"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body."
- Martha Graham
Gratitude is the best attitude [and movement heals]. -Through recognizing our gifts, blessings, and abundance, we are better able to manage challenges and barriers in our lives. We are often conditioned to think certain things and even move in particular ways, but what if we were really meant to know and express our deeper self, our truest and freest self? I live with realistic optimism and passion, I strive to move with lightness and purpose, and I confront the fear to maintain a willingness to grow and evolve as a simultaneously flawed and awesome human being. It is through movement (dance, yoga, hiking, swimming, et al) that I have overcome my greatest struggles and accomplished my wildest dreams.
You (and your body) are wise beyond words. Movement can not only change how you feel and experience your life, but it can also change how you relate to others. Movement does not have to be structured or choreographed to be powerful, transformative, and/or healing; when we move mindfully, we have the ability to experience ourselves, our bodies, and others with more openness.
Originally from Wisconsin, Sara began dancing as soon as she could walk (and she hasn’t stopped yet). It was through movement, that she found personal reflection, healing, and connection, as well as her passion for holistic health and well-being.
Sara was initially introduced to both yoga and [the profession of] dance/movement therapy during her undergraduate studies. Although she knew her calling was one of service, in the years that followed college, Sara’s life took a detour. She worked in banking, sales/marketing administration, and even real estate, before returning to school to obtain a hybrid Master of Arts degree in Dance/Movement Therapy & Clinical Counseling from Columbia College Chicago. As a graduate student, Sara was honored as a Chicago Area Albert Schweitzer Fellow (ASF), developing a movement-based program for formerly homeless women.
Sara left the Windy City for the Golden Coast after graduation and has passionately provided integrative counseling services in both Greater Los Angeles and the Bay Area ever since. She has worked in various psychiatric, residential, community-based, and outpatient settings before transitioning to non-profit leadership, education and consulting, and private practice. Outside of her day-to-day work, Sara has been honored as the 2014 ADTA Leader of Tomorrow and one of “35 Women Under 35” by Delta Zeta Sorority (2019). Sara’s passion for mind-body connection and healing has inspired her to lead acclaimed workshops on wellness, stress management, mindfulness, and burnout prevention at Kaiser Permanente, Loyola Marymount University, Viceroy Hotels, Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services, St. Joseph Center, and other community agencies and national conventions.
Sara holds a Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling (2011) and Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis (2010) from Columbia College Chicago, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Studies (Psychology) from Arizona State University (2006), Associate of Business (International Business & Real Estate) from Mesa Community College (2007), and Yoga & the Healing Sciences (200 Hour) Certification from Loyola Marymount University (2016). Sara is currently pursuing her 500 Hour Yoga Teaching Certification with Yoga Farm Ithaca online, specializing in kriya yoga, enneagram, and ayurvedic studies.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
- Leonardo da Vinci
Run your life like a business.
Financial freedom is a mindset, afford yourself the things that allign with your lifestyle and watch it fall into place.
Math being his favorite subject growing up, and puzzles always of interest, Eric pursued and obtained an Industrial Engineering degree from The Ohio State University. It was the perfect mix of business and engineering the acted as an outlet for his creative side as well. After working as a manufacturing engineer, he moved into a sales engineer position to help others achieve their business objectives.
Eric is an artist at heart, and this creates a synergy with his engineering background that fosters a lifestyle free from financial stress. He has found a way to work with the budget he has to continue to grow his net worth slowly and surely and firmly believe you can do the same.
In his spare time, he enjoys being at peace with nature, laughing with friends, and discussing new possibilities in life.
“Happy is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gains understanding."
- Proverbs
Have courage. It’s the antithesis to everything that stands in the way of your happiness and fulfillment. In order to connect, we must have the courage to communicate honestly. In order to love and be loved, we must have the courage show our true selves. And in order to succeed, you must have the courage to take action.
You’re able and capable of creating your ideal life. The road may be long and hard, but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the journey before getting to your destination.
Dr. Shaelyn Pham is a licensed psychologist, who has been practicing in the field of psychology for over a decade in Southern California. Before making a name for herself, she had a humble beginning, immigrating to the United States in her early adolescent years without knowing more than 3 phrases and 10 words of English.
A lot of small changes happened along the way leading up to her big leap. Today she is a bestselling author, and her most recent book is entitled Pursue. She is the founder and owner of a thriving group practice, PsychServes, where she enjoys working alongside her team of staff and clinicians, helping people from all walks of life. Dr. Pham also serves as a subject matter expert for the Board of Psychology in constructing the California State Licensing Exam for upcoming psychologists. Aside from clinical work, she also conducts corporate health and wellness training. Additionally, you can find her name in articles and magazines as a contributor on various topics pertaining to personal growth, mental health and well-being, relationships, as well as professional development.
She’s not all work and no play. She still makes time for leisure activities and rejuvenation. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, watching movies, cooking, shooting archery and throwing axes as well as trying to maintain her florid garden.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
– C.S. Lewis,
Life is designed with a purpose, an intent, meant to contribute to both the world and the lives of others in such a way that each are enhanced by the other. The only real way to uncovering and understanding one’s purpose is to live a life as authentically and completely as one can – to be the person we are intended to be. Words can make this sound easy but the reality of living life fully is profoundly not. The work, the struggle, and the effort invested in being our most authentic selves, in living our most authentic lives, is always rewarded.
I’d like to help attendees develop their mindfulness practice with the goal of building a greater sense of purpose in life.
According to a plethora of studies by psychologists all over the world, a sense of purpose evolved so that human beings can accomplish big things together—which is why having a sense of purpose is linked to greater physical and mental health.
Increasing one’s practice of mindfulness contributes to a life of purpose, such as making it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur, completely engaging in activities, and developing greater resilience when facing challenging events. Mindfulness practitioners are less likely to ruminate on future concerns or past regrets, are less preoccupied with thoughts of success, have healthier self-esteem, and are better able to create longer lasting and more fulfilling connections with others.
Darrin Dennis, RAPCC, is a dedicated mental health clinician who thoroughly enjoys his role in serving the mental health needs of the greater Los Angeles area community. Working as a Professional Clinical Counselor is actually Darrin’s third career. His first found him as a database administrator and online marketeer for the dot com industry. During his time in the tech industry, he worked with entertainment luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey and the marketing arm of Pottermore, the digital company owned by J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter series of children’s book. In the middle of the year 2000, Darrin sought a new path in life after the Dot Com bubble burst. Desiring a life more directly focused on providing for the world, he transitioned to teaching high school English. His first two years were at John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles where he helped establish the small school approach to teaching at LAUSD. The last 10 years of Darrin’s teaching career were at Culver City High School, his alma mater, where he primarily taught AP 11th grade English, served as department chair, and earned the Student Body’s Teacher of the Year award in school year 2012-2013. Darrin transitioned to his third, and current, career after leaving teaching in June of 2015 and returning to graduate school to earn his M.A. in clinical counseling from Northwestern University at the top of his class in May of 2017.
Over the course of his career as a psychotherapist, Darrin has come to appreciate the true power and effectiveness of a strong therapeutic relationship based on unconditional positive regard for his client, a healthy respect and passion for exploring and understanding the diversity of humanity, and the various experiences and perspectives that make each of us unique individuals.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
-Henry Ford
It is through the understanding of ourselves, that we can better understand the other.
Walk away with an in-depth understanding about the process of communication. Not only is it important to learn how to effectively send a message, it is equally as important to learn how to receive a message.
Learn the skills of effective communication in the workplace, in personal relationships and within the self. It is such skills that will help enrich various aspects of one’s life.
Dr. Silvana Good is a young and driven mental health clinician who is dedicated to serving her community in the greater Los Angeles area.
Dr. Good was born and raised in Southern California and is the daughter of an immigrant mother and American father. The obstacles she endured related to her bi-cultural experience ignited a long journey of identity exploration, and a unique outlook on cultural differences. Furthermore, as the oldest of three, Dr. Good found herself to be the “bridge” of communication in her household from a young age.
Naturally, she found herself pursuing a PsyD in clinical psychology at California Lutheran University after obtaining her B.A. in psychology and a B.S. in criminal justice. During her first two years of clinical training, Dr. Good exclusively supported those who were struggling with concerns related to intimate partner violence. It was during this time she was introduced to her mentor who opened up the world of the “unconscious” and “defenses.” Not only did Dr. Good learn the skills of effective communication and conflict resolution, but she also learned the nuances of relationships, while taking familial patterns, culture, trauma, and unconscious drives into consideration. Dr. Good is a firm believer that sustainable change cannot take place until one reflects on old experiences and digs deep into the unconscious to gain insight and self-awareness.
Dr. Good completed her APA accredited internship at George Mason University’s Counseling and Psychological Services in Northern Virginia where she provided a variety of mental health services to college students. Dr. Good particularly took interest in working with survivors of sexual assault, and students struggling with adjustment and cultural identity concerns.
Following graduation, Dr. Good began working at an inpatient residential facility where she gained experience treating a variety of complex diagnoses. Dr. Good ran daily groups addressing various topics such as relationships, communication, conflict resolution, trauma, process and identity.
After some time, Dr. Good transitioned full-time to a group practice where she remains committed to providing a safe and affirming space for her those of all identities to explore their inner self. Dr. Good takes a collaborative approach to ensure that one’s unique needs are met. Her integrative approach allows one to build appropriate coping skills, while taking the time to look deeper and explore unconscious processes. She aims to guide her clients towards gaining insight, increasing their self-awareness, empowerment and healing.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Life is a precious gift. We only have one chance to live our beautiful lives. We must live passionately, love hard, and nourish our bodies, minds and souls with whatever energizes us and inspires us to be our best selves.
I want my audience to take back control in this diet-centered world. Consciously and subconsciously we download messages from the media of how we should eat and how we should look. It’s time to put those mixed messages to rest!
My presentation will help listeners better understand how our body functions and what it needs in order to help us achieve our goals. My audience will walk away feeling more confident with food selection and become more appreciative of our body’s needs.
Nutrition has always been at the forefront of Cassandra’s mind. As a former collegiate athlete, Cassandra focused on training hard to meet the physical demands of soccer, but what she ended up discovering along the way was that food could help her perform better. She was able to get stronger, recover quicker, and have more energy in order to compete at a high level. She also discovered that eating right would help her excel not only on the field, but off the field as well.
It became her passion to promote the importance of nutrition, not only for athletes, but for every one and every age. Cassandra received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Management at Rochester Institute of Technology and then went on to complete her Dietetic Internship at Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital.
After completing her internship, she practiced as clinical dietitian at Lahey Hospital, calculating nutrition needs for patients in the intensive care unit, cardiac, and general medicine floors. This clinical work emphasized how crucial nutrition interventions are in order to help the body recover from major surgeries and combat chronic health conditions.
Now she finds joy in working with people and helping them understand the importance of nutrition through consultations, presentations, and workshops. She wants every one of her clients to feel comfortable, confident and empowered after working with her.
I believe every life is designed with a purpose, an intent, meant to contribute to both the world and the lives of others in such a way that each are enhanced by the other. I also believe the only real way to uncovering and understanding one’s purpose is to live a life as authentically and completely as one can – to be the person we are intended to be. Words can make this sound easy. I know the reality of living life fully is profoundly not. I also know the work and struggle and effort invested in being our most authentic selves, in living our most authentic lives, is always rewarded.
Have courage. It’s the antithesis to everything that stands in the way of your happiness and fulfillment. In order to connect, we must have the courage to communicate honestly. In order to love and be loved, we must have the courage to show our true selves. And in order to succeed, you must have the courage to take action.
It is through the understanding of ourselves, that we can better understand the other.
Life is a precious gift. We only have one chance to live our beautiful lives. We must live passionately, love hard, and nourish our bodies, minds and souls with whatever energizes us and inspires us to be our best selves.
Gratitude is the best attitude [and movement heals]. -Through recognizing our gifts, blessings, and abundance, we are better able to manage challenges and barriers in our lives.
Run your life like a business.
