ASMW Faculty

Afik Faerman, MS

Afik Faerman is a clinical researcher and educator with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis on neuropsychology. He completed his clinical training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.

Akira Otani, Ed.D., ABPH

Akira Otani, Ed.D. is a Fellow and Approved Consultant of the ASCH. After spending 20-plus years at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Counseling Center, he decided to teach, consult, and travel which he had always wanted to do.

Carole Stokes-Brewer, Ph.D., LISW-S

Carole Stokes-Brewer, Ph.D., LISW-S is a psychotherapist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her background experiences include working in the field of mental health, addictions, personal development, and teaching. Whether she was working with children, couples, families, or adults, she had only one passion…to help those on their journey to find successful outcomes.

Carolyn Diatch, Ph.D.

Dr. Carolyn Daitch is an internationally renowned psychologist, trainer, author, and presenter who teaches individuals and groups to recognize and manage stress and anxiety. Dr. Daitch is frequently invited to speak about anxiety and affect regulation at international conferences and as a keynote speaker at these conferences.

Courtney Armstrong, M.Ed., LPC

Courtney Armstrong M.Ed., LPC is a licensed professional counselor and ASCH-approved consultant with 20 years of experience who specializes in grief and trauma recovery. She is the author of Transforming Traumatic Grief (2011), The Therapeutic "Aha" (2015), and Rethinking Trauma Treatment: Attachment, Memory Reconsolidation, and Resilience (2019).

Dana L. Lebo, Ph.D.

Dana Lebo, Ph.D. works as a clinical psychologist with the University of North Carolina's THRIVE Team serving military veterans with TBI, PTSD, Moral Injury, Substance Abuse, and other mental health challenges. She also is a performance psychologist with the Brain and Body Health Team at the University of North Carolina and an executive coach with a leadership consulting firm.

David Gaffney, LMSW, BCDCH, EFT-Adv

David Gaffney, LMSW, BCDCH, EFT-Adv has been practicing as a Clinical Social Worker for the past 38 years, utilizing systemic therapy, hypnosis, NLP, neurofeedback, and mindfulness in many different MH systems. He currently is in private practice and is also employed by the Veteran's Affairs hospital in Saginaw, MI as the Mind-Body therapist in the Integrated Pain Clinic.

David Patterson, Ph.D., ABPH

Pre-Conference Workshop Faculty

David Patterson, Ph.D., ABPH, is a psychologist from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he has practiced hypnosis and experimental hypnosis for more than 30 years.

Eva Szigethy, MD, Ph.D.

Eva M. Szigethy, MD, Ph.D., is a professor of psychiatry, pediatrics, and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, director of behavioral health within the Chief Medical Officer, and consultant to UPMC Health Plan, Behavioral Unit of Digitally Delivered Interventions (BUDDI).

Gabor Filo, DDS, ABHD

Filo graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry in 1984. Since then, he has been an ardent and passionate proponent of dental hypnosis. During the last two decades, he has proselytized to fellow dentists at many of the major North American dental conferences.

Jeffrey Sugar, MD

Dr. Sugar, a Child Psychiatrist, has used clinical hypnosis with adults and children for 30+ years in public non-profit, academic, and private settings. He learned hypnosis at UCLA with Jean Holroyd, John Hedenberg,  and Joseph Barber, then with Ernest Rossi; child hypnosis with Lonnie Zeltzer, Karen Olness, and Dan Kohen, and hypnosis research methods with Ken Bowers and John Khilstrom.

John W. Hall, Ph.D., ABPP

John W. Hall, Ph.D., ABPP, is a board-certified clinical health psychologist in Charlotte, NC. He is one of the Whole Health Pain Psychologists and Emeritus LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator for the Salisbury VA Health Care System. He is one of the VHA's subject matter experts for the clinical hypnosis rollout effort and co-lead the first regional pilot training.

Larry Goldman, MD

Retired OB/GYN physician after 27 years of practice. Past President Florida Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Fellow and past teaching faculty ASCH. Volunteer faculty at UCF School of Medicine. Past director of the undergraduate emergency training program at the University of Florida.

Louis Damis, Ph.D., ABPP

Dr. Damis is a Diplomate with the American Board of Professional Psychology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology, the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance, and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He is a licensed psychologist who holds ASCH Certification in Clinical Hypnosis with Consultant Status.

Michael A. Quiñones, Ph.D.

Michael A. Quiñones, Ph.D. is in independent clinical and forensic psychology practice in Broward County, Florida. He specializes in treating trauma-related and dissociative disorders, regularly employing hypnotherapy, mindfulness practices, and other altered states to empower clients to assume an active role in resolving their difficulties, and has an extensive and sophisticated knowledge base in the biopsychology of traumatization and altered states.

Nicholas Dogris, Ph.D., BCN, QEEGD‎

Plenary Session Faculty

Dr. Dogris is a California-licensed psychologist specializing in Health Psychology, wellness, and mind-body physiology. He holds a Diplomate in QEEG and is Board Certified in Neurofeedback through the ‎Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA).

Steven Gold, Ph.D.

Steven N. Gold, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, at Nova Southeastern University College of Psychology, and Founding Director of NSU's Trauma Resolution & Integration Program (TRIP).

Steven Warner, Ph.D.

Dr. Warner received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami in 1986. He works primarily in private practice providing psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis, and neurofeedback in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Dr. Warner is the past director and co-founder of the Miami Institute of Clinical Hypnosis.

William (Bill) Brislin, LMHC, NCC

Bill Brislin, LMHC, NCC,  is a professional counselor in independent practice in Orlando, Florida. Certified in clinical hypnosis and EMDR therapy, he is an EMDR-approved consultant, basic EMDR trainer, and trainer for the EMDR Recent Traumatic Episodes Protocol and the Group Traumatic Episodes Protocol.