The Thought Hackers

Denita Stevens is a writer and poet who lives in New Jersey. Her poetry about trauma has been published on the Heal My PTSD website, and most recently in the ITWOW International 2016 Anthology, all of which are included in her poetry chapbook, ‘Invisible Veils’ which is in the process of being published.

She started a blog called ‘Texas Girl in Jersey’ to share her story of recovering from PTSD and also chronicle her adventures of living in New Jersey. She is currently working on her memoir, ‘Disorderly Life’ about her experiences living with PTSD for 15 years and how she recovered.

 

Key Points

1/ Finding the professional(s) that is right for you is essential, for me that primarily meant finding a therapist trained in EMDR.

2/ Recovery is a process that takes time and requires a commitment even when no support system is available.  

3/ Nutrition and exercise are vital to healing and staying healthy.

 

Find Denita Online

* Website

 

Craig Holliday is a gifted Meditation and Spiritual Teacher trained in both the Yogic and Buddhist traditions. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor offering mindfulness based therapy.

Craig travels frequently offering Meditation Workshops, Retreats, and Satsang. He is the author of Fully Human Fully Divine. His work is dedicated to the discovery of our innate Divinity, and the expansion of compassionate action on the planet.

He works in a way that addresses our everyday suffering as a doorway to our inherent freedom, and empowerment. He meets with individuals at his office in Durango, Colorado and with individuals from around the world on Skype.

 

Key Points

1/ Within the experience of suffering is a seed for a greater aspect of consciousness.

2/ It is through suffering that we come to know and embody compassion and unconditional love and strength. 

3/ This is an evolutionary world, and therefore pain is a part of life.   But suffering is the doorway to growth.

 

Find Craig Online

* Website

 

Richmond Heath is a registered Physiotherapist, TRE Certification Trainer, Pilates Instructor, Bowen Therapist & a pioneer in mind-body health & wellbeing for optimal life performance.

Having introduced TRE to Australia in 2010, he provides TRE Training to individuals & organisations in a wide range of settings including sports, personal growth & development, occupational stress prevention & trauma recovery.

Richmond holds an Advanced Diploma of Aboriginal Studies from Tranby Aboriginal College in Sydney, was a founding member of the Victorian Menergyí Mens Gathering & has completed contemporary initiation rites into both Darkunjung (Australia) & Native American traditions

Key Points

1/ A paradigm shift in normalising and reframing autonomic movements including spontaneous shakes and tremors after stressful or traumatic events as a key natural recovery reflex that has been deliberately used in traditional cultures for millenia rather than it being misunderstood as a ‘symptom’ of stress, trauma, anxiety, shock or PTSD.

2/ Medical pathologising of this innate reflex along with individual and cultural suppression in the West may inadvertently be reducing the likelyhood of recovery and contriburing to an increased likelihood of burnout, acute stress and PTSD

3/ This neurogenic tremor reflex can be deliberately invoked in a safe and controlled way on an ongoing and regular basis using the simple exercises of TRE (tension and trauma release exercises) to release stress and trauma and to reorganise our nervous system to build greater neurophysiological resilience, groundedness and coping capacity in the future.

 

Find Richmond Online

* TRE Australia

* TRE International

 

Dr. John DeGarmo is a leading international expert in foster care.  Dr. John is a consultant to several foster care agencies and to law firms across the nation, and is a popular international speaker and trainer on all things foster care. 

He is the founder of The Foster Care Institute, as well as the residential group home Never Too Late, a home for boys in foster care in Georgia.  He and his family have been featured on Good Morning America, The 700 Club, and in other media. 

He has also been a foster parent for 14 years, now, and has cared for over 50 children, and has adopted three from foster care.  Dr. John is also author of several books, including the highly inspirational book Love and Mayhem: One Big Family’s Uplifting Story of Fostering and Adoptino, and the foster care children’s book A Different Home: A New Foster Child’s Story.  

 

Key Points

1/ Everyone can help a child in foster care in some way

2/ There are many, many dangers facing today’s youth with online technology and social media

3/ What children in foster care truly experience and face

 

Find John Online

* The Foster Care Institute Website

 

Samantha Silverberg is a licensed clinician specializing in working with individuals who have histories of complex and chronic trauma.

She has spent the last eight years working across a variety of populations at the University of Pennsylvania, Mount Sinai Hospital and as adjunct faculty at LaSalle University amongst other positions.

Based on her own personal experiences and professional experiences of clients dealing with online harassment, Samantha co-founded Online SOS, a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to providing free, direct services to individuals experiencing this. Samantha runs Online SOS while pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fielding University to continue this work.

Key Points

1/ Online harassment maps directly on to psychological trauma.

2/ Individuals experiencing online harassment may experience trauma symptoms.

3/ There is support for this type of trauma, you are not alone. Rather than suffering in silence we want individuals to reach out.

 

Find Samantha Online

* Website

 

Dara Kurtz is the author of Crush Cancer, and creator of the popular blog, Crazy Perfect Life.

When she was 42, she heard the words “You have cancer!”. It wasnít until she finished the difficult year of treatment that she began to see the benefits her cancer diagnosis brought.

She started writing, and now inspires people from all over the world. Dara feels she’s one of the lucky ones and has a responsibility to help people going through their own personal challenges.

Dara lives in Lewisville, North Carolina with her husband Jon and their daughters Zoe, 18, and Avi, 15.

 

Key Points

1/ The doctors could see what needed fixing, physically – they couldn’t see the thoughts I was having in my head – I knew I didn’t want to live this way: scared, worried, afraid. FEAR following me around. I established a personal mantra and this became my saving grace.

2/ I learned to live with gratitude, to be thankful for all that I had, accept what happened, recognized cancer didn’t have to define my life and that I could move forward, expecting good things to happen.

3/ I focused on what I could do to help myself: mediation, journal, taking care of myself, exercise, eating well. I couldn’t change what happened but I could impact what I do each day of my life and the intentional choices I make.

 

Find Dara Online

* Website

 

Tim Pahuta grew up in a small rural fawn in central NJ called Whitehouse Station NJ. The second oldest of 5 children and his fathers first son.

Baseball was, and continues to be, a passion of his fathers and as a result a passion of Tim’s as well. So much so that he became a professional baseball player after graduating from Seton Hall University in 2005.

Tim played 9 years of minor league baseball, 8 with the Washington Nationals, ending his career and life long dream of playing baseball in the Major Leagues. 

That’s when life in the “real world” began…..

 

Key Points

1/ Visualise the ideas and principles you want to live by and create an image of where you want to be

2/ Use your brain to think yourself into the reality you want to have

3/ Whatever you believe your world to be, you will always be gathering evidence that will prove it to be true

 

Find Tim Online

* Tim On Facebook

* Life Mapping 

 

Sue Scheff is a Nationally Recognized Author, Parent Advocate and Internet Safety Advocate. She founded Parents Universal Resources Experts, Inc. in 2001.

She has 3 published books, Wit’s End, Google Bomb and her latest, Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate with a foreword by Monica Lewinsky.

Sue Scheff is a contributor for the Psychology Today, HuffPost, Dr. Greene, Stop Medicine Abuse, EducationNation and others. She has been featured on ABC 20/20, CNN, Fox News, Anderson Cooper, Nightly News with Katie Couric, Rachael Ray Show, Dr. Phil, and more. Scheff has also been in USA Today, LA Times, NYT’s, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, AARP, just to name a few. 

 

Key Points

1/ Shaming doesn’t define us.

2/ The very tool that harmed us, can also heal (help) us.

3/ The importance of overcoming your online fears/shame – both your emotional and financial future depends on it.

 

Find Sue Online

* Website

* Shame Nation Book

* Email

 

Bob Roth is one of the most experienced meditation teachers in America. Over the past 45 years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation (TM) to many thousands of people and is the author of “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation,” which will be published in February 2018.

Bob currently serves as the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, a non-profit organization which has provided scholarships to teach over 500,000 inner-city schoolchildren, veterans and women who are survivors of violence to meditate. Bob also directs the Center for Leadership Performance, a nonprofit, which brings TM to business, government, and charities.

 

Key Points

1/ Trauma is not just a psychological event—it scars the brain—and left untreated it can scar the brain for life

2/ Meditation properly understood and practiced can heal the brain and save a life.

3/ Inspiring stories of transformation from the people our foundation helps…

 

Find Bob Online

* Website

* tm.org

Carol Graham has survived the challenges of major illnesses, devastating personal losses and financial ruin more than once, yet has refused to become a victim.

She writes for five monthly columns in magazines in addition to several publications.  She has been published in many anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul.  In 2015, Carol received the Woman of Impact Award from Focus on Women Magazine in addition to Author of the Year for her memoir, Battered Hope. 

Carol hosts a bi-weekly show “Never Ever Give Up Hope,” is an international keynote speaker, jewelry store owner and a certified health coach.  Carol has five grandchildren and has rescued over 30 dogs.  

 

Key Points

1/ Attitude

2/ Tenacity

3/ Hope

 

Find Carol Online

* Website

* Facebook

* Email

Email Carol and mention The Thought Hackers in the subject line to request a complimentary Health Assessment