Meet Our Trainers
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Bruce Hersey, LCSW
Co-Founder and Creator of the Internal Family Systems Interweave for EMDR
[(he/him) cisgender male, able-bodied] Since creating emdrifs.com, a website for self-learning through prerecorded CE courses on IFS, EMDR, and Coherence Therapy integration, Bruce’s teachings continue to develop and evolve to new levels of integration and complexity.
While his methods began with the application of Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family systems (IFS) framework within the Standard Protocol of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) from Francine Shapiro, further insight has been added through Bruce Ecker’s Coherence Therapy and its clinical application of neuroscience from memory reconsolidation research.
Bruce is an experienced presenter and workshop leader, known for his clarity, humor, warmth, and humility. He has led and co-led numerous introductory IFS and IFS-Informed EMDR workshops, both in person and online.
An EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Level 3 Trained, Approved IFS Clinical Consultant, Bruce has presented twice at the IFS Annual Conference, AASECT, and EMDR UK.
Bruce has also published short animated educational introduction videos on IFS (Finding Your Parts) and EMDR (EMDR At A Glance) on YouTube. You can listen to Bruce talking about IFS-Informed EMDR on Therapy Explained Podcast with James Lloyd and The One Inside Podcast with Tammy Sollenberger.
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Michelle Richardson, LCSW
Co-Founder
[(she/her) cisgender female, able-bodied] Michelle is co-founder of Syzygy Institute and additionally the owner of Mindful Soul Center for Wellbeing, a thriving group practice located in southern New Jersey. There, she specializes in the treatment of complex trauma and dissociation in addition to providing clinical supervision and consultation to clinicians in varied stages of their professional journey.
As an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Certified IFS Therapist, Michelle helps therapists wade through the often murky and complex waters of psychotherapy towards clarity and confidence in their work. At the Syzygy Institute, it is Michelle’s mission to introduce therapists to the ease of which IFS and EMDR integrate and generate lasting healing for their clients, even with some of the most complex client systems.
Michelle’s curious learner parts led her to one of Bruce’s early iterations of his IFS-Informed EMDR Workshops. There, as a newly trained IFS therapist that felt polarized with her EMDR roots, she softly landed in the meeting place of two models. Now, as an advanced clinician of IFS-Informed EMDR, Michelle is passionate about helping other therapists both experience the healing energy of Self and offer this to some of the most blended protectors they meet in their sessions with clients.
Michelle has additionally been a featured guest on both the Awaken Your Wise Woman podcast and The Woman Worriers Podcast, where she speaks about Internal Family Systems therapy, anxiety, and the inner critic.
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Elizabeth Venart. LPC
Trainer
In 2008, Elizabeth founded The Resiliency Center of Greater Philadelphia as a place for therapists and holistic practitioners from diverse perspectives to come together in community. A supportive practitioner environment creates greater resiliency for all. Her specialties include working with Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs), who are empathic, creative and intuitive. She has a focus on trauma, anxiety, job burn-out and career transitions.
A seasoned LPC Supervisor in Pennsylvania and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Elizabeth has supported many therapists seeking to advance their skills and deepen their understanding of trauma and resiliency. Being a Certified IFS Therapist has powerfully amplified Elizabeth’s abilities in these roles and deepened the work she does with her clients. In addition, Elizabeth founded the Montgomery-Bucks EMDRIA Regional Network in the Greater Philadelphia region and served as Regional Coordinator from 2011-2020.
Elizabeth is an experienced workshop, training, and retreat leader. Her creativity inspires participants with presentation of the IFS-Informed EMDR model rich with case presentations and illuminating metaphors. She seeks to inspire resiliency, healing, growth, and laughter in others. Teaching IFS, EMDR, IFS-Informed EMDR, and Laughter Yoga renews her spirit (and that of our workshop participants!).
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Beau Laviolette, LCSW
Trainer
Beau brings a gentle, approachable, and humorous energy to his teaching and mentorship of therapists. His Self-Energy creates a workshop environment where it feels safe to practice new ways of working and to even make mistakes while doing it! Beau is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Certified IFS Therapist, and IFS-Informed EMDR Trainer.
As a former United States Marine, Beau is passionate about serving fellow military veterans and co-founded the IFS Healing Corps, an organization that brings IFS to veterans and active duty military. He previously co-founded the Student Veteran Association of Tulane University (SVAT), and served as president of that body.
Located in Baton Rouge, LA with his wife and two sons, Beau counts on his spiritual faith and love of nature as resources for his own parts. He maintains a strong commitment to helping clients and therapists alike to advance their personal and professional growth and healing. Beau finds great fulfillment in helping people tune into their true potential through education and counseling.
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Crystal Whitlow, LCSW
Trainer
Crystal resides with her husband, two sons, and three rescue dogs in South Bend, Indiana. There, she has a private practice devoted to helping adults suffering from complex trauma.
As an experienced EMDR Trainer and EMDRIA-Approved Consultant, Crystal is passionate about teaching advanced trauma therapy skills to mental health professionals. Now a Certified IFS Therapist, Crystal offers the comprehensive IFS-Informed EMDR framework in her training and consultation to advanced professionals. She has also served as EMDRIA Regional Coordinator for the State of Indiana from 2012-2018.
Crystal considers herself a lifelong learner and passionate educator and connector. Her “teaching parts” bring an energy and clarity to her workshops like a lightbulb in a dark room, illuminating the areas where therapists feel confused or stuck.
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Nancy Simons, LMHC
Trainer
For over 30 years Nancy has been providing trauma treatment, training and consulting through her solo private practice in Western Massachusetts. As an EMDRIA Approved Consultant & EMDR Trainer with advanced training in Internal Family Systems Level 1, Cultural Competency, Somatic Experiencing, Structural Dissociation and IFS-Informed EMDR, Nancy engages in treatment through a combined and deeply informed lens.
IFS-Informed EMDR is Nancy’s primary therapeutic modality and she focuses on the treatment of depression and anxiety, dissociative disorders, attachment issues and medical trauma. The resiliency of the human spirit is what inspires her most and she is also a Clinical Supervisor for an in-home therapy program supporting refugee families. There, Nancy utilizes translators to coordinate the delivery of services for trauma treatment and emotional wellness.
An experienced trainer, Nancy brings compassion and patience to the learning experience of the participants, inviting curiosity and courage as participants step into the experiential components of the workshop process.
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Jenn Pagone, LCPC
WEBSITE EMAIL PHONE: (773) 339-7949 LOCATION: IL, USA
Assistant Trainer
Jenn has a full-time private practice, Pagone Psychological Services, PLLC, and is the Founder of Whispering White Horse Stables, a therapeutic horse ranch located in Marengo, IL. Jenn has created a parts work equine engaged psychotherapy model called “Equid-Nexus™”, which is based upon the Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and is focused on healing relational trauma.
Jenn is advanced trained and certified in both IFS (L3) and is an approved EMDR Consultant. She has specialized in treating women with complex trauma for over 15 years. Her other specialties include somatic disorders, eating disorders, attachment ruptures, grief and loss, and women with cancer and infertility. Prior to opening her private practice in 2012, she worked as a rape crisis counselor and medical advocate, a clinical therapist on inpatient and outpatient eating disorders units, and managed a group home for women with eating disorders and trauma.
Jenn has a background in teaching clinical psychology as an adjunct professor, is a conference presenter and clinical consultant, and offers professional workshops and training in the Equid-Nexus facilitation model. She is proud to be an IFS-I Assistant Trainer Mentee, has been a Natural Lifemanship Trainer since 2020 and also an Assistant Trainer for the Syzygy Institute. Believing that “the personal is the professional”, Jenn loves to foster others’ journeys towards healing and secure attachment with themselves and others. She enjoys life with her husband, nine horses, two goats, 3 dogs, and many cats.
