Hannah Kenny, MSW, works as a Social Worker at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego KidSTART supporting families through complex care coordination. Her background is in mental health therapy for children who have experienced trauma. She is interested in enhancing the integration trauma-responsive care across practice settings.

Kelly Curtis-Hughes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who works as an early childhood mental health therapist in San Diego, working with infants and children ages 0-5 as well as their families. She holds a Master’s of Science degree in Counseling with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, from San Diego State University, as well as the designation of a Registered Play Therapist. Kelly works at KidSTART, an award winning transdisciplinary Infant Family Early Child Mental Health Treatment Program, at Rady Children’s Hospital. The KidSTART program works with the most complex children aged 0-5, and their families. These children have a multitude of diagnostic possibilities, which include not only mental health concerns, but also, developmental, medical, and/or familial complexity. Kelly’s specialties include infant and early childhood mental health, trauma, parenting, and perinatal mental health. Kelly provides dyadic and family therapy utilizing therapy modalities of Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Trauma Assessment Pathway model, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, with play therapy and attachment-based techniques.

Cynthia Solorzano, ASW, serves as a Social Worker at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego KidSTART, where she specializes in facilitating complex care coordination to assist families. Possessing a background in sociology and critical race theory, Cynthia is committed to mitigating inequities through dedicated advocacy for marginalized communities. Leveraging her expertise in social structures and power dynamics, she adeptly offers support and resources to individuals and families navigating systemic barriers.

My family immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico. I was born in the South Bay, in California, AKA Tongva Land.

My medicine is Bridging the gap between Western Mental Health and Indigenous ways of healing, in order to guide BIPOC find their inner strength, by connecting to their roots, to release what no longer serves them, and move from a place of uncertainty to self-empowerment. Because Healing is to be tapped into and released in order to be free.

I’m proud of being a first generation, Xicana, with a Master’s Degree Because my parents worked HARD to get me to where I am today, and this is for them and for the next 7 generations. I am proud of being a Mom of three sensitive, energetic & playful semillas. I am proud of being a business owner/entrepreneur and making my own $. And I am proud of my poetry because writing helps me heal.

I began my Spiritual Journey 18 years ago, through Danza Mexica and attending Indigenous Ceremonies, and this was when I began to feel WHOLE. To re-connect to my roots and indigenous ancestors has taught me so much about who I was, who I was becoming, and who I am today. I began feeling balanced and am now wanting to return the wisdom and knowledge that has been passed down to us by our ancestors.

I also have a Master's Degree in Social Work, and have 12 years of experience working in the mental health field. And this is where both my Spiritual Journey and my Therapist journey have come together to bEarth Mariposa Ancestral Practices.

Dr. Richelle Whittaker is a speaker, educational psychologist, parent advisor, maternal mental health specialist, author of Burps, Bibs, and Breakdowns: A 90 Day Journal for Moms and Embracing What’s Next: A 30 Day Journal for Parents, and host of the Raising Sons podcast.

As a heart-centered leader, she is passionate about helping families win. Her work equips and empowers parents/caregivers with tools to close learning gaps, find work-life balance, and maintain mental wellness. She enjoys creating a space to help parents/caregivers explore tough topics and navigate solutions.

Dr. Whittaker is a mother and working parent, so she understands the challenges parents/caregivers face on multiple levels: at home, in school, and interpersonally.

Her passion for cultivating resources and community for parents/caregivers actualizes itself through two businesses: Providential Counseling and Consulting, and Next Steps Coaching and Consulting.

Providential Counseling & Consulting Services offers services to schools and parents/caregivers to aid children academically and behaviorally.

Next Steps Coaching and Consulting is comprised of two divisions – Next Steps @ Work, which partners with corporations to support working parents/caregivers, and Next Steps @ Home, which focuses on new parents/caregivers, those with children facing disabilities, and parents/caregivers raising boys.

At its core, Dr. Whittaker’s work is about advocacy – being a voice and creating the space for families to thrive.

Laura Salas, has twenty years of experience in non-profit organization, providing support to families of young children and Early Childcare Educators (ECE). Her educational experience includes a BA in psychology and an advanced certification in Socio-Emotional regulation with an emphasis in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) from San Diego State University. She also holds two certifications in Inclusion Consultation giving her the opportunity to work indirectly with caregivers of children with developmental disabilities or neurodiversity as well as a Transdisciplinary Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Practitioner endorsement. Laura currently works as the Mental and Behavioral Health Program Manager at the YMCA,. Her experience includes providing families support in navigating services when there are developmental and behavioral concerns and accessing systems of care. Having grown up in a Mexican family, Laura pays special attention toward providing tools, resources and psychoeducation to Latino families and ECE’s who are gaining interest in unlearning and learning parenting and teaching practices that have a positive impact in their children’s mental health.

Carly Tolbert is a passionate and highly skilled Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has spent more than a decade in service to children and families in community mental health settings in and around Los Angeles. She is the Founder of Kaftan Collective, an organization grounded in the practice of embodiment as a pathway to individual and communal healing for Black, Indigenous and POC individuals, families, and communities. With a passion for supporting children ages birth to five and their families, Carly has dedicated much of her career to promoting trauma-informed, reflective, and culturally attuned clinical care. She excels in a variety of clinical practice specialties, including Child Parent Psychotherapy, Reflective Parenting and Somatic Abolitionism —an emergent, embodied approach to anti-racism and culture building.

Through her clinical and consultative work with individuals and organizations, Carly champions equity, representation, and social justice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color within mental health systems. She offers individual and group therapy services for BIPOC mothers and caregivers, as well as equity-centered Reflective Consultation for early childhood providers and Birth-to-Five multidisciplinary teams. Through these efforts, Carly aims to promote, create, and protect healing spaces for historically marginalized individuals. Additionally, within her Reflective Consultation practice, she fosters professional growth and staff wellness, supporting the formation of culturally attuned teams prepared to serve the community effectively.

Born and raised in Hyde Park, Los Angeles, Carly is committed to decolonizing mental health, particularly in South Los Angeles, where resources for holistic, culturally appropriate mental health treatment are limited. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Pitzer College and holds a Master's in Social Welfare from UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. Carly is professionally endorsed as an Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and a Reflective Practice Facilitator II with the California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health at WestEd Center for Prevention and Early Intervention. Outside of her professional life, Carly connects with nature as a resource and enjoys hiking and beach days with her family. Her two children, ages 9 and 10, inspire her to slow down and connect with the present moment. Carly takes pleasure in the small joys of life, such as watching hummingbirds in her backyard, sharing good belly laughs with her husband, and taking naps.

Jesse Bernal, LMFT
Jesse Bernal is an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, a certification of specialization in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, and a certification of specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis. Jesse spent over 15 years working with the birth to five population, specifically focusing on infant and early childhood mental health, neural and social/emotional development, inclusion of children with diverse learning needs, staff and caregiver wellness, and mitigating the long-term effects of early childhood trauma. In addition, Jess is an adjunct professor at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA for both the School of Cultural and Family Psychology and the School of Education, and has served as a research associate to authors in the field such as Dr. Daniel Seigel and Dr. Barbara Stroud. He provides consultation and training to multiple Head Start and Early Head Start, mental health, and social service programs across the country and is a nationwide speaker and presenter. Jess strives to increase the general understanding of social/emotional development and behavior through a trauma-informed lens, while always staying true to the core values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and social justice.

Felisha Burleson is doctoral student at Texas Woman's University in the Family Studies PhD program and a Certified Family Life Educator. Using her education in sociology and background in social services, she established The Patchwork Society, where she offers personal and professional development services. Through the patchwork society, she partners with existing organizations and agencies to provide professional development opportunities for staff that include workshops, training, and conferences. She also provides family development (parent education) and personal development (individual life skills) services for program participants enrolled in services at partnering organizations.

Marcena has 25 years experience in working with children and families in Foster/Adoption along with those children whom are at risk. Working with families in creating a paradigm shift in child welfare and creating successful positive outcomes for children in education.

I am a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. I grew up in North Carolina and along the East Coast; relocating to San Diego in 2021. I attended Duke University where I received a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a double minor in African American studies and Women’s Studies. Having had the unique experience of teaching in an inner city public high school, I realized I could best serve the community by addressing the mental health needs of school aged children, especially those affected by trauma. Receiving my Master of Public Health from The George Washington School of Public Health, where I studied health promotion, I was able to develop the skills to improve health at the community level.

I was an associate chief resident at Meharry Medical College where I completed my adult psychiatry training and learned to deliver culturally competent care in an underserved population. I also served as a delegate for Nashville Academy of Medicine where I promoted policies to improve access to healthcare. I then completed my robust fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt where I served as the school-based mental health chief, coordinating with schools to address the mental health needs of their students. I am trained in various therapeutic modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and supportive therapy. I believe in practicing evidence-based psychopharmacology in conjunction with strong therapeutic support, so that I may give my patients the best chance of success at addressing their mental health issues.

Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, live music festivals, exploring new coffee shops, and spending time with loved ones.

Dr. Akridge is the CEO and owner of Metro Education Consulting & Psychological Services which provides psycho-educational evaluations, advocacy and consultation to parents and adults with learning differences and mental health needs. Dr. Akridge promotes parental educational engagement and recently published a parent journal series I Am The Expert of My Child to facilitate parent involvement and emotional processing of their experiences with their child's school staff. Being that she is one of the few practicing African American Licensed Educational Psychologists in the state of California and more specifically the city of San Diego, she is a sought after resource and expert.

Dr. Vangie was a double major at UCLA, receiving her Baccalaureate degrees in Psychology and African-American Studies before and receiving her Masters of Science and Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Psychology. She has also secured a doctorate of psychology in educational psychology as well as an Alcohol and Drug Counseling degree. Dr. Vangie has established herself in the field of psychology and education by practicing school psychology in CA brick and mortar, virtual, traditional and charter schools as both a school psychologist and as a K-12 administrator for over two decades. Dr. Vangie also currently serves core faculty at school counseling and school psychology at Alliant International University.

Bella, William, and Otto. We are the Mod $quad. We are a force to be reckoned with. We are unstoppable. We have each other’s back and propel each other forward.

Nisa Williams is a certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Consultant with a background in business and K-12 & Higher Education. She holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting, a Master’s degree in Education, and a Masters in Business Administration.  As a Senior Social & Emotional Learning Analyst for WGU and business owner for over five years, Nisa has helped busy professionals and entrepreneurs use Social & Emotional Intelligence techniques to explore the barriers to their success, overcome interpersonal challenges, and experience success in their personal and professional lives.

Ariane Porras es nativa de San Diego, una BSW con especialización en Psicología y una estudiante avanzada de Experiencia Somática que ha tenido el privilegio de servir al condado durante más de una década con el YMCA de San Diego. Ha trabajado como consultante de salud mental en la primera infancia promoviendo la alfabetización socioemocional y las bases del desarrollo, con familias de Kinship facilitando grupos de apoyo y ayudándolas a navegar recursos en la comunidad. En su función actual como Directora de Colaboración Comunitaria, lidera equipos y equipa al público sobre marcos de prevención primaria, atención informada sobre trauma y prácticas culturalmente receptivas. Su experiencia trabajando con las poblaciones de nuestra sociedad ha contribuido en gran medida a su pasión por equipar a los cuidadores y profesionales de servicios sociales en San Diego, ya que ha brindado una visión completa de cómo el trauma afecta a todo el sistema familiar y cómo las relaciones receptivas son clave para la curación. unos a otros y a su vez a nuestras comunidades.


Ariane Porras is a native San Diegan, a BSW with a minor in Psychology and an Advanced student of Somatic Experiencing who has had the privilege of serving the county for over a decade with the YMCA of San Diego County. She has worked as an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant and Trainer promoting social emotional literacy and development foundations, with Kinship families facilitating support groups and helping them navigate resources. In her current role as Community Collaborative Director with the Partners in Prevention project, she leads teams and equips the public on primary prevention frameworks, Trauma Informed Care and culturally responsive practices. Her experience working with the end cap populations of our society has greatly contributed to her passion for equipping caregivers and social service professionals in San Diego as it has provided a full scope of how trauma affects the entire family system and how responsive relationships are key to healing each other and in turn our communities.

Dr. Joshua Feder is Editor in Chief at the Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, where he has restructured the publication to actively address racial and cultural inequities. Dr. Feder also serves as Executive Medical Director at Positive Development, providing culturally sensitive and affordable evidence-based care for autistic children and families nationwide. Since 2009 Dr Feder has worked on legislation and policy at local, national, and international levels to address inequity in access to evidence-based care and increase choice of care for families. As an Executive member of the International Network on Peace Building with Young Children, Dr. Feder conducts program development and research in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, areas impacted by longstanding conflict. Dr Feder served on the inaugural Equity Committee of the California Association for Infant Mental Health, the Resource Group for Youth at the Border and Trauma & Disaster Committees of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and he is a committee member for the annual Birth of Brilliance mental health equity conference.

Meet Armand Lawrich King, a survivor of toxic lifestyles who has become a leader in his community and around the world. For the past 12 years, Armand King has been dedicated to positively impacting communities and individuals through his work as a successful nonprofit builder, consultant, and author of books and curriculums. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker and trainer, frequently invited by experts from all over the globe to share his expertise. In addition to his work as a motivational speaker, Armand King is a successful entrepreneur who helps others build and grow their own businesses. He is skilled at helping people develop their projects and build strong teams. Currently, Armand King served on the San Diego's Gang Prevention and Intervention Commission and is currently a member of the San Diego Mayor's Black Advisory Board. With his powerful message and ability to change lives, Armand King is a force for good in the world.

Liz Sizemore (she/her) is an Art Therapist and AMFT who serves as a Family Therapist at San Diego Center for Children’s FFAST program. Liz has a background in crisis support, family systems, and running groups for varying and intersecting populations. Liz has developed an art therapy program for foster youth and their families focused on developing attachment, self-expression, and personal confidence. Liz is a San Diego native, second-born, and is strongly holds that creativity is an energy source available to all.

Dr. Thema Bryant is the past president of the American Psychological Association. She is a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Her clinical and research interests center on interpersonal trauma and the societal trauma of oppression. She has raised public awareness regarding mental health by extending the reach of psychology beyond the academy and private therapy office through community programming, organizational consultation, popular books, and media engagement.

Bryant is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and a past APA representative to the United Nations. She also served on the APA Committee on International Relations in Psychology and the Committee on Women in Psychology.

In 2013, APA honored Bryant for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest. The Institute of Violence, Abuse and Trauma presented her their media award for the film “Psychology of Human Trafficking” in 2016, and the Donald Fridley Memorial Award for excellence in mentoring in the field of trauma in 2018. The California Psychological Association recognized her for Distinguished Scientific Achievement in Psychology in 2015. One of the foundational scholars on the topic of the trauma of racism, she gave an invited keynote address on the topic at APA2020. That year, APA’s International Division honored her for her International Contributions to the Study of Gender and Women for her work in Africa and the Diaspora. She is author of the bestselling Homecoming: Overcome Trauma and Reclaim Your Whole Authentic Self and host of the Homecoming podcast.