environmental Science and Policy with a Biodiversity specialization. Ali started his journey with contemplative practices as a small child, learning meditation from his father and attending the Kriya Yoga based Divine Life Church of Absolute Oneness run by Swami Shankarananda. He deepened his practice as a young adult, learning yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breathwork from his teacher and godfather Will Joyner.
Ali has almost 20 years’ experience teaching yoga, mindfulness, and meditation internationally to a broad demographic spectrum that includes schools, retreat centers, wellness centers, mental crisis facilities, detention centers, drug treatment centers, the corporate setting, as well as private one-on-one sessions. He co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001. During his tenure as Executive Director, his leadership helped guide HLF to grow an organization that employed over 50 people, and served communities worldwide. He is a published author, written several curriculums, and is a pioneer in the fields of yoga and mindfulness in education, as well as trauma informed yoga and mindfulness, developing best practices that are used around the world. Ali has taught in seven countries on three continents.
His work has been featured on the CBS News, CNN, NBC Nightly News, PBS, as well as in Oprah Magazine and Forbes. Ali is also a co-host of the Look Again Podcast and Co-Owner of the Involution Group.
Atman Smith
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Atman Smith is one of the Co-founders of the Holistic Life Foundation. Since 2001, he has been teaching yoga and mindfulness to a diverse population including underserved and high-risk youth in Baltimore City Public Schools, drug treatment centers, wellness centers, and colleges. A native of Baltimore, Atman attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he was a letter award winner for the University’s men's basketball team. He graduated with a B.A.in Criminology and Criminal Justice. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News, CNN, and CBS, as well as O the Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Upworthy, Mindful Magazine, Yoga Journal, Shambala Sun, and many other publications.
James Fox
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James Fox, MA, CYT, Founder of the Prison Yoga Project. His years of experience as a
facilitator of victim/offender education, violence prevention, and emotional literacy classes for
prisoners informed his work of providing trauma-informed yoga embodiment practices for
incarcerated people . James has trained thousands of teachers who have replicated PYP’s
methodology in correctional facilities in more than 20 US states, Mexico, Canada, Norway,
Sweden, the U.K., France, The Netherlands, Australia, and India. He is the author of Yoga: A
Path for Healing and Recovery, co-author of Freedom from the Inside, A Woman’s Yoga
Practice Guide, and a Contributor for Best Practices for Yoga with Veterans James He has
taught for Loyola Marymount University’s Yoga, Mindfulness, and Social Change Certification
Program, and has served as an advisor to the National Institute of Health sponsored Chicago
Urban Mindfulness Program. In 2015, Yoga Journal honored James with a Karma Yoga Award
for their 40th Anniversary Issue. incorporating experiential work into treatment programs and group work, Relationship Trauma Repair RTR.
Tian Dayton has a masters in educational psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology and is a board certified trainer in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. She is a certified Montessori teacher. Dr. Dayton is the director of The New York Psychodrama Training Institute. She is a nationally renowned speaker, expert, and consultant in psychodrama, trauma and addiction, ACoAs and self help related issues. Dr, Dayton was on the faculty at NYU for eight years teaching psychodrama. Dr. Dayton is a fellow of the American Society of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy ASGPP, Lifetime Achievement Award, the scholar’s award, President’s Award and Gratitude Award, former editor in chief of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy and professional standards committee. She is also the winner of The Mona Mansell Award and The Ackermann Black Awaard. Dr. Dayton has been a guest expert on NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Montel, Rikki Lake, John Walsh, Geraldo. Tian blogs for Thrive Global and The Huffington Post,
Psychodramatist
Dr. Dayton is a fully certified practitioner and trainer by the American Society of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy (ASGPP).
She served for eight years as the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy and eight years as an executive editor of same. She is the winner of ASGPP’s Lifetime Achievement Award, The Scholars’/Research Award, The President’s Award and The Gratitude Award for her contributions to this field. Tian has spent her career raising the standard of expertise and training of these methods in the addictions’ field and adapting psychodrama and sociometry for work specifically with relational trauma and addictions. Her trademarked processes Socio Metrics, are in use nationally and around the world, as is her model Relational Trauma Repair (RTR). These processes combine research with psychodrama and sociometry creating a contained, psycho-educational, experiential approach to healing. Clients learn about the issues and symptoms while engaging in an experiential, relational healing process. Her books The Living Stage, Relational Trauma Repair (Therapist’s Guide) and her upcoming book Socio Metrics all explore this process along with the basics of psychodrama and sociometry. The videos in the nav bar are examples of Socio Metrics and psychodrama, they are living, spontaneous case studies.
Sam Williams
X
Sam Williams, CYT, Prison Yoga Project. Restorative Justice, Prison Rehabilitation and Re-
entry Program Coordinator and Facilitator (MCI- Norfolk and MCI-Framingham). Racial
Profiling, Community Economic Development, Urban Planning, Youth Development and Public
Safety. Formerly the Senior Program Manager for the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative
(SSYI), Commonwealth Corporation. Prior to obtaining his current position, he worked for many
years at Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry as Chief Operating Officer, Adjunct Professor at
Wheelock College, City Year Boston, and Youth Opportunity Boston, serving the Boston
community in a variety of ways. Mr. Williams is currently the co-chair of the Community Advisory
Board for Northeastern University’s Institute of Race and Justice. Mr. Williams is a former
member of the Board of Directors of (ABCD) Action for Boston Community Development, an
appointed member of the Executive Office of Public Safety, Massachusetts Racial Profiling Task Force. He is also a poet, writer, and trainer.
Licia Sky
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Co-founder and current CEO of Trauma Research Foundation, Licia Sky guides transformational experiences by incorporating dynamic observational exercises to foster safe, transformative inner and interpersonal connections. Her methods are informed by over 25 years as an artist, musician, bodywork therapist, yoga practitioner, and dancer; and integrate poly-vagal theory, parts work, and the latest research on trauma and the body.
MAIN SCHEDULE & PRE-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE – COMING SOON
Limited spaces available
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34th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference
Attendee Registration - OPENING SOON
Early bird closes on March 31st
Prices below include access to all 4 days of the conference. Once available, click one of the purchase buttons below to access our ticket booking portal to see all purchasing options, and to complete your booking
virtual ticket
$199 Early Bird
$349
One of the few blessings that have come out of the pandemic is that we were able to take our annual trauma conference online. This has meant that we’ve been joined by so many people from around the world, who previously may not have been able to attend. We are delighted to be able to offer this option again this year to anyone who would like to watch it in the comfort of their own homes.
in-person ticket
$449 Early Bird
$699
It’s been two years since we’ve been able to host our conference in person, and though we have loved the newfound ability to reach so many more of you in your own homes and countries, we miss being able to gather together in person. Therefore we are extremely excited to be able to offer the 33rd Annual Conference from the Seaport Hotel in Boston, for all those that would like to attend live.
Registration completed on external booking portal
ADA Statement
If participants have special needs, reasonable accommodations will be made for persons who request them, consistent with ADA requirements.
Code of Ethics Statement
It is the responsibility of every attendee to abide by the standards set forth in the Code of Ethics for maintaining security and confidentiality of test materials and proprietary information presented as part of this continuing education program. Any materials used as part of this program may not be copied or otherwise distributed, and no proprietary information will be disclosed by attendees to any person not registered for this program.
Conflict of Interest Statement
There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.
Utility/Validity Statement
The content of this presentation, when applied according to psychological practice guidelines, within the expertise of the expertise of the practitioner do not pose any risks.
Target Audience
Counselors, Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychotherapists, Addiction Counselors, Therapists, Marriage & Family Therapists, Case Managers, Nurses, Physicians, Other Mental Health Professionals
Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.
