Dr. Adler-Tapia, is a licensed psychologist who was previously a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) before starting in nursing and moving on to becoming a psychologist. She is the author of “One Badge-One Brain – One Life: Preventative Maintenance and Brain Health Training for Emergency Responders.” And, she has multiple chapters and articles on working with Emergency Responders. Her workshop “Haunted” teaches therapists to work with Emergency Responders.

Dr. Adler-Tapia has additional expertise in EMDR therapy and working with children from infants to adolescents. She co-authored a book, “EMDR and the Art of Psychotherapy with Children: Infants to Adolescents,” and a second book “Child Psychotherapy: Integrating Developmental Theory into Clinical Practice.”

Michael L. Alvarez offers 38 years of progressive experience in the study and application of behavioral sciences. Emphasis on both systems and business inter-relational conflicts. Accustomed to researching and conducting effective presentations relative to dependency issues. Professional background encompasses marital, family and child counseling, drug addiction, sexual compulsivity, non-violent sex offender behaviors, group and individual therapy. Co-founded establishment of inpatient and outpatient treatment settings, nationally and internationally. Fully familiar with contemporary administrative functions in such settings, including scheduling, business development, report preparation, and comparable organizational functions.

Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, Ph.D. is a professor with Florida Atlantic University’s Sandler School of Social Work in Boca Raton, USA. He received his master’s in social work degree from Yeshiva University in New York City and his doctorate and law degrees from University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Barsky’s practice experience includes family mediation and counseling with people affected by addictions and family violence.

Dr. Barsky’s current research explores the impact of Florida’s law that restricts access to gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse minors and adults. Dr. Barsky has been interviewing mental health professionals, transgender and gender-diverse youth, and parents and guardians to gain a better understanding of laws that ban access to gender affirming hormones, hormone blockers, and surgery for minors, and restrict access to these procedures for adults.

Dr. Barsky believes in evidence-based practice for regarding gender-affirming care, which includes assistance with psychosocial issues and does not necessarily involve medical procedures. He also believes in an interprofessional approach to practice, where legal, mental health, medical, social work, educational, and other human service professionals work collaboratively with youth and families to determine the best courses of action and support.

His book credits include:

• Ethics and Values in Social Work
• Clinicians in Court
• Essential Ethics for Social Work Practice
• Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions
• Interprofessional Practice with Diverse Populations

Dr. Barsky's books can be found at his website.

Accolades include:

• Awarded the “FAU Scholar of the Year Award” (2020)
• Awarded the “FAU Alumni Association Impact in Teaching Award” (2024)
• Chair of the National Association of Social Workers (USA) National Ethics Committee
• Chair of the National Association of Social Workers (USA) Code of Ethics Review Committee
• Awarded the NASW’s “Excellence in Ethics Award”
• Awarded the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts “Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award for Research Achievements in the Field of Family Law and Divorce"

Cindy Carlson, PhD is a couple and family board certified licensed psychologist and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin where she has taught graduate courses family assessment and intervention for thirty years.

She co-authored (with H. Grotevant) Family Assessment: A Guide for Researchers and Practitioners, and has published multiple book chapters and journal articles on the topic of family assessment with particular emphasis on the assessment of families with child and adolescent presenting problems.

Esly Regina Carvalho, Ph. D. is a Brazilian-American Trainer of Trainers for the EMDR Institute and EMDR Ibero-America (EMDR IBA). She has helped bring EMDR to Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and trained professionals in Portugal and Spain. A published author and speaker (in Spanish, Portuguese and English) as well as a Psychodrama Trainer, Esly has integrated her Psychodrama background into EMDR training and clinical practice. Presently residing in Brasilia, Brazil, she directs the TraumaClinic as well as an EMDR training center where trainings are held in more than 10 cities of Brazil. In 2014, she established a publishing house specifically dedicated to publishing books on EMDR, trauma and related issues. As one of its co-founders, Esly was President of EMDR Ibero-America (2007-2010; 2010-2013). Esly is married and loves those grandchildren!

Her curriculum vitae can be found here

Shelley Spear Chief, MSW works with First Nation individuals with complex historical and ongoing traumatic experiences, within her private practice. She has supported First Nation Schools, Women Shelters, Children Services providing group counselling, art therapy, and a variety of kinship, parent capacity assessments. Shelley has been affiliated faculty for University of Calgary and Red Crow College teaching and infusing Indigenous framework into university transfer courses. In her clinical practice, she uses EMDR and Somatic approaches, as well as traditional psychotherapy, art therapy, mindfulness, and hypnotherapy within the cultural understanding of the client.

Shelley is a First Nations Lakota Woman who prioritizes client’s spiritual needs and strengths with a cultural framework of understanding. She is knowledgeable of the challenges faced by First Nations people. She is married to Moses Spear Chief of the Kainai Nation. They have three grandchildren members of the Kainai Nation. She is an accomplished Women’s Traditional Dancer along with her spouse who is a champion Men’s Traditional Dancer. They have been part of their sacred societies on the Nation. She has presented a variety of topics in the past on First Nation Trauma in surrounding Indigenous communities within Alberta.

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Bio:

Rachel Dash-Dougherty, LCSW, is a seasoned therapist with over 14 years of experience, serving clients through her growing practice at The Grounded Therapist in East Lyme, CT. Driven by a passion for holistic healing and mental wellness, Rachel specializes in anxiety, eating disorders, and women's issues. She recognizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in the healing process and integrates cutting-edge therapeutic approaches into her practice. Rachel has been utilizing EMDR for years to help clients process and heal from trauma and other distressing experiences. In addition to EMDR,

Rachel is deeply passionate about yoga therapeutics and its transformative potential in mental health treatment. Drawing from her extensive training and personal practice, she incorporates yoga-based techniques such as mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic awareness into her sessions. These practices not only promote relaxation and stress reduction but also empower clients to reconnect with their bodies, cultivate self-awareness, and develop healthier coping strategies. Rachel is dedicated to staying at the forefront of her field, continuously seeking out new knowledge and techniques to enhance her practice.

Robin Deutsch, Ph.D., ABPP was the founder and the Director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at the William James College (www.williamjames.edu/cffc). For 25 years she was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, most recently as an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology. Dr. Deutsch is a child and family forensic psychologist, mediator, Parenting Coordinator, and is board certified in couple and family psychology.  She provides consultation and expert witness services on child custody and parenting evaluations, ethical issues, complex custody issues, and child and adolescent development.  She developed and teaches the Certificate in Child and Family Forensic Issues at William James College and is a founder of Overcoming Barriers, an organization that provides family-centered services for families in conflict.  She has published extensively on issues related to attachment, alienation, co-parenting after divorce, high conflict divorce, parenting plans, and parenting coordination, and is the co-author of 7 Things Your Teenager Won’t Tell You: and How to Talk about Them Anyway (Ballantine, 2005, 2011) and co-editor of the book Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, Alienation (Oxford, 2016). 

Mesha Ellis, Ph.D. is the founder of The Institute of Relationship Wellness and Sexual Health (IRWSH), a group practice dedicated to helping children, individuals, families, and couples have happy and fulfilling relationships. IRWSH has physical office locations in Atlanta, Georgia, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Torrance, California. Services are additionally provided through videoconference in California, Georgia, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Dr. Ellis is a Certified Gottman Method Therapist, Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Workshop Leader. In addition to also being certified in Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy, she is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor for those seeking AASECT Sex Therapy Certification. She spent the majority of her career supporting the education, professional development, and clinical skills training of graduate students matriculating through clinical psychology, masters in family therapy, public health, and medical school programs. She has additionally supervised and consulted with a plethora of students and licensed professionals for over 15 years.

Dr. Ellis is also Principal at Ellis Evaluation & Consulting Services, a private practice dedicated to the provision of psychoeducational, clinical, and forensic evaluations. She is a contract psychologist for the metro-Atlanta area Joint Admissions Testing Program (JATP). Dr. Ellis also regularly conducts child custody and juvenile forensic evaluations in California. She is licensed to practice as a psychologist in Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee, and California.

Ben Garber is a New Hampshire licensed psychologist. In the role of clinician, Dr. Garber provides systemically-informed, child-centered therapies, focusing on services intended to help separated, divorcing and divorced parents to keep their kids out of the middle of their conflicts. As family law professional, Dr. Garber conducts Child-Centered Family Evaluations (Child Custody Evaluations) and provides both testamentary and non-testamentary expert consultation to counsel and the courts across North America. Dr. Garber is a prolific author and a highly respected family law trainer. He is the author of hundreds of popular press articles, twenty peer reviewed professional publications, several book chapters and seven acclaimed books, most recently, “Holding Tight/Letting Go: Raising Healthy Kids In Anxious Times (Unhooked Books, 2017). Learn more at www.HealthyParent.com and www.FamilyLawConsulting.org.

See Dr. Garber’s CV here >

Highly-qualified certified management professional with extensive experience and formal training in research, information- gathering and investigative techniques. Over 34 years of practical experience in law enforcement is enhanced with extensive professional training and higher education. Proven analytical expertise and excellent organizational skills provide a keen ability to investigate and solve complex traumatic relationships. High proficiency in; Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Rorschach administration with Intermediate Level Training through Michigan Psychological Association, Thematic Apperception Test procedures, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – IV, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – V, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – III, Conner’s Continuous Performance Test – III, Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, Draw-A-Person (DAP) House, Tree, Person (HTP), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and skilled in psychoanalytical theoretical therapy. Consistently strives for excellence and is a positive attribute to any organization.

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The Hon. Margo Lewis Hoy (Ret.) joined Signature Resolution after 18 years of private practice and 11 years on the San Diego Superior Court. Known for her approachable demeanor, Judge Hoy mediates disputes concerning all areas of family law.  As a Superior Court judge, Judge Hoy served as the supervising judge of the family law division and oversaw 26 family law departments. To better serve parents and children, she pioneered the use of child custody parenting plans in the San Diego Superior Court. She also served on the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and chaired its Family Law Policy Committee. Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Hoy founded the premier family law practice in San Diego County and handled thousands of complex cases involving child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and more. She was certified as a Family Law Specialist in 2000. Judge Hoy has been honored by legal organizations throughout California, including multiple Judicial Officer of the Year awards and inclusion in the Top 25 Women Lawyers in San Diego.