Meet Our Plenary Speakers
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
(Hidden) in Plain Sight: A Physician-Scientist Reflects on DID Lived Experience
Presenter: Milissa L. Kaufman, MD, PhD
Milissa Kaufman, MD, PhD is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. At McLean Hospital, she is Founding Director of the Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Research Program, and Medical Director for the Trauma Continuum of Care. Dr.
Kaufman completed her doctoral training with Dr. Terry Keane at the National Center for PTSD. Then, after graduating from Boston University’s combined MD/PhD Program, she trained with Dr. James Chu within the MGH/McLean Hospital psychiatry residency program. She has 25 years of experience in assessment and treatment of trauma-spectrum and dissociative disorders. She has published widely in these areas.
Currently, she serves as Primary or Co-Investigator on studies designed to further our understanding of the neurobiology of PTSD and dissociative identity disorder. She and her colleagues at McLean Hospital have received federal funding from the National Institute of Mental Health for multiple studies seeking to characterize biomarkers of dissociation in traumatized individuals.
Dr. Kaufman is a distinguished Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). She currently serves as Chair of the ISSTD Scientific Committee and Co-Chair of the ISSTD Research and Education Fund. She has received local and national awards for her work as a clinician, as a researcher, and as an educator. She is the former Associate Training Director for the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Adult Psychiatry Residency Program and currently serves as their Director of Trauma Psychiatry Didactics curriculum.
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
The Launch, the Journey, and the Destination: Learning from the Past, Reflecting on the Present, & Dreamstorming a Positive Future for the Field of Complex Trauma & Dissociation
Panelists: Lynette Danylchuk, PhD | Lisa Danylchuk, LMFT, E-RYT | Bethany Brand, PhD | Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD
Lynette Danylchuk, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist. She obtained her Masters Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her Doctorate from The California Graduate School of Family Psychology. She did her pre-doctoral internship at the VA’s Vet Center working with military veterans. She did her post-doctoral internship at UC Berkeley. She has worked in the field of trauma and dissociation for over 30 years. She has been on the Board of several non-profits focused on healing trauma.
She became a member of ISSTD in 1996, and has been attending conferences ever since. She became an ISSTD Fellow in 2012. She has served as Volunteer Chair, Director of the Professional Training Program for seven years, and as been a Member of the ISSTD Board of Directors. She was President of ISSTD in 2015. She has received numerous awards over the years, including ISSTD’s President’s Award of Distinction, the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and the Frank W. Putnam Award for best clinical book in 2024 for the book she co-authored with Kevin Connors, ‘Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A Practical Guide for Navigating Therapeutic Challenges’, published by Routledge, Second Edition. She is currently a member of several ISSTD committees, including the Annual Conference Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Adult Treatment Guidelines revision group. In addition, she often presents at ISSTD conferences, and is a consultant for therapists around the world who are working with severely traumatized people, especially those who are dissociative.
Lisa Danylchuk, LMFT, E-RYT is an author, licensed psychotherapist, and yoga teacher trainer specializing in bringing yoga into trauma treatment. A graduate of UCLA and Harvard University, Lisa is the founder of the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery in Oakland, CA, and creator the Yoga for Trauma (Y4T) Online Training Program.
She has authored three books: Yoga for Trauma Recovery: Theory, Philosophy, and Practice (2019), Embodied Healing: Using Yoga to Recover from Trauma and Extreme Stress (2015), and How You Can Heal: A Strength Based Guide to Trauma Recovery (2017), and is a contributing editor for Best Practices for Yoga for Veterans, published by the Yoga Service Council. She also served on the Board of Directors and the UN Task Force for the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and was recently President of the organization in 2022.
A leader in the movement to incorporate yoga into trauma treatment, she has trained yoga and mental health professionals around the world, and presents her work internationally. Lisa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. When she’s not writing or traveling, you’ll likely find her climbing mountains and running trails in nearby parks.
Bethany Brand, PhD is Psychology Professor Emerit at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She had clinical training at Sheppard Pratt Health System, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and George Washington University Hospital. She has over 30 years of experience in researching, assessing, and treating the impact of psychological trauma with a specialization in dissociation.
Dr. Brand has been honored with the endowed Martha E. Mitten Professorship as well as teaching, research and clinical awards including the Outstanding Contribution to the Science of Trauma Psychology from the American Psychological Association. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. Dr. Brand has served on national and international task forces that developed guidelines for the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders. She has published over 130 peer reviewed papers and three research-based books about assessing and treating dissociation, The Concise Guide to Assessing and Treating Trauma-Related Dissociation, Finding Solid Ground: Overcoming Obstacles in Trauma Treatment and The Finding Solid Ground Program Workbook.
Dr. Brand is the Principal Investigator on the largest treatment outcome studies to date of dissociative disorders (the TOP DD studies). The program she created with collaborators called Finding Solid Ground is the only program that has been proven by a randomized controlled trial to be effective with individuals with dissociative disorders, as well as complex PTSD. She has delivered hundreds of clinical and research presentations at national and international conferences. In addition to treating patients in her private practice, Dr. Brand serves as a forensic expert in trauma-related cases including state, federal and capital cases and an international Supreme Court case.
Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from University of Oregon (2017) and is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University. Additionally, she serves on the Boards of Center for Institutional Courage and End Rape On Campus, and the Advisory Committee of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine (NASEM) Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
At ISSTD, she serves on the Board, Scientific Committee, and Annual Conference Committee, is a member of the Research SIG, and is a guest co-editor of the upcoming special issue of Journal of Trauma & Dissociation on intersectional oppression, dissociation, and healing in diverse marginalized people. Dr. Gómez’ research centers around cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT), which she created as a Black feminist theoretical framework for examining the impact of violence within the context of inequality on Black and other marginalized populations.
Her research has been published in over 100 peer-reviewed journals, books, newsletters, regional and national media outlets, and the Open Science Framework. Her work has been funded by the Ford Foundation Fellowships Program, administered by NASEM, the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR)—National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University. Her transdisciplinary book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse, published by the American Psychological Association, won the 2024 ISSTD Frank W Putnam Outstanding Book Award. In The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls, Dr. Gómez centers Black women and girls through incorporating basic research on racism, intersectional oppression, and cultural betrayal trauma theory, as well as application in the form of culturally competent trauma therapy, radical healing in the Black community, institutional courage, and dreamstorming to promote systems-level change.
Website: https://jmgomez.org
Blue Sky: @ jennifermgomez-phd.bsky.social
Monday, March 30, 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Empowered Healing: Culturally Grounded Approaches to Trauma Therapy and Holistic Support for Black Women Survivors of Sexual Trauma
Presenter: Robyn L. Gobin, PhD
Dr. Robyn L. Gobin is a licensed psychologist, tenured associate professor, author, consultant, and mindfulness meditation teacher who is dedicated to advancing mental health and well-being through research, advocacy, and education. A nationally recognized expert on interpersonal trauma, Black women’s mental health, and self-care, Dr. Gobin has over a decade of experience as a trauma researcher and therapist, supporting survivors along their healing journeys. Dr. Gobin has published extensively in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, delivered numerous academic presentations and continuing education trainings at national and international conferences, and secured generous funding for her research from national funding agencies, including the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Throughout her career, she has been intentional about making psychological science publicly accessible. In alignment with this value, she has authored four public-facing books, including co-authoring The Black Woman’s Guide to Overcoming Domestic Violence. She also regularly offers community-based workshops and shares her expertise on interpersonal trauma, culturally responsive practices, and self-care in national news outlets and networks, including, but not limited to, NPR, Blavity, Forbes, Medium, the CBS network, and TVOne.
Dr. Gobin earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Brown University and the San Diego Veterans Affairs Hospital. She serves on advisory boards for the Boris L. Henson Foundation and Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services. Dr. Gobin’s bestselling book, The Self-Care Prescription, has been featured in national publications including Essence Magazine and Woman’s World Magazine. She was also consulted by CVS Pharmacy to provide expertise on the interplay between mental health and self-care, as well as equity and inclusion in self-care marketing and advertising. Dr. Gobin has been recognized for her contributions to the field with a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association, three Early Career Awards from the Society for the Psychology of Black Women, the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and her alma mader, Wesleyan College. Most recently, in 2024, the American Psychological Association recognized Dr. Gobin’s contributions to the psychology of women by awarding her Fellow status within the Society for the Psychology of Women.
