Experts
The experts for the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors program include:
Katchatur Gasparyan, Child Psychologist, Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Gasparyan is an expert in post-disaster treatment of children, having served as director of Children's Mental Health Services during and following the war in Nagoro Karabagh, Armenia, as well as having led the child intervention efforts following the Armenian earthquake in 1989. He has extensive experience in incorporating children's art into group therapeutic interventions.
Robin F. Goodman, Ph.D., A.T.R.-BC. Psychologist and Art Therapist, former co-director of the Silver Shield 9/11 bereavement program providing clinical services and conducting research on childhood traumatic grief and director of public education, New York University Child Study Center. Dr. Goodman is consultant to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network developing training materials on childhood traumatic grief, and to the Department of Defense, Educational Opportunities Directorate. She is past president of the American Art Therapy Association and book credits include The Day Our World Changed: Children's Art of 9/11.
Elaine D. Hanson, PSY.D., J.D. Dr. Hanson is the Academic Director of the International Disaster Psychology Program at the University of Denver. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and attorney at law, and has led trauma training in the Balkans.
Christina W. Hoven, DrPH, MPH, Child Psychiatric Epidemiologist at Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Children's mental health expert, Dr. Hoven was Principal Investigator of the NYC Board of Education Schools Study conducted on a representative sample (N = 8,236) of the more than 1.1 million NYC public school students following the September 11th attach on the World Trade Center. This study revealed that some 300,000 NYC students had probable psychiatric disorders. These results have prompted increased awareness and concern for responding to and protecting the mental health of vulnerable children. Both Dr. Mandell and Dr. Hoven are presently involved in testing an Awareness Manual in nine countries, as part of the WPA-WHO-IACAPAP initiative using all forms of media to expand worldwide awareness of mental health problems in children.
Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph.D., Executive Director, ICAF. Dr. Ishaq is coordinating the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors program. He also coordinates ICAF's Peace Through Art program, which helps children from conflict zones cope with the trans-generational transmission of trauma.
Judy Kuriansky, Dr.Kuriansky is a world renowned radio advice host, clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist, popular lecturer, newspaper columnist, TV reporter and commentator and author of many books on relationships. She is a pioneer of radio call-in advice, and more recently of Internet advice. An adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center, she is also visiting professor of Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing. She is a frequent commentator on TV on various news issues, particularly on CNN, and columnist for the New York Daily News, Singapore Straits Times and South China Morning Post. Dr. Judy does innumerable seminars and trainings on psychological and relationships issues and peace-building as well as AIDS prevention. She is on the Advisory Board of several magazines and public service organizations, and a United Nations NGO rep for the International Association of Applied Psychology and the World Council of Psychotherapy. Winner of the International Outreach Award from the American Women in Radio and TV, her work in China has been featured on CNN International, CCTV in China and CBS-TV in America. An expert on emergency mental health services, she has worked at Ground Zero and many other disasters worldwide, has done workshops from Serbia to Jerusalem, presented plenaries from Tehran to Sagar, India and lectures about coping after 9/11 and world conflicts, including in the Middle East.
Cathy A. Malchiodi, ATR, LPCC, CPAT, is in charge of Professional Relations for the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) and is on the faculty of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC). She is a clinical mental health counselor and art therapist with over 20 years experience in providing intervention to children and families who have survived violence, natural and man-made disasters, and other traumatic events. Cathy is the author of numerous books, including Understanding Children's Drawings, Handbook of Art Therapy, and The Art Therapy Sourcebook.
Donald J. Mandell, Ph.D., MPH, Social Ecologist and Research Scientist, Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Mandell was a member of the team that evaluated the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the children in the New York City area as well as on other evaluations of Community Mental Health Centers, and SAMHSA programs.
Mojgan Momeni, Program Director, Science and Arts Foundation. Ms. Momeni is coordinator of the Bam Paint Shop for the children who survived the earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003, which killed 46,000 and injured 20,000 people.
Nancy Slater, Ph.D., A.T.R. Graduate Art Therapy Program, Department of Psychology and Special Education, Emporia State University, Kansas. Dr. Slater is coordinator of the International Networking Group of Art Therapists (ING/AT).
Professor Sam Tyano is a psychiatrist specializing in young children, a Vice President of the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) and Chair of the Task Force for Awareness of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA).
Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA. CEO, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California. Dr. Wiederhold is a pioneer in the field of Cyber Therapy. She works on posttraumatic stress disorder in such diverse populations as motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors, Vietnam Veterans and earthquake survivors. She is involved in using virtual reality for children to "inoculate" them against stress due to earthquakes.
