Advertise on podcast: Unapologetic Disrupters for Good Podcast

Ginger Healy, LCSW, brings more than 25 years of experience in trauma and attachment. She began her career as a child abuse investigator and hospital social worker before becoming a school therapist. For 15 years, she served as a social services supervisor at an international adoption agency, deepening her expertise in developmental trauma and attachment. As Director of Programs at the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN), Ginger advances trauma-sensitive education and therapeutic parenting initiatives. She also co-hosts the *Regulated and Relational* podcast. Ginger is the author of multiple books on regulation, emotional development, and family resilience. As a mother of four, parenting children with histories of developmental trauma and neurodivergence, fuels her deep empathy and unwavering commitment to this work.

Julie Kurtz, M.S., LMFT is a renowned author and national speaker specializing in trauma-responsive, social-emotional, and resilience-building skills, particularly within educational settings ranging from early childhood to 12th grade. As the Founder and CEO of the Center for Optimal Brain Integration®, Julie is dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who have experienced toxic or traumatic stress, empowering both children and adults, and nurturing humane beings through intentional social-emotional learning and resilience strategies. She is the co-author of 6 (soon to be 7) books on trauma, toxic stress and resilience and an award winning children's book we are going to talk about today.

Beth Tyson, MA, is a childhood trauma therapist, children’s book author, and founder of Beth Tyson Trauma Consulting. She creates trauma-informed training, curriculum, and tools to help prevent and heal childhood trauma. She serves as the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Child Abuse Prevention team, volunteers as a CASA, but most importantly, she is a mom who is trying her best to break the cycle of trauma in her family.

Dr. Michael Gaskell is an author, speaker and principal in East Brunswick. He models the pursuit of lifelong learning as he mentors new principals through the New Jersey Leaders to Leaders (L2L) program. An NJPSA Stars recipient, presents on AI in the Classroom, at NJPSA/FEA and at Rutgers, has been published in over 6 dozen education journals and blogs, including ASCD Smartbrief, Tech & Learning, Education Post, eSchoolNews, NASSP, Edtech, currently writes a monthly column for ASCD Smartbrief, and made the most-read section of ASCD Smartbrief. Mike presents at national conferences, including the Learning and the Brain conference, November 2021; FETC January 2022,, January 2023 January 2024, January 2025, & 2026, CEC January 2023, NJCEC 2024 & 2023and ISTE June 2023. He has been on numerous podcasts including Larry Ferlazzo’s Education Week Classroom Q&A. Mike has published three books: Radical Principals, Leading Schools Through Trauma and Microstrategy Magic. Dr. Gaskell supports instructional excellence and student success for all.

Season 2: Episode 1 - Co-Founder of INHABIT, Sean is a leader in breathwork, visualization, and mindset training, dedicated to guiding individuals toward their highest potential. With a mission to elevate human consciousness and performance, Sean has personally trained over 9,000 remarkable individuals in INHABIT breath methodologies—from elite athletes and visionary entrepreneurs to inspired artists and passionate educators.

Welcome to the "Quiet Before the Storm of ...Good!." We aren't just launching a podcast; we’re igniting a community of disrupters with a conscience. While we count down to the first episode of Unapologetic Disrupters for Good, join us for an exclusive behind-the-curtain look at why we’re here, who we’re challenging, and how we plan to leave the world better than we found it. Grab your coffee (or something stronger) and get ready to get uncomfortable.

Marg has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her services to education, both locally and internationally. She consults with public and private sector businesses and organisations to enhance workplace relationships and manage high-level conflict and inappropriate behaviour. She is committed to improving the way people relate to each other in schools, workplaces, and other community groups by providing processes that allow deeply negative feelings to be gradually transformed into cooperation. She strongly suggests that as relationships are restored, job satisfaction, morale, and productivity can improve. This commitment to healthy relationships can also be found in her extensive work with schools to improve the way they work with young people in responding to wrongdoing, creating healthier and safer communities. Joe Brummer has been dedicated to Trauma-Informed Restorative Practices/Justice since 2008, during which he has facilitated hundreds of circles, mediations, and community conferences. Over the past 17 years, he has trained thousands of individuals in these transformative practices, including educators, parents, workplace professionals, diversion staff and volunteers, and community members. Joe is the author of the best-selling book *Building A Trauma-Informed Restorative School: Skills and Approaches to Improve Culture and Behavior* (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2020), and is also the co-author, alongside RJ pioneer Margaret Thorsborne, of *Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative Educator: Practical Skills to Change Culture and Behavior* (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2024). Joe is a member of the adjunct faculty at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, where he teaches the course *Peacebuilding Skills: Dialogue, Trauma & Restorative Justice*. He has appeared on dozens of podcasts and webinars and has presented at national and international conferences. Joe has completed the certification course in Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model in Education and is a member of the Attachment and Trauma Network’s Training Collaborative.

Greer Kharidi is dedicated to supporting teachers and school staff to create calm, regulated classrooms through neuroscience fundamentals. With a background of 15 years in education—including both teaching and counselling—and a deep understanding of how trauma impacts learning, Greer has developed a practical, research-backed framework that empowers teachers to implement trauma-aware practices in their classrooms. Greer has had the privilege of teaching and learning with students aged 3 through to 19 across a wide variety of educational settings, including remote and rural schools, mainstream education environments, and alternative education programs supporting disengaged young people. This breadth of experience has provided a rich foundation for understanding the diverse ways trauma can show up in the classroom and how best to respond. Greer’s work focuses on small, powerful shifts that make a big impact, helping educators navigate behaviour challenges, build trust with students, and prevent burnout.

A Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC), a Certified EMDR Therapist (EMDRIA), and a Mental Performance Specialist, Kara is widely recognized for her work integrating mental health support with high performance in both professional and athletic spaces. With her roots as a national-level athlete and a coach for the Canadian National Team, Kara has spent over two decades at the intersection of psychological resilience and peak performance. She has worked extensively with frontline workers, corporate professionals, and elite athletes, helping them manage stress, recover from trauma, and optimize their mental well-being. Kara’s distinctive approach blends her deep understanding of mental fortitude with the transformative power of EMDR therapy. Her extensive training and experience in EMDR have solidified her reputation as a leader in mental wellness and fueled her commitment to pioneering its application beyond traditional therapy settings. Having successfully supported frontline workers, athletes, and high-performing professionals through EMDR therapy in her private practice, Kara envisioned an online platform to expand this support nationwide. Shift Change is that vision in action—a revolutionary approach to providing on-demand mental health support for those who need it most, whether after a high-stakes shift or a high-pressure performance.

Martin Ali Simms is a leading expert in the intersection of neuroscience, trauma-informed practices, and athletic performance. As the founder of the DOPE Coach Academy, he helps coaches, student-athletes, and parents integrate neuroscience and nervous system regulation into sports to optimize mental wellness and peak performance. Martin was trained by Dr. Bruce Perry, creator of The Neurosequential Model, and developed the DOPE Framework—Develop, Organize, Process, Engage—to make neuroscience accessible and actionable for students-athletes from all backgrounds. Through his work as a Sports Coach & Neurosequential Sports Specialist and host of the upcoming “Your Brain on D.O.P.E.” podcast, Martin is on a mission to equip student-athletes and coaches with cutting-edge strategies for resilience, self-regulation, and high performance. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant for school districts, sports organizations, and trauma-informed initiatives, bringing a fresh perspective on how athletics can be a vehicle for healing and transformation.

In a world where traditional education models often fall short, the Disrupters for Good Podcast, formally known as the Trauma Informed Educators Network podcast, dives deep into the transformative power of trauma-informed education. We're here to challenge the status quo, exploring how understanding and addressing the impact of trauma can revolutionize our classrooms and create environments where every student can thrive. Join us as we speak with educators, therapists, and those with lived experience, uncovering practical strategies and sparking vital conversations reshaping the future of learning. This is the launch with host Mathew Portell, a lifelong unapologetic disrupter!

Shannon Harvey is the multi-award-winning director of two internationally acclaimed documentaries, The Connection and My Year of Living Mindfully. Her first book The Whole Health Life is about finding good health after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. As a journalist she spent many years working for leading news organisations such as the ABC and Fairfax. Her latest book, My Year of Living Mindfully is published by Hachette. She’s the recipient of the National Press Club of Australia’s “Health Journalist of The Year” award and produces a popular blog and top ten podcast, whilst balancing her life as the mother of two adventurous boys.

Heather Grow has been in education in some capacity for 15 years. She started subbing in college, became a teaching assistant for a K-2 SED classroom, and then was a 1:1 teaching assistant for a 5th-grade student before her current position as a teacher of physical educator. Grow has been in her current position for eight years and has always strived to bring trauma-sensitive practices to her students. Most recently, she presented at a zone conference for her state physical education professional organization, the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NYS AHPERD), on trauma-sensitive practices in physical education with a co-worker. Their session was so well received that they were invited to present at the state conference in the fall. She also co-leads a professional learning group within her district called "Teaching Through the Lens of Trauma." Within this group, they are doing a book study on "What Happened to You" by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. They are collaboratively working towards making trauma-sensitive teaching practices a norm within their district, of which she is very proud. She is passionate about trauma and will continue to do this hard work for herself, her kids, and her students.

Dr. Larissa Rector has worked in education for more than 16 years. She has a PhD in Literacy Studies and Research and currently works at Tennessee Tech University, where she teaches graduate-level research courses. She also owns a nonprofit organization called Snug as a Bug Foundation and is a huge advocate for struggling students and helping to mitigate the barriers that often stand in their way.

Julia Chambers integrates all of the skills she acquired over the course of 3 master's degrees in art history, museum studies and public art studies, museum directorships, consulting projects, not-for-profit board leadership, world travel, and being a mother to 3 delightful young men into running Mimbleball -- which turned out to be precisely the skill set needed to help design, manufacture, promote, theoretically analyze, and share the sparks of joy, ice-breaking connection, and essential calming comfort that are manifest in Mimbleballs.