Leading Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Educator, and Mental Health Advisor

Barbara Melton LPCS, LACS, NCC/MAC, CS

Barbara Melton, M.Ed., LPC, LPCS, LAC, LACS, NCC/MAC, CS has a private practice in Summerville and specializes in working with trauma, loss and self-injury. She is the Past President of the Board of the SC Association of Licensed Professional Counselors and has taught graduate level courses for Columbia College, Coastal Carolina University and Webster University and is currently teaching the Clinical Supervision & Consultation course for the SC Clinical Mental Health Counselors Assn.

Distinguished Board Certified Psychiatrist, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, & Renowned Eating Disorder and Trauma Researcher

Tim Brewerton, M.D.

Dr. Timothy Brewerton is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Biobehavioral Medicine, MUSC. In addition to his private practice, he actively engages in diverse research endeavors that contribute significantly to the field. Dr. Brewerton assumes pivotal roles as the Senior Clinical Advisor for Eating Recovery Center Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers, and the Senior Clinical Research Consultant for SunCloud Health.

His exceptional expertise is underscored by his board certifications in general psychiatry, child/adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and addiction medicine. He has earned several accolades for his work including the title of Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders.

A significant aspect of Dr. Brewerton’s work revolves around exploring intricate intersections between trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders—a testament to his unwavering commitment to promoting holistic treatment approaches for individuals grappling with eating disorders alongside their associated comorbid conditions.

World-renowned Trauma Expert and Harvard-trained Psychiatrist

Frank Anderson, M.D.

Frank Anderson, MD, is a world-renowned trauma expert, Harvard-trained psychiatrist and global speaker. He is the co-author of the IFS Skills Training Manual (2017), acclaimed best-selling author of Transcending Trauma (2021) and newly released memoir, To Be Loved: A Story of Truth, Trauma and Transformation (2024). Dr Anderson has a long affiliation with Bessel van der Kolk and is on the board at the Trauma Research Foundation. A former Lead Trainer with the IFS Institute, Dr. Anderson is also a member of the Clinical Advisory Board with Unyte Health. He is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with cutting edge models of therapy.

Dr. Anderson believes that traumatic events can have a lasting effect on the health and well-being of individuals and that addressing these events will help lead people down a path of love, connection and unity. He is the director and cofounder of the Trauma Institute (traumainstitute.com) and Trauma-Informed Media (trauma-informedmedia.com), organizations that provide educational resources and promote trauma awareness. As a result of his early childhood experiences and personal journey transformation, he is dedicated to bringing more trauma healing to the world. He resides in Los Angeles with his husband and two sons. Follow him at FrankAndersonMD.com and on Instagram at frank_andersonmd.

The World's Foremost Expert on Grief and Loss

David Kessler

David Kessler’s decades of experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He is the author of seven books including his latest bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, as well as a new Finding Meaning Companion Workbook. He co-authored two books with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Life Lessons and On Grief and Grieving. He co-wrote You Can Heal Your Heart with Louise Hay and also wrote Visions, Trips and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die. His first book, The Needs of The Dying received praise from Saint (Mother) Teresa.

He also serves as Specialist Reserve for the Los Angeles Police as well as having served on the Red Cross’s disaster services team. He has a unique place in pop culture as one of his books being the premise for the season premiere of The Walking Dead and he was a question on Alex Trebek’s Jeopardy.   His new online model of grief support, Tender Hearts, offers over twenty-five groups. David leads one of the most respected Grief Educator Certification programs for clinicians. He is the founder of Grief.com.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy Expert, Leading Psychotherapist, Author. and Podcaster

Elliott Connie, M.A., LPC

Elliott Connie, MA, LPC is a leading psychotherapist and founder of the world’s largest Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) training organization for mental health professionals known as The Solution Focused Universe.

Elliott is a purpose-driven hope dealer with a mission to end the stigma surrounding mental health care. With his superpower of asking the right questions, Elliott has helped thousands of individuals, couples, and families move towards their desired futures. He has traveled across the globe delivering keynote speeches at therapy conferences, spreading the word about inclusivity and diversity in the mental health field. He is the creator of Aha! Moments, a daily podcast to help listeners reflect on the way they view mental health in their daily lives. He has authored or co-authored five books, including “The Art of Solution Focused Therapy”, “Solution Building in Couples Therapy”, “Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Clients Managing Trauma”, “The Solution Focused Marriage”, and most recently, “The Solution Focused Brief Therapy Diamond.”

He will be giving a detailed half-day SFBT workshop designed to offer advanced clinical skills for clinicians.

Autism Division Director - SC Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Stephanie Turner, LMSW, MPH, BCBA

Stephanie Turner is the Autism Division Director at the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities – Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, overseeing community outreach, statewide service improvement, and eligibility. As a Licensed Social Worker and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, she brings a wealth of expertise to her work. Ms. Turner holds master’s degrees in social work and public health from the University of South Carolina, with a specialization in individuals, families, and health promotion.

Harvard-trained Psychiatrist, Researcher, and Founder/CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry

Brittany Albright M.D., MPH

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Experienced and Influential Psychotherapist and Pastoral Counselor

Rick Lawhon, LPC, LPC-S, NCAC

Rick is an experienced psychotherapist with a private practice spanning 16+ years.  He brings a unique blend of pastoral and psychotherapy skills in his approach to counseling.  In addition, has worked as an addictions counselor for both Charleston and Dorchester county drug commissions, and in the department of corrections as the treatment director of a therapeutic community. He also served as the spiritual care coordinator for the New Hope Treatment Center and has made multiple trips to Haiti working through the Albert Schweitzer hospital on improving the mental health system. Rick has also worked for five years as the on site EAP counselor for Boeing aerospace, Charleston, SC. Since retiring from Boeing, he has worked part time for both the Charleston area Pastoral counseling center, and the men’s homeless shelter in Summerville South Carolina.

Over the years Rick has been intrigued by the search for meaning each client has shown. Whether it is a highly paid executive with Boeing or homeless, men in the shelter, the spiritual question of who am I called to be begs to be answered. 

Founder of Grief Yoga® and Author of Healing Through Yoga

Paul Denniston

Paul Denniston is the founder of Grief Yoga® and the author of Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment.  The mission of Grief Yoga is to use movement, breath, and sound to release pain and suffering to connect to empowerment and love.

Grief Yoga combines many different forms of yoga to channel and release anger to allow unresolved grief a compassionate space to breathe and move. His gentle work creates a safe space of movement and healing to transform trauma and connect to the resilient loving warrior within.

Paul has taught and trained this practice to thousands of therapists, counselors, yoga teachers and health care professionals around the world.  You may learn more at www.griefyoga.com.

Renowned Psychoanalyst, Researcher, and Author

Dr. Galit Atlas

Dr. Galit Atlas is a renowned psychoanalyst, a faculty member of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, and a faculty member of the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Atlas is the author of the international bestseller Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients and the Legacy of Trauma (translated into 28 languages), as well as of three books for clinicians and numerous professional articles. Atlas has been a contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and more. A leader in the field of relational psychoanalysis, Dr. Atlas is a recipient of the Gradiva Award, the Nautilus Book Award and the NADTA Research Award. She is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in New York City and teaches and lectures throughout the United States and internationally. Her next book, Come Closer: Childhood Wounds, Adult Love and the Secrets of Emotional Intimacy, will be published in fall 2026. 

Licensed Psychotherapist & Director of Clinical Operations at Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness

J. Matthew Dorman, M.Ed., LPC, CPM

As a Certified Public Manager with more than three decades in the behavioral health care industry, many of those in a senior leadership capacity, Matt has worked in a variety of mental health care settings and provided care to a broad spectrum of patients and programmatic service deliveries. Having worked in community mental health settings, private practice and internationally during Operation Enduring Freedom, most of his career has been with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. During the last half of his career Matt has provided leadership oversight to numerous programs, administrative staff, front line clinical staff, mid-level managers and upper level leaders. In October of 2024, Matt joined HCA Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness’ state of the art 84 bed inpatient facility. As the Director of Clinical Operations at Live Oak, Matt is helping shape mental health care for those in acute psychiatric hospitals.

Teacher & Founder of the Shaolin Temple Europe - A Zen Based Community

Shi Heng Yi

Shi Heng Yi is the founder of the Shaolin Temple Europe, a Zen-based community located in Germany.

His goal is to impart ancient Eastern teachings in a practical way for modern life. Thanks to his profound teaching methods, he enjoys an international reputation. His free social media posts have been viewed billions of times and the online program “The Way to Self-Mastery” is gaining recognition worldwide.

You may learn more about his work at www.shihengyi.online

ABC News 4 Anchor and Mental Health Advocate

Tessa Spencer

A Charleston, SC native, Tessa Spencer is a thirty-three-year media personality.  Her successful broadcast career includes stops across the Carolinas, Rhode Island, and Tennessee where she secured a spot on the NFL’s Tennessee Titans cheerleading team. Tessa has earned numerous industry recognitions for broadcast excellence and has been honored with a Certificate of Recognition from the office of SC Governor Henry McMaster, and proclamations from the South Carolina State Senate, State House and local government municipalities for her work in the community. Her career also included time served in the US Army Reserves 3271st United States Army Hospital headquartered in Charleston. She is a veteran of the first Gulf War.

A seasoned voice over artist, Tessa has worked on nationally syndicated productions including Black Enterprise, Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade, The Trumpet Awards, and Black College Quiz. She is currently the narrator of syndicated television series Mentoring Queens and America’s Black Forum airing on the FOX Soul television network, and she is the longtime television announcer of the nationally syndicated gospel Stellar Awards show.

Currently an evening news anchor at ABC News 4, Tessa has earned two Emmy nominations and is a two-time Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas winner.