Board of Advisors
Sandra L. Brown, M.A., is the founder of this Association as well as The Institute for Relational Harm Reduction & Public Pathology Education. A former psychotherapist in the field of psychopathology and survivor trauma, Sandra is an accomplished and respected community educator on the intersections of mental illness, personality disorders, violence, and recidivism. She is a clinical lecturer and trainer, TV and radio guest, and an author. Her books include the highly popular How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved, the award-winning Women Who Love Psychopaths: Inside the Relationships of Inevitable Harm With Psychopaths, Sociopaths & Narcissists, as well as the clinically relevant Counseling Victims of Violence: A Handbook for Helping Professionals.
More about Sandra’s professional accomplishments is available at her website.
George K. Simon, Jr., Ph.D., is an internationally-recognized expert on manipulators and other problem characters and the author of 3 bestselling books: In Sheep’s Clothing (which has been translated into twelve foreign languages), Character Disturbance, and The Judas Syndrome. He’s made appearances on several major television (Fox News Network, CNN, CBS 48 Hours) and radio programs and is also the host of a weekly internet program on UCY.TV called Character Matters.
Dr. Simon served for several years on the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Domestic Abuse, Rape and Violence, is a past President of the Arkansas Psychological Association, and is a Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic and Clinical Psychology (ACFEI). More information about Dr. Simon’s experience, current writings, and other engagements can be found here.
Kate Amber, MSc, holds a master’s degree in the psychology of coercive control from the University of Salford in Manchester, England. She holds post-graduate certifications in the psychology of coercive control from Salford, Executive Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in Violence and Abuse Prevention, and ADA Advocacy from Equal Access Advocates.
Ms. Amber founded End Coercive Control USA (ECCUSA) to help educate and transform the systems designed to assist persons harmed by coercive control, with the mission of empowering them to regain their dignity, autonomy and freedom. ECCUSA is a founding partner of the International Coercive Control Conference where Kate served as Chair of the Governance Committee and member of the Steering, Finance and Planning Committees. Ms. Amber is an international speaker, consultant, trainer, writer and expert witness on domestic abuse, extremist groups and coercive control.
Bree Bonchay, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist with almost two decades of experience working in the field of mental health and trauma recovery. She specializes in helping people recover from pathological relationships, and shares her insights about pathology in her blog, Free From Toxic. Her articles have been featured in major online magazines, and she has appeared on radio as a guest expert. She is the author of the book, I Am Free, which is the market’s first non-fiction anthology about surviving and healing from pathological relationships. She is also a public speaker, facilitates workshops, and the founder of World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day, which is celebrated every 1st of June.
William P. Brennan, M.Ed., LMHC, CAP, holds a master’s degree in Counseling Education from Florida Atlantic University and is a psychotherapist who is a Certified Addictions Professional, Trauma Professional, and is EMDR certified with experience in inpatient, outpatient, and private practice levels of treatment. He has worked with survivors of Pathological Relationships for the last ten years and has co-facilitated narcissistic abuse recovery in individual, group, and retreat formats.
Contact Bill through his Facebook page or via email at wbrennan8@clf.rr.com.
Julie Butler, MACP, RP, is a graduate of Yorkville University’s Master of Counselling Psychology program. She is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and is a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Julie serves an adult, individual population at Grandi & Associates in Windsor, Ontario and is a treatment provider for the Victim Quick Response Program of Windsor & Essex County. Trained in CBT, DBT, Brainspotting, and EMDR, she employs an eclectic, client-centered approach to promote recovery after relational trauma.
Contact Julie via email at julie.butler@hushmail.com.
Jayne Dales-Tibbott, MSc, UKCP, BACP is a senior Integrative Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, Trainer, and Doctoral Researcher, who is based in the UK. She is certified in trauma and EMDR and her work has been focused on pathological relationships and resulting relational abuse inflicted by those with psychopathic traits.
She is on the Doctoral program (DPsych) with Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University and is dedicated to producing cogent, scientifically evidenced research that will inform the psychotherapy profession in supporting victims of this abuse.
Carl Gacono, Ph.D., ABAP, is an internationally known forensic expert with over 80 professional publications. His Asheville, NC, practice includes conducting psychological evaluations and psychotherapy from a reality- based/existential approach.
Relevant to his participation in the Association is Dr. Gacono’s work related to psychopathy, antisocial personality, and other personality disorders. Dr. Gacono works with the victims of psychopaths, and families with one or more members that have personality disorders. More information about Dr. Gacono’s practice and credentials is available here.
Claudia Paradise, LCSW-R, is The Director of Clinical Training and a board member at The Association for NPD/Psychopathy Survivor Treatment, Research & Education.
She is an Executive Board Member, Faculty, and Supervisor at The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia in NYC. Claudia has been trained in the areas of Trauma, DBT, CBT, Somatic Therapy, EMDR, Psychoanalysis, and Psychodynamic treatment.
She has been in practice for over 25 years, and is passionate about the education, training, treatment, and prevention of self-harm and narcissistic abuse. Through her private practice, teaching, writing and public speaking events, Claudia is committed to a deeper understanding of Cluster B personality disorders, and their wide- reaching impact on individuals, families, institutions, and the environment.
More information about Ms. Paradise’s experience and affiliations is available on LinkedIn.
Chelli Pumphrey, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma, adult attachment, and pathological love relationships with almost 30 years of counseling experience. She is a Clinical Director at both Trilogy Holistic Mental Health in Denver, CO, and Strength in Motion Counseling in Boulder, CO.
She hosted an internet talk show, Destination Love, and was a featured relationship coach in LEAP: The Coaching Movie with John Gray and Jack Canfield in 2018.
She is the author of Insight is 20/20: How to Trust Yourself to Protect Yourself from Narcissistic Abuse & Toxic Relationships, available now on Amazon.
As a Certified Integrated Medicine Mental Health Practitioner and Reiki practitioner, Chelli is passionate about integrative, holistic mental health, believing that mind, body, and spirit should be nurtured throughout the healing journey. For more information, please visit her website.
Sherri L. Renner, JD, is the founder and owner of LawYou America and its members-only Association for Pro Se Advancement, through which she focuses her years of litigation experience on helping self-represented litigants. Most of the pro se litigants helped through LawYou are survivors of pathological love relationships who are involved in family court proceedings with their former partners. Ms. Renner also works closely with the Institute in creating relevant educational materials for judges and other legal professionals.
To contact Ms. Renner or access LawYou’s resources, visit the website.