The presenter brings both lived and professional experience to this topic. He raised his three children as a divorced, single co-parent and later served as a step-parent to his second wife’s three children. Although these family systems did not become custody disputes, they involved the ordinary post-divorce and blended-family pressures that can escalate into court-adjacent conflict when poorly managed. For nearly a decade, his professional focus has included co-parenting dynamics, court-adjacent family systems, parent-child contact problems, child resistance/refusal, and ethical clinical decision-making in cases shaped by parenting plans, custody orders, divorce agreements, or family-court stress. His related training includes child and family forensic issues, custody evaluation, parenting coordination, domestic violence, child maltreatment, high-conflict co-parenting,child abuse prevention, and parenting-plan evaluation. He is an active member or participant in multiple relevant professional organizations and peer-consultation groups, including MaMHCA, AMHCA, AFCC, MAGAL, PIPATL, ACA, APA, NEAFAST, NCJFCJ, APSAC, and PASG, where he serves on the Board of Directors. His CV further reflects extensive continuing education, conference participation, publication contribution, and prior CE presentations to mental health and family-systems audiences.

Martha has been presenting on this and similar topics for almost 50 years. She recently presented two topics for MAMHCA this past year in virtual trainings and in person for your last year's conference. Previously she presented to various types of organizations through EAP programs, and before that for the Division of Alcoholism/Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, as well as for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Association/MA Rehabilitation Counselors Association.

Emily Gagen, Ph.D. (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Brookline Center For Community Mental Health. She is the director of the Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub (M-PATH), the associate director of the Center for Early Detection, Assessment, and Response to Risk (CEDAR), and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gagen has worked with individuals with psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders for over 15 years and specializes in the treatment of young adults with early psychosis.

Judith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, qualified supervisor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional in complex trauma, and presenter with a private practice in Maitland, Florida and 17 years of clinical experience. She is a sought-after presenter and trainer, recognized for her expertise in neurobiologically informed treatment of trauma and anxiety. She has presented at national conferences including the American Counseling Association and Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. She is preparing for the release of her upcoming book on anxiety treatment with New Harbinger Publications. She is a certified Healing from the Body Level Up practitioner and instructor and certified in Emotional Freedom Techniques.

Representative Kathleen LaNatra represents the 12th Plymouth District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Rep. Kathy LaNatra is currently serving her fourth term as State Representative of the 12th Plymouth District. It has been the honor of her life to work on behalf of her constituents to find resources, common sense solutions, and legislative pathways that will improve lives. She serves as Chair of the House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability. She was named by Speaker Mariano to serve on both the Future of Work Commission, as well as the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery 2021 Selection Committee. She was also named Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association in 2020, Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees in 2024, and was presented with a Healthy Community Champion Award by Harbor Health Services in 2025. Throughout her tenure, Rep. LaNatra has been a strong supporter of mental health and has advocated and legislated to ensure that people suffering with mental health issues have access to life-saving services, and that those fields are properly funded and have an adequate workforce. She has been a strong supporter of workforce development efforts, including the funding of high-quality technical education. She also worked hard to guide the 12th Plymouth District through the COVID-19 pandemic, including helping constituents with unemployment, finding vaccines, and many business-related issues.

Jenn Hurley, LMHC has served on the board as the Membership Communications Committee chair since 2016. She previously served on the committee as a volunteer and participates in the awards committee and by-laws committee. Jenn has additionally served as the Private Practice Director and works on the staff team as a special project manager. You can find Jenn at our monthly membership coffee hours chatting about various MaMHCA and practice updates, participating in the MaMHCA book club, teaching the private practice workshop or hosting our virtual open house. Jenn currently is in private practice, and teaches as adjunct faculty at Framingham State University. She has a passion for ethics codes, turning clinical teaching topics into games and encouraging her cats to join her on zoom calls.

As a somatic psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience, I specialize in body-based approaches to regulation, resilience, and therapeutic presence. My work integrates somatic psychotherapy, movement, attachment theory, and neurobiology across individual, relational, and group contexts. I have presented on somatic and nervous system-informed approaches in clinical training settings and at professional conferences, and I provide ongoing consultation to therapists integrating somatic methods into their practice. This presentation draws directly from that clinical and teaching experience, as well as from the questions that arise most consistently when therapists begin to explore body-centred and movement-based work with clients.

Venita is a seasoned licensed mental health and licensed addiction counselor with many years of counseling experience. She is the CEO of Soulful Essentials, a mental health practice in Massachusetts and the Power of Self Academy. Her area of expertise is working with people who suffer from trauma, ACES - Adverse Childhood Experiences, Addiction, Depression, Anxiety, Personality Disorders, and other mental health issues. She is a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, Certified Employee Assistance Professional, US DOT SAP, and a Certified Anger Management and Domestic Violence Specialist. Venita is mind, body and soul, somatic trained therapist and practitioner. Her somatic training modalities consist in Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Shamanic Practices, Energy Medicine, Sound Therapy, and she is a Usui Reiki Master. Venita’s education consists of two master’s degrees from Cambridge College in Massaachusetts. She holds a Master in Education with a concentration in Mental Health and Addiction, and a Master of Management degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. Venita is presently enrolled in a Doctorate and Ph. D program in Integrative Medicine with Quantum University. Venita is the President of the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselor’s Association.