| Presenter Bios |
Ana Alexandre RNCP, RHN, is a holistic nutritionist, certified personal trainer and performer. She is a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, a member of the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants, and the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals. She is an enthusiastic speaker and has developed unique programs that combine nutrition and fitness for a holistic approach to health and wellness. Ana is the founder of Vital Life Design and leads nutrition and lifestyle-based seminars both in corporate and community environments. She teaches natural whole foods cooking, vegetarian cooking, and leads grocery store tours and kitchen clean-ups. She is also a former student of Humber College’s Theatre Performance Program. Ruth Bittorf R.N., BScN., PHCNP is a primary health care nurse practitioner with over 30 years of nursing experience throughout Canada. She has been a valued member of many multi/interdisciplinary teams, most recently in Stratford as an integral part of a Family Health Team, and currently at the Artists’ Health Centre. She is committed to providing holistic client centered health care in collaboration with a team of health care providers. Ruth feels a stable work-life balance is critical to good health, and considers all aspects of wholeness to balance the physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual needs we experience as individuals. Karen Bowes-Sewell is an associate professor in Dance at York University, a graduate of the National Ballet School and former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada. Her research focuses on issues of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on non-traditional methods of learning. She is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, member of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America and a guest practitioner at Pivot Sport Medicine and Orthopaedics and the Feldenkrais Centre in Toronto. Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method® are registered service marks; Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM is a certification mark of the Feldenkrais of Guild® North America. Dr. Diana Brecher, Psychologist, is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist who has a particular interest in working with clients who are experiencing anxiety and depression. She is the clinical coordinator of the Centre for Student Development and Counselling (CSDC) at Ryerson University, and the director of the Ryerson CSDC internship training program providing clinical supervision to the counsellors. Dr. Brecher teaches CBT in the graduate counselling psychology program at OISE/UT, and is co-teaching the dual certificate program in Advanced Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at The Hinks Dellcrest Centre & OISE/UT. Anne Carbert is a career counselor and coach. She emphasizes meaning, creativity, and quality of life as she helps people to craft satisfying careers. Anne has a master's degree in counseling psychology and specializes in supporting people navigating unconventional and self-directed career paths. She offers personal development workshops as well as individual counseling. Dr. Marshall Chasin, AuD, M.Sc. is an Audiologist and the Director of Auditory Research at the Musicians' Clinics of Canada in Toronto. He is also the Co-ordinator of Research at the Canadian Hearing Society, Director of Research at ListenUp Canada, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto (in Linguistics) and an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario (School of Communication Sciences & Disorders). Dr. Chasin has been involved with hearing and hearing aid assessment since 1981 and is the author of over 200 clinically based articles. He has lectured extensively, and is the author of several books including "Musicians and the Prevention of Hearing Loss”, "Noise Control- a primer" and "Hear the Music". He has recently edited a new book on musicians called “Hearing Loss in Musicians” through Plural Publishing. Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua HBSc, ND, PhD (cand.), is a licensed naturopathic doctor and the Clinic Director of the Liberty Clinic in downtown Toronto. He is the first naturopathic doctor to practice at the Toronto Western Hospital as well as the Artists’ Health Centre. He has over a dozen peer-reviewed scientific publications published or in press, and is a leading expert on natural health products, pharmacology and pregnancy safety, and is a researcher at the Motherisk Program at Sick Kids Hospital. Dr. Joaquín Farias Ph.D., M.A. is a specialist in coaching professional musicians, guiding them in the process of overcoming focal dystonia and being able to play on stage again. He became recognized after several prominent musicians experienced groundbreaking recovery as a result of his techniques. He holds a Ph.D in Biomechanics and a Master’s Degree in Ergonomics and Psycho Sociology. Dr. Farias is currently Professor of Ergonomics at the Barenboim-Said Foundation Academy of Music and researcher at the Kinesiology Unit of the Faculty of Medicine of Valencia, Spain. He is a trained musician and has an extensive background in Bujutsu, Feldenkrais and Shiatsu. Susan Free has taught somatic movement classes in post-secondary settings since 1990, including 12 years in the Faculty of Physical Education and Health at U. of T. She works with a wide range of people, including actors, dancers, musicians, writers, and athletes. Currently Susan teaches Feldenkrais classes to performing arts students at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, as well as public classes and workshops at the Feldenkrais Centre. Susan has a graduate degree in dance history, is a Certified Laban Movement Analyst, and a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. Susan Green B. Sc. (Honours in Dance) is a Certified Teacher of the Mitzvah Technique and has been teaching for over 20 years. As a dance professional she performed with the Judy Jarvis Dance and Theatre Company and as an independent dancer and choreographer. During this time she applied the Mitzvah (Mechanism) Technique to choreography, rehearsals, performances and classes to undo tension, prevent injuries and improve postural alignment, technique and movement quality. Susan works with artists from performing, visual and literary disciplines. Madeleine Hallé is a performance and sports psychologist with the Cirque de Soleil. With twenty years of experience in her field, and with extensive graduate training in psychology and kinetics including a doctorate in sports psychology, Madeleine is uniquely qualified to discuss and illuminate the psychological aspects of performance. Ginette Hamel, BSc PT, is trained in sports physiotherapy and is a certified Pilates instructor. She has more than 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist and specializes in the treatment of performing artists. Ginette has worked with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the National Ballet School and is currently consultant physiotherapist at the National Ballet of Canada and with the musical Dirty Dancing. She has been working with the Artists' Health Centre since it opened in 2002. Lori Holmes, M. Sc. is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience, integrating a solid background in science with practical experience in training the voice. Since 2001 she has had the joy of combining her love of theatre with her love of voice at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and has since become an integral part of the coaching team. In London, her private practice, WellSpoken, provides expertise in communication and speaking skill enhancement, accent reduction and rehabilitation for injured voices. A dynamic speaker, she provides workshops in voice care and training for various professionals throughout Ontario. Janet Horvath, associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra for over two decades, is a soloist, chamber musician, writer and advocate for injury prevention. She received a bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto and a master's degree at Indiana University, studying with Janos Starker. Horvath’s extensive performing career includes her International debut in London in 1986 at Wigmore Hall and recitals and broadcasts in London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong and major cities across the United States and Canada. Janet is a recognized authority and pioneer in the area of medical problems of performing artists and specializes in the physical stresses experienced by musicians. She is the author of Playing (less) Hurt - An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians and recipient of the American String Teachers Association Service Award for her outstanding efforts on behalf of musician’s health. She has recently presented at the San Francisco Symphony and Opera, the Boston Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as numerous colleges, teachers associations and music schools. Jennifer McGillis, M.Sc., C.K. has experience performing physical demands assessments, ergonomic risk identification and re-designing work environments. She has developed effective teaching techniques as a Professor of Lifestyle Management at Georgian College and as a result is a dynamic speaker who specializes in providing informative and interactive ergonomic training sessions. Pat Miner and Darryl Tracy are both faculty members of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. As colleagues, Miner (highly acclaimed dance teacher & 2004 DanceOntario award recipient) and Tracy (dance artist and physiotherapist) have been collaborating for several years in their approach to dance training. Sharing their combined expertise, they have developed innovative ideas about class work and supplemental training. Dr. Douglas B. Misener is a Rehabilitation Psychologist with a doctoral degree from the University of Toronto. He was certified as a Kinesiologist in 1997 and has been employed in a variety of positions relating to rehabilitation psychology providing both assessment and treatment services. As a psychologist and kinesiologist he believes the integration of body and mind are the keys to good health and personal fulfillment. He has worked as a consultant to such organizations as the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario, National Ballet of Canada, and Women’s College Sport C.A.R.E. He has also worked with individuals experiencing pain management difficulties. Dr. Misener uses a cognitive-behavioural model of counselling to address a variety of conditions impacting on everyday functioning in the home, community and workplace. Ted Rickard MLS, MEd, CRSP, was the Manager of Health & Safety at Ontario College of Art & Design from1988-2007. While at OCAD Ted’s educational mandate reached all aspects of health and safety within the College including teaching students, faculty and staff. A leading expert in this field, Ted has advised on health and safety issues for many individuals, institutions and organizations including Art Gallery of Ontario’s Conservation Department, Art Hazards Resource Association and Toronto School of Art. Dr. Anita Shack B.F.A., D.C., F.A.T.A.is a chiropractor who uses an integrated approach in her work at the Artists' Health Centre. She combines chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, and acupuncture, customizing care to the individual artist’s needs and goals. Fascinated with the body/mind/spirit connection he is concerned not only with the relief of symptoms, but also with getting at the cause to facilitate change and healing. She has extensive experience working with artists from many disciplines, including: dance, theatre, film, visual arts, music, and writing. Dr. Shack performed as an independent modern dancer/choreographer from 1974-1986 in Canada and the United States and was a member of the Dance Music Orchestra. Steve Schklar, CGP is a private practice psychotherapist treating individuals, couples and groups at the Artists' Health Centre. He has been the co-leader of the Addictions After Care Support Group and an addictions counselor for two years at the Toronto Western Hospital. He is married to an artist, is a retired trumpeter himself and treats many people from the performing, visual, and creative arts segments of our community, specifically, painters, musicians, writers, actors. Mr. Schklar has a published Chapter in "101 Interventions in Group Psychotherapy" (2008) and currently runs a Support Group for Artists at the Artists’ Health Centre. Other professional experience includes: 10 years leading men's and mixed gender psychotherapy groups; consulting, designing and training programs for industry on interpersonal skills, personal development, personal responsibility, and team building; coaching for executives and professionals on interpersonal skills, goal setting, career, relationships, and has a full time private practice in psychotherapy. |
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