Healing and Treating Trauma Conference | Day Two

Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D. is a best-selling and award winning author who has earned a reputation as an international expert in CBT and personality disorders. Over the past 20 years he has developed and overseen CBT-based treatment programs for Mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addictive behaviour disorders and Personality Disorders at two different psychiatric hospitals and clinics serving over 3,000 clients at multiple levels of care. Dr. Riggenbach trained at the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research in Philadelphia, is a Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a certified cognitive therapist. He has trained over 20,000 professionals worldwide including audiences in all 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr. Riggenbach is the author of six publications including his most recent release The CBT Toolbox (2nd ed): A Workbook for Clients, Clinicians and Coaches.

Jeff is known for bridging the gap between academia, research findings and day-to-day clinical practice, and his work has earned him the reputation for being. “The practical tools guy.” His seminars on CBT, DBT, and Schema-Focused Cognitive Therapy routinely receive the highest evaluations from conference participants in terms of clinical utility as well as entertainment value.

Varleisha D. Lyons Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L is a renowned occupational therapist, author, and speaker who is deeply passionate about promoting culturally intelligent and spiritually centered mental health care. As a woman of African American and Native American heritage, with ancestral ties to the Haliwa-Saponi tribe through her grandmother, Dr. Lyons is dedicated to integrating Indigenous spiritual practices into modern therapeutic frameworks.

Her work is rooted in a commitment to honoring diverse traditions and creating holistic approaches that address the mind, body, and spirit. She draws inspiration from practices such as storytelling, nature-based rituals, and ancestral healing, advocating for their inclusion in contemporary mental health systems.

Dr. Lyons is a tireless advocate for mental health parity and equity, particularly for underserved communities of Indigenous and African descent. Her mission is to bridge traditional healing practices with modern therapeutic methods, fostering understanding and respect for cultural identity and spiritual connection.

As a highly sought-after speaker and author, Dr. Lyons empowers audiences worldwide to embrace diversity, advocate for systemic change, and celebrate the intersection of heritage and healing in occupational therapy and beyond.

Daphne Fatter, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, international speaker and consultant in private practice in Dallas, Texas. Having trained under the direct supervision of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, MD., international pioneer in research on traumatic stress, Dr. Fatter is gifted at translating meaning from research to clinical utility to support best practices for effective trauma treatment.

J.D. Vanderkooy, MD, BSc, FRCPC, is a psychiatrist and medical director of the Eating Disorders Program at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, Ontario. He has spent over 20 years involved in the treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and emergency psychiatry. He is a graduate of McMaster and Queen’s Universities, and has participated in research on antidepressant side effects and adolescent self-harm.

Sara Klinkhamer, M.A.brings a background of working on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver for more than 10 years, which has given her much experience working with addiction and mental health issues, particularly trauma. Sara has also worked in both residential and outpatient settings as a concurrent disorders counsellor. Her strong belief in the worth of each individual, optimism in the face of adversity, as well as respect for autonomy and dignity, has served her well in this work. Sara completed her BA in psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2005 and her Masters of Counselling Psychology at Adler University in 2008. In 2009, Sara started a post-graduate program in Existential Analysis and in 2013 became a founding board member of the Existential Analysis Society of Canada. Sara joined the Sunshine Coast clinical team in 2016.