Our Speakers

John Lee, MA

John Lee has been a professional teacher, author, counselor, and life coach for 35 years. He began as a graduate teaching assistant at The University of Alabama and upon completing his Masters was hired as Instructor in the English and American Studies departments for two years. Lee left Alabama to pursue his doctorate at The University of Texas in Austin. While working on his doctorate he was a teaching assistant in the English Department at the University of Texas. He was also an adjunct instructor at Austin Community College for six years and taught English, Humanities and Religious Studies. Completing all his course work, he decided to suspend work on his doctorate and write his first national best seller, The Flying Boy: Healing the Wounded Man, a memoir now in its 18^th printing, has sold 350,000 copies as well as the screen rights. The Flying Boy II: The Journey Continues, his second memoir, sold 175,000 copies.

Lee has published 26 books in the fields of personal growth, Recovery, Anger Management, Men’s Issues, Spiritualty, Relationships, and Creativity. He has had two national bestsellers and is currently working on number 24. His latest books, The Flying Boy Letters: Getting Back to Y’all 30 Years Later and Odd One Out: Radical Revelations on Relationships, Self-Help and Personal Growth are available at Amazon and other retailers.

While Lee has a strong literary background, he has trained counselors and therapists nationally and internationally. He is the founder and former director of The Austin Men’s Center established in Austin, Texas in 1986.

Over the past 35 years, Lee has consulted and trained prestigious institutions in the clinical environment: The Cleveland Clinic, The Betty Ford Clinic, Guy’s Hospital (London, England), The New York Open Center, South Pacific Private Hospital (Sydney), and Mountain Area Health and Education Center (North Carolina), among others. He has keynoted over 300 major conferences on Recovery, Personal Growth, Men’s Issues, and Relationships, and is considered a leading authority in the field of Anger Management. Currently Lee speaks in various cities and countries each year and works with clients in his unique intensive formats in Austin, Texas.

He has been featured on Dr. Oz, Oprah Winfrey (three times), 20/20, Barbara Walter’s The View, CNN, PBS, and NPR, and has been interviewed by Newsweek, Glamour Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Austin American Statesman, and dozens of other national magazines and radio talk shows. His highly creative developments in anger management workshops, PEER™ Counseling seminars, mini-sessions, and the all-new Detour Method (lecture and workshop series on facing regression), are taught worldwide. Lee and poet Robert Bly taught over 20 seminars, conferences and workshops around the country positioning him as one of the early pioneers in the Men’s Movement.

Philip Manfield, Ph.D.

Dr. Manfield has been licensed as a marriage and family therapist since 1975. He has authored or edited five books about psychotherapy and the use of EMDR. An international trainer, he has taught in the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. In January, 2001, he was honored to be featured in the book, “3 Minute Consultations with America’s Greatest Psychotherapists” (Jason Aronson, Publishers). He is currently Northern California Regional Coordinator for the EMDR International Association.

Michael Yapko, Ph.D.

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing in Southern California. He is internationally recognized for his work in advancing clinical hypnosis and outcome-focused psychotherapy, routinely teaching to professional audiences all over the world. To date, he has been invited to present his ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, and all over the United States. His presentations are well known for being practical as well as enjoyable. Dr. Yapko has had a special interest for more than four decades in the intricacies of brief therapy, and the clinical applications of hypnosis and directive methods. He is the author of 16 books and editor of three others, as well as numerous book chapters and articles on the subjects of hypnosis and the use of strategic psychotherapies.

Dr. Yapko is the author of the leading text in the field of hypnosis called Trancework: An Introduction to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis, now in its 5^th edition. This will be a foundation for his first webinar. His newest book, Process-Oriented Hypnosis: Focusing on the Forest, Not the Trees (W.W. Norton, 2021), is the subject of his second presentation. It was awarded the Arthur Shapiro Award for being the “Best Book on Hypnosis in 2021” by the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. His other books include Taking Hypnosis to the Next Level, The Discriminating Therapist, and Mindfulness and Hypnosis: The Power of Suggestion to Transform Experience. His works have been translated into ten languages. More information about Dr. Yapko’s teaching schedule and publications can be found on his website: www.yapko.com.

Dr. Yapko is the recipient of numerous major awards for his innovative contributions in advancing the fields of hypnosis and brief therapy, including lifetime achievement awards from The American Psychological Association’s Division 30 (Society of Psychological Hypnosis), the International Society of Hypnosis (the Pierre Janet Award), and The Milton H. Erickson Foundation.

SUMMARY OF CURRENT POSITIONS

Clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist (licensed in California).
National and international trainer (more than 30 countries) in hypnosis and strategic approaches to psychotherapy.
Author, numerous books, book chapters and articles regarding psychotherapy; Works have been translated into 10 languages (French, German, Polish, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Portugese, Dutch, and Chinese).
Content provider and advisor to the self-help phone app Mindset (www.mindsethealth.com).
Director, The Milton H. Erickson Institute of San Diego.
Member, Board of Advisory Editors, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis.
Member, Board of Editorial Consultants, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.FORMAL EDUCATION
Doctoral: Ph.D. in Professional Psychology, Clinical Specialization,
United States International University, San Diego (1980).
Masters: M.A. in Psychology, United States International University, San Diego (1978).
Bachelors: B.A. in Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1976).
Received academic class honors.PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
1985-present: Providing clinical trainings to health professionals all over the world on a
variety of subjects relating to hypnosis and brief therapy methods. As of March, 2022,
conducted workshops in over 30 countries on six continents and in 39 states across
America.
1979-2007: Private clinical practice.

Shannon Burns, MBA, Ed.D

Shannon M Burns is a consultant and trainer on ethical issues, public engagement, corporate consultation and personal wellness. Dr. Burns currently works in an environmental agency that offers many opportunities to practice the principles in her ethics seminars as well as opportunities to clarify ethical values. Prior to her current work, Dr. Burns worked in the addiction treatment industry and as a consultant on ethical issues for businesses, counseling
organizations and educational institutions. As an award-winning ethics professional and a former elected official who used ethical principles to work across party lines to accomplish her goals, Dr. Burns holds an MBA and a Doctorate in adult education, and is uniquely qualified to speak about ethical communication, especially as it relates to development of the ethical person and to cultural competency in 2022 Prior to her current work, Dr. Burns worked in the addiction treatment industry and as a consultant on ethical issues for businesses, counseling
organizations and educational institutions. As an award-winning ethics professional and a former elected official who used ethical principles to work across party lines to accomplish her goals, Dr. Burns holds an MBA and a Doctorate in adult education, and is uniquely qualified to speak about ethical communication, especially as it relates to development of the ethical person and to cultural competency in 2022.

Polly Young-Eisendrath, Ph.D.

Polly Young-Eisendrath, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst, psychologist, and psychotherapist
in private practice. She is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University
of Vermont and the founder and director of the Institute for Dialogue Therapy. She
is past president of the Vermont Association for Psychoanalytic Studies and a
founding member of the Vermont Institute for the Psychotherapies. She is the
author, co-author, or editor of eighteen books, ranging from parenting, adult
development, intimate and parental love, Buddhist theory, Jungian psychology to
women’s development, couple therapy, couple development, and various paths to
awakening/enlightenment from meditation to personal love. These books have been
translated into more than twenty languages. Her most recent works are The SelfEsteem Trap: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids in an Age of Self-Importance
and Love Between Equals: Relationship as a Spiritual Path. She is the co-author, with
Jean Pieniadz, Ph.D., of Dialogue Therapy for Couples and Real Dialogue for Opposing
Sides: Methods Based on Psychoanalysis and Mindfulness. She hosts the popular
podcast Enemies: From War to Wisdom that provides a fresh look at
human hostilities and what to do about them. Dr. Young-Eisendrath is a lifelong
Buddhist practitioner in Zen, Tibetan, and Vipassana lineages and brings decades of
leadership in mindfulness practice within the Buddhist context as well as integrated
into her clinical work.

Carolyn Costin, MA. M. Ed., MFT, FAED, CEDS

Carolyn Costin is a world renowned, highly sought-after eating disorder clinician, author, and international speaker.

Recovered from anorexia in her twenties, as a young therapist Carolyn recognized her calling after successfully treating her first eating disorder client.

Carolyn was first to publicly take the position that people with eating disorders can become fully recovered. She is a pioneer in the field, promoting the value of appropriately training and utilizing recovered individuals as an adjunct to overall support and care

After 15 years in private practice and running hospital programs, Carolyn was determined to improve the eating disorder relapse rate and recognized a gap in the eating disorder field. She opened Monte Nido, the first residential facility, located in a home setting, surrounded by nature, where standard treatment was combined with meditation and yoga. For the first time clients with eating disorders were provided a setting where they could make the necessary behavior changes to ensure full recovery upon discharge, e.g., the ability to shop for, prepare and cook food.

Carolyn’s contributions to the field are extensive. She has written six books, the most popular being, 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder. Carolyn’s service in every major eating disorder organization, three decades of training professionals worldwide, free study groups and the outstanding success of Monte Nido all spurred Carolyn to international acclaim.

In 2016, after Monte Nido had grown to 14 programs across the country, Carolyn sold the company, subsequently left and created The Carolyn Costin Institute, CCI, which would again fill a gap in the eating disorder field The Institute is the first of its kind, with the mission of training, supervising and certifying eating disorder coaches.

Additionally, CCI offers continuing education for clinicians, educational support for families of those with eating disorders, and trains eating disorder mentors through organizations offering peer support.

Carolyn continues to offer consultations to clients and clinicians, speaks at national and international conferences, and appears as a guest on numerous podcasts and interviews.

Carolyn is an active, passionate, inspiring force in the eating disorder field.

To learn more, visit Carolyncostin.com or email: Carolyn@carolyncostin.com

Books:

Yoga and Eating Disorders:

http://amzn.to/2hVuIJl

8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder:

http://amzn.to/2hV2Vc5

8 Keys Workbook:

http://amzn.to/2hWVMu8