Jon Connelly, Ph.D.
Dr. Jon Connelly is the founder and developer of Rapid Resolution Therapy. He has over 30 years of experience training professionals and working with populations severely impacted by trauma. He has developed advanced methods of clearing trauma, shame and guilt, resolving pathological grief, and eliminating anxiety, panic attacks, rage and resentment. He is the founder of the Institute for Survivors of Incest or Sexual Violence, Inc., a non-profit (501c3) organization providing mental health professionals with state of the art training and pro bono services for traumatized individuals who can't afford treatment. He is also the author of "Life Changing Conversations: The Power of Transformational Communication." Dr. Connelly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board certified in psychotherapy, sex therapy, hypnotherapy, behavioral medicine, clinical social work and chemical dependency counseling. He obtained his Master's degree in Social Work from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Pastoral Counseling from Maimonides University.
Chris Cortman, Psy.D.
Dr. Chris Cortman has created a safe haven for emotional healing in Sarasota County, facilitating more than 50,000 hours of psychotherapy in his private practice. He specializes in treating emotional trauma (abuse survivors, accident victims, combat veterans), relationship issues (couples therapy, custody evaluations, family therapy), depression, anxiety disorders, and other emotional issues.
Awarded a Doctorate of Psychology in San Diego, CA in 1983, Dr. Cortman has been a Florida licensed Psychologist since 1985. He has reveled in his ability to connect with people leading to a successful and thriving career.
Dr. Cortman testifies in court as an expert witness for the State of Florida, consults at four local hospitals, was Director of Allied Health Practitioners at Sarasota Palms (now Sarasota Memorial Hospital's Bayside), was former President of the Lower Westcoast Chapter of the Florida Psychological Association, and most recently has appeared on Disney Radio.
Dr. Cortman continues to maintain a successful private practice while pursuing projects that enable him to meet a larger need for psychological expertise in our communities. These projects include frequent public speaking, regular contributions to local newspapers, two exciting manuscripts currently awaiting publication, and a beautiful baby girl, Melina, born May 13, 2008!
Dr. Cortman's website is www.srqshrink.com.
Ken Donaldson, LMHC, CAP
Ken Donaldson has overcome addiction, depression and divorce to become one of the leading authorities on positive mental health, successful relationships and winning the Inside Game of Life.
Ken’s been offering counseling, coaching, and educational programs since 1987. His long list of credentials includes the following: licensed mental health counselor, board certified addictions professional, board certified clinical hypnotherapist, certified in Rapid Resolution Therapy™, and certified master relationship coach. Visit http://kendonaldson.com/
Ken’s primary mission is to help business professionals and their families eliminate stress, maximize success and create extraordinary relationships at home, at work and in the community.
Ken is the author of the breakthrough life and relationship success book Marry YourSelf First!® Say “I Do” to a Life of Passion, Power, Purpose and Prosperity. Ken shares with the readers how to win “the inside game of relationships” by first creating a powerful relationship with yourself. The material in Marry YourSelf First!® is a result of Donaldson’s 20+ years of clinical counseling and coaching with thousands of individuals, couples and businesses. In this book, he reveals what he has discovered as the 20 Core Principles of Passion, Power, Purpose and Prosperity. Visit the official Marry YourSelf First!® website: www.MarryYourSelfFirstBook.com
And you can always get answers to your toughest questions about life, business and relationships directly from Ken at www.AskKenDonaldson.com
Ken was also one of six people who received the 2006 Tampa Bay Health Care Hero Award.
Allan Foodman, M.D.
Allan Foodman, M.D., attended the University of Miami Medical School and is a graduate of the Menninger Schools of General Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis.
Prior to entering Private Practice in Sarasota, Florida, he was a staff psychiatrist at the C.F. Menninger Hospital and an instructor in the Child and Adolescent Training Program.
In the Sarasota and Bradenton areas he established and served as Director of the Sarasota Palms Inpatient Service for children and adolescents as well as the Manatee Palms Residential Treatment Center.
His office practice includes evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with developmental delays. He has also been actively involved in child, adult therapy and couples therapy.
Michelle Gaines, FCADV Trainer
Michelle Gaines serves as Senior Educator for Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC). As an educator, Michelle provides services to increase awareness about domestic and sexual violence and seeks to reduce the number of forcible offenses through the provision of rape/violence prevention education and training. Michelle trains staff, volunteers, students, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, education professionals, mental and public health professionals, and professionals in the legal system.
Michelle has a degree in Criminology and Anthropology from the University of South Florida. She is also a certified trainer for the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV). She has received more than 185 hours of specialized training in the field.
She currently serves on a statewide sexual violence prevention program in coordination with the Florida Department of Health and statewide domestic violence prevention program in coordination with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She is locally serving on the Safe and Drug Free Schools Advisory Council, HIV/AIDS Network of Sarasota (HANS), Victim Advisory Council, and the Sexual Assult Response Team (SART) for Sarasota County.
Susan Henry Ham, LCSW
Susan Henry Ham, LCSW has over 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults on an individual, family and group basis. She received her BSW at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY and her MSW at SUNY Albany, Albany, NY.
Susan began private practice in 1987 in Sarasota, Florida where she continues to reside. She and her husband, Jerry, adopted two children from The People's Republic of China. This fostered her interest in developing a specialty in adoption and attachment issues. Susan began providing adoption services via home studies and counseling in 1995 and founded an agency specializing in international adoption in 2001. She served as its Executive Director from its inception until taking a leave in 2005. Susan has taught seminars for parents and professionals, currently provides consultation and maintains a small private practice.
Rachael Haskell, Ph.D., LCSW
Rachael Haskell has a Ph.D. in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 12 years of experience as a therapist and educator. She currently teaches graduate level courses at the University of South Florida, works as Clinical Supervisor of Treatment Services at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, and is a Supervisor of Registered Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counselor, and Marriage and Family Therapy Interns in her private therapy practice.
Rachael specializes in the treatment of child and adult survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other kinds of trauma, as well as juvenile sex offenders and individuals with chronic mental illness. She is a former School Social Worker, Rape Crisis Coordinator, Abuse Prevention Educator and Clinical Director of Trauma and Family Counseling programs in PinellasCounty.
Her work has given her the opportunity to appear as a sexual abuse expert on the Today show for a high profile case, and to participate in many advocacy projects for violence prevention. She is a member of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence and the Florida Council Against Domestic Violence, the Sexual Abuse Intervention Network, and Tampa Bay sexual violence taskforce. She is EMDR-I trained, and Board Certified by the InternationalAcademy for Advanced Clinical Hypnosis and American Institute for Rapid Trauma Resolution.
Rachael presents to professionals throughout Florida about compassion fatigue, alternative therapeutic techniques, animal assisted therapy, juvenile sex offending, cultural competence, rape trauma syndrome, human trafficking, and clinical supervision. She has also authored a series of children’s books used in therapy with victims of child abuse.
Geoge F. Indest III, JD, MPA, LLM
George F. Indest III is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, based in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Indest is certified in Health Law by The Florida Bar and is also board certified as a health care risk manager by the American Board of Risk Management, Inc. His practice encompasses all aspects of business, corporate, transactional, regulatory and administrative health law practice, and he represents physicians, nurses, mental health professionals, hospitals, home health agencies, long term care facilities and other health care providers. His practice also includes the litigation of professional licensing cases and business litigation, sales of health care practices, Medicare fraud defense and other areas of health law.
Mr. Indest served as in-house counsel at one of the Navy's largest teaching hospitals. He is on the Executive Council of the Health Law Section of the Florida Bar and has served as Chair of the Medical/Legal Committee of the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. Indest received his BA and JD degree, cum laude, from Tulane University and also was awarded an LL.M. degree, with highest honors, from the National Law Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He is a member of the state bars of Florida, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.
Dr. Steve Jordan, Ph.D.
Dr. Steve Jordan, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of the full range of psychological problems of children and adolescents. In private practice since 1973, Steve has over 30 years of experience in dealing with chidlren. His philosophy in working therapeutically with children is to deal with the whole child. By whole child, he means the child who is fully engaged in the therapeutic activity. A child who is fully engaged will bring to the activity his or her full range of feelings, behavioral skills, creativity and imagination. More often than not, this puts the therapist in the role of partner rather than observer. Focused Play Therapy, an innovative method he developed, that involves non-aversive and non-invasive and near failure-proof methods of shaping behavior. Concerned that "how to praise" has received far less attention than "how to punish", Dr. Jordan has developed detailed methods of providing praise that is non-manipulative and non-coercive and serves to build focus and self-confidence in children in and outside of the playroom; mitigating resistant behavior by attending to transitions between activities; the specific conditions under which behavior shaping through modeling is facilitated; and how to teach play deprived children how to play. He has served as consultant to the Seminole County Guardian Ad Litem program, Florida Hospital, Valencia Community College Counseling Department, Charlee Home, Orange and Seminole County Juvenile Detention Center and East Coast Migrant Head Start Program. He served as Adjunct Professor teaching graduate level courses on Child and Adolescent Counseling, at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. Dr. Jordan received his B.A. in Psychology from Brooklyn College, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the New School for Social Research.
Karen R. Koenig, LCSW, M.Ed.
Karen R. Koenig, LCSW, M.Ed., is a cognitive-behavioral therapist, educator, national speaker and international author--an expert on the psychology of eating--with 30 years experience working with eating disordered clients. She is the author of The Rules of "Normal" Eating, the Food and Feelings Workbook, and What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Treating Eating and Weight Issues.
Bruce D. Lamb, PARTNER RUDEN McCLOSKY
Mr. Lamb concentrates his practice in the representation of professionals and health care entities before regulatory bodies, and in liability defense. His is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice. He has extensive experience in health care litigation for physicians and other health care providers who are involved in disputes with various government agencies, facilities and others. He has represented both physicians and hospitals in peer review and other medical staff issues. Mr. Lamb represents hospitals, hospital systems, nursing homes, group practices, physicians, health care providers and other professional licensees.
Prior to entering the private practice of law, Mr. Lamb served ten years with the Florida Department of Professional Regulation in such capacities as General Counsel, Director of the Division of Regulation, Chief Medical Attorney, and Chief Trial Attorney. He represented the Department before the Florida Legislature during the 1988 Special Session on medical malpractice reform.
Mr. Lamb is a frequent lecturer for The Florida Bar, medical associations, health care providers, and other groups on subjects of professional discipline, administrative law, peer review, risk management, physician dispensing and other health law and administrative law topics. His articles have appeared in such publications as The Florida Bar Journal, Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, Miami Medicine, Medical Precis, and Florida Orthopaedic Society Journal.
Mr. Lamb was also appointed as one of only two attorneys to the State of Florida Commission on Excellence in Health Care. He is recognized in Best Lawyers in America 2009, Florida Super Lawyers in 2006-2008, and has been named to Florida's Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine in 2004-2008. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
In addition to Mr. Lamb's current professional and civic involvement, he is the Chair of The Florida Bar Statewide Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee and a member of the Administrative Law Section's Executive Council. Previously, he served as a member of The Florida Bar's Multijurisdictional Practice Commission. He is past Chair of the Health Law Section of The Florida Bar and has served as Chair of the Section's Physicians and Licensed Professionals Division. Mr. Lamb has also served as a member of the Administrative Practice Rules Subcommittee of the Appellate Rules Committee of The Florida Bar.
Evelyn L. Moya, Esquire
Evelyn L. Moya, Esquire, concentrates her practice in administrative law for professional license defense, mostly for healthcare professionals. Her practice also includes consulting for compliance issues.
She is a graduate of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1997. She practiced in the 13th judicial circuit (Hillsborough County) prior to establishing her law firm in Sarasota County. She is also admitted to practice in federal district court at the middle district of Florida.
She has given lectures for medical and nursing staff on topics relating to law and healthcare, and on law and ethics to other professionals.
Ms. Moya is one of the 2010 inaugural group of Women Leaders in Law of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She was presented the Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year award in 2006 by the Saraota chapter. She is a Barrister in the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court and serves as a Trustee of the Sarasota County Law Library. She served as president and remains a board member of Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc., a legal aid organization with office in five (5) Florida counties. She received the President's Award in 2008 from the Sarasota County Bar Association for her outstanding service as editor of its newspaper, The Docket.
In January 2010, she was elected President of the Sarasota County Commission on the Status of Women.
Prior to being a lawyer, Ms. Moya practiced as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for twenty years.
Roxanne Permesly, M.Ed., LMHC
Roxanne Permesly is in full-time private practice in Sarasota, Florida. As a licensed mental health counselor and certified family mediator, she balances her time between providing psychotherapy to individuals and couples, and providing consultation to families and attorneys who seek cooperative constructive resolution to parenting issues by customizing parenting plans and structuring therapeutic supports. She serves as a parenting coordinator and a social investigator for the 12th Judicial Circuit.
Prior to practice in Sarasota, Ms. Permesly served as an educator and administrator in public school systems, universities, and psychiatric facilities in Boston, Princeton, and Clearwater. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Court Professional Collaborative in the 12th Judicial Circuit and the Board of Directors for Florida AFCC.
Her interest in psycho-educational assessments and clinical care has led her to provide consultation and staff training to community schools, agencies, and parenting groups.
Robert L. Piper, MA, LMHC
Bob has over 35 years of experience in the field of addictions treatment. Beginning his career in the early ‘70s, Bob pioneered the outreach into the local schools and co-founded a peer-counseling program for
Bob has served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Florida School of Addictions Studies and continues to sit on the board and is a member of the school faculty. Bob has been an adjunct professor at the
Bob has served on the FADAA/Florida Council Statewide Joint Co-occurring Workgroup for seven years and was the first Chair of the Project Management Team for the Sarasota County VIP-ER program, uniting seven agencies into a program to serve homeless people with addiction disorders.
Lastly, Bob stars in a soon to be released DVD of “Bob’s Boxes, The Disease and the Kling-ons,” a three-hour, one man performance distilling down the disease concept of addiction.
Deborah Day Poor, LCSW
Deborah Day Poor, LCSW, is the author of Peace at Any Price: How to Overcome the Please Disease and The Couples No Fault Workbook: For Couples Who'd Rather Be Happy Than Right. Prior to doing private practice for the last eighteen years, Deborah worked as a primary therapist and later as the program director of an addictions and eating disorder treatment center. Deborah credits her long term participation in Al-Anon and the Family Systems Theory education she received at FSU for the information she now shares with professionals and clients.
Jason Quintal, Ph.D., LCSW
Dr. Jason Quintal is a former school social worker and has spent over 10 years working with populations severely impacted by trauma. He has successfully treated individuals with post-traumatic stress from school violence, tragic deaths, 9/11, natural disasters, war, sexual violence, rape, and incest. Dr. Quintal has extensive training and is a certified Master Practitioner of Rapid Resolution Therapy.
He is the founder of Dr. Quintal & Associates, a counseling center in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, committed to providing high quality mental health services. In addition to his practice, Dr. Quintal conducts seminars and workshops. He is a recognized speaker and commentator on trauma and sexual issues and has appeared as a guest on radio and television talk shows. Dr. Quintal is partnered with USF on a research project to demonstrate the effectiveness of RRT and make it an evidence-based approach.
Dr. Quintal is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified in Clinical Hypnosis, Clinical Sexology, and is a Certified Traumatologist. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. John Fisher College, a Master's degree in Social Work from Florida State University, and a Doctoral degree from the American Academy of Clinical Sexology.
Samuel Sanabria, Ph.D., M.Ed.
Samuel received his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from University of Florida's Counselor Education Program in 2002. He also has a Master in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida. He has over 10 years of clinical experience and over 7 years of teaching experience.
Samuel began his clinical career at Diversified Human Services in Gainesville, Florida, where he worked as a Mental Health Clinician in substance abuse, anger management and batterer's intervention programs. Since then, he has worked as a crisis counselor and mental health assessor in hospitals in Atlanta, GA, and Gainesville, FL. He currently works in private practice performing psychological assessments and psychotherapy. He works with sexual and ethnic minorities in couples and individual counseling.
Samuel is an active member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) having served on committees including the bylaws and ethics committee. He was most recently co-chair of the ACA Ethics Committee. He has been a member of several divisions in ACA including the Association for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Issues in Counseling (AGLBTIC), the American Mental Health Counselor Association (AMHCA), Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ), and the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD).
Samuel has contributed to the profession by presenting at national and local conferences, and publishing articles and book chapters on better understanding issues of counseling ethnic and sexual minorities. His current research interests include ethics, multicultural counseling, and human sexuality. He served on the editorial board of The Career Development Quarterly and is a CACREP site team member.
Samuel’s community service activities volunteering with the Sarasota sheriff’s department in providing crisis counseling, serving on the Human Rights Campaign, serving as a board member of ALSO (Sarasota county LGBTIQ drop in center), providing workshops on diversity issues for health care workers, and providing LGBT psychoeducational training for school counselors in training.
Samuel is happily married and father of a beautiful girl.
Harold E. Shinitzky, Psy.D.
Dr. Shinitzky is the recipient of the 2009 Florida Psychological Association Distinguished Psychologist Award, and the 2009 Florida Psychological Association Outstanding Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest. Dr. Shinitzky has co-authored with Dr. Cortman, Your Mind: An Owner’s Manual for a Better Life (Career Press, November, 2009). He is the national consultant to the Police Athletic Leagues. Dr. Shinitzky is a founding member
He has been the mental health correspondent for Radio Disney, ABC-Baltimore (Fast Forward) and ABC-Tampa (ABC’s of Parenting), and FOX-Tampa (Your Turn,
Dr. Shinitzky was the Director of the Assessment/Intervention Team (AIT) Prevention Services at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. The AIT provides comprehensive evaluations of high-risk youths and their families. Dr. Shinitzky has developed and facilitated after school, positive peer oriented prevention groups for high-risk youth. Dr. Shinitzky was recently appointed to the Medical Advisory Board for the Florida Office of Drug Control. He has been elected by his peers for a fifth consecutive term as President of the Florida Psychological Association, Pinellas Chapter.
Drs. Shinitzky and Cortman have developed and implemented a research-based high school prevention curriculum titled, The Social Black Belt based upon the recently published Your Mind: An Owner’s Manual for a Better Life. Dr. Shinitzky is a highly desired presenter and trainer covering a multitude of topics from Sports Psychology, Asperger’s Interventions, Clinical Motivational Interviewing, to High School Dropout Prevention Programs.
Dr. Shinitzky’s web-site is www.drshinitzky.com.
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Timothy Spruill, Ed.D., M.A.
Timothy Spruill earned an M.A. (Counseling Psychology) from George Mason University (1977). After four years teaching undergraduate psychology, he worked in a private psychiatric hospital while pursuing his Ed.D.
(Counseling Psychology) from Western Michigan University (1992). Following three years as a rehabilita-tion psychologist, he became an Associate Professor in Counseling Psychology at Andrews University where he taught a wide range of graduate psychology courses while continuing to accumulate post-doctoral clinical hours conducting neuropsychological assessments.
In 1998 he accepted his current position as Assistant Director of Behavioral Medicine on the Graduate Medical Education Faculty at Florida Hospital where he is active teaching in both the Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine residency programs. His responsi-bilities include training resident physicians to communicate effectively, address the psycho-social needs of their patients and to recognize and treat patients with psychiatric disorders that present in primary care and the Emergency Department. He also holds the position of Associate Clinical Professor at Nova Southeastern University by virtue of his training efforts with their medical students.
Since obtaining his Florida psychological license in 2002, he has been a consulting member of the Florida Hospital Medical Staff (Psychiatry Department), assessing patients in the E.R. who have presented with suicidal ideation, or have attempted suicide. He is currently primary investigator in several ongoing research projects and has co-authored three professional journal articles.
J. Everett Wilson, SHAREHOLDER AKERMAN SENTERFITT
J. Everett Wilson is a Shareholder at Akerman Senterfitt. His practice is devoted to the representation of healthcare providers and other entities involved in the healthcare and healthcare insurance industries. For almost 20 years, he has assisted clients meet the myriad of challenges presented by a complicated and highly regulated industry. With experience in nearly every aspect of health law, he focuses primarily on issues related to Medicare and Medicaid, regulatory compliance, provider operations and managed care.
Mr. Wilson has represented many clients in civil trials, federal and state administrative proceedings and business transactions. He has extensive experience in Board of Medicine and AHCA disciplinary proceedings, Medicare and Medicaid audits and appeals, fraud and abuse and other compliance related matters. He has successfully defended healthcare professionals and other providers in various types of licensing and reimbursement disputes, and has achieved multi-million dollar reductions in numerous Medicare overpayment cases.
His thorough understanding of the healthcare industry has benefited clients with the full spectrum of healthcare related business issues, including the establishment of provider networks, MSOs, and TPAs. He has experience in negotiating managed care, non-compete, employment, and many other types of agreements specific to the healthcare industry. He has also represented parties in the purchase and sale of healthcare related entities.
Mr. Wilson has authored numerous articles on various healthcare matters and regularly speaks at professional and industry seminars on current healthcare topics.
LeslieBeth Wish, Ed.D., M.S.S., M.A., LCSW
Dr. LeslieBeth (LB) Wish, Ed.D. MSS, MA, is both a psychologist and licensed clinical social worker, specializing in women's issues. She serves on the Medical Advisory Board for www.quality health.com, a website affiliated with WebMD, and writes feature articles and a weekly column, "Relationship Realities," for the Relationships and Sexual Health Newsletter. She also teaches at the University of South Florida Academy of Lifelong Learning.
Dr. Wish first earned international recognition as the Clinical Director of the New England Institute of Family Relations in
The National Association of Social Workers has named her as one of fifty social workers who have contributed to the profession. She is also the subject of biographical entries for many of the Marquis Who's Who lists, including Who's Who in Women, in Healthcare and in Science.
Dr. Wish did her doctoral work at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She also completed three years of post-graduate training in marital and family systems at
She serves on the Board of the Women's Resource Center in Sarasota. Her undergraduate degree is from Carnegie-Mellon University in History and English. She has conducted workshops at national professional conferences as well as internationally.
