Dr. Bessel van der Kolk shares his expertise in the field of trauma, with insights on our innate human capacity to change and ‘rewire’ our systems. He defines resilience as “the capacity to face reality”, and talks about how social issues can affect one’s capacity to do so.

Dr. van der Kolk also shares:

• His observations on how various parts of the world deal with and regulate their trauma differently, relying on everything from movement to song
• How, as feedback-dependent organisms - we seek reciprocity and support to build our resilience
• The power of “pendulation”, a practice that gently expands one’s window of tolerance by shifting between the pain of the past and an anchored safe place

​​Bessel van der Kolk MD spends his career studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences, and has translated emerging findings from neuroscience and attachment research to develop and study a range of treatments for traumatic stress in children and adults.

In 1984, he set up one of the first clinical/research centers in the US dedicated to study and treatment of traumatic stress in civilian populations, which has trained numerous researchers and clinicians specializing in the study and treatment of traumatic stress, and which has been continually funded to research the impact of traumatic stress and effective treatment interventions. He did the first studies on the effects of SSRIs on PTSD; was a member of the first neuroimaging team to investigate how trauma changes brain processes, and did the first research linking BPD and deliberate self-injury to trauma and neglect in early childhood.

Much of his research has focused on how trauma has a different impact at different stages of development, and that disruptions in care-giving systems have additional deleterious effects that need to be addressed for effective intervention. In order to promote a deeper understanding of the impact of childhood trauma and to foster the development and execution of effective treatment interventions, he initiated the process that led to the establishment of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a Congressionally mandated initiative that now funds approximately 150 centers specializing in developing effective treatment interventions, and implementing them in a wide array of settings, from juvenile detention centers to tribal agencies, nationwide.

Trauma Expert Dr. Andrea Pennington joins the Summit to share some of the attributes that make up the the subject matter of her new book, Top Ten Traits of Highly Resilient People. She explains why tolerance, compassion, and insight are all key elements of resilience, and how the Japanese concept of “ikigai” plays a crucial role as well.

Dr. Pennington also shares:

• How giving ourselves a greater sense of agency can help us reduce and heal from stress-induced illnesses
• Why phrases such as “self care” and “self love” are often misinterpreted, and why both require deep exploration of identity
• The concept of “reparenting” and how people can apply it to create or rebuild support they may not have received during the formative years of development

Dr. Andrea Pennington is an integrative physician, acupuncturist, meditation teacher, #1 international bestselling author and TEDx speaker who has provided holistic health education for over twenty years. As Founder of In8Vitality she combines her extensive medical expertise and training in trauma recovery with her experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, to help people to build resilience, reclaim vitality, and thrive despite the inevitable trauma and drama life brings.

 As a sought-after media personality Dr. Andrea has shared her empowering insights on holistic healing and resilience on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Dr. Oz Show, iTV This Morning, CNN, the Today Show, LUXE-TV, Thrive Global and HuffingtonPost and as a news anchor for Discovery Health Channel. She proudly shares insights on Conscious Relationships with RLove, a spiritual-based conscious connection platform developed by Rhythmia, which helps people find a spiritually aligned soul connection.​

Dan Siegel MD speaks about resilience in a relational context and how integration is essential in experiencing a wholeness of interconnectedness and intra-connectedness, which ultimately helps reduce rigidity in facing challenging times.

Dr. Dan Siegel also shares:

• The relationship between differentiation, linkage, and integration, with practical and descriptives analogies for clarity.
• The science behind the shifts in energy flow and the importance of both interconnectedness and intra-connectedness.
• Active hope and the importance of difficult emotions in stimulating positive action.

Dr. Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute which focuses on the development of mindsight, teaches insight, empathy, and integration in individuals, families and communities.

Dr. Siegel has published extensively for both the professional and lay audiences. His five New York Times bestsellers are: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D: The Whole-Brain Child, and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include: The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, and also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. - The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up. 

Dr. Siegel also serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which contains over seventy textbooks. 
For more information about his educational programs and resources, please visit: www.DrDanSiegel.com and www.mindsightinstitute.com