Geraldine Crisci, M.S.W. is a mental health professional with 30 years experience in the field of trauma. She is a private practitioner who provides assessment and treatment to children, youth and their families. She is also a professional trainer providing educational programs to mental health, protective services, law enforcement, medical and other helping profession. Geraldine developed and teaches the 6 day Trauma Assessment and Treatment Program for Safeguards which has reached 1500 professionals in the past 10 years. Geraldine has developed protocols for the assessment and treatment of trauma, sexualized behaviour problems and sibling sexual abuse.  Geraldine also developed reunification protocol for families.  She has provided support to agencies and families in successful adoption of children from the Protection system. She has worked extensively with residential treatment programs for children and youth for the past 20 years. She specializes in addressing the impact of trauma on the behaviour of children and youth.  To this end she develops clinical programs to provide children, youth and their families with corrective effective therapeutic intervention. Geraldine is a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). She co-authored Paper Dolls and Paper Airplanes: Therapeutic Exercises for Sexually Traumatized Children, which is currently in its 10^th year of printing.

Wendy Leaver is a retired Detective of the Toronto Police Services, Sex Crimes Unit where she investigated sexual assault cases for 20 years. She was instrumental in the development of the Special Victims Unit in 2005 which investigates sexual assaults against sex workers. This was the first investigative unit in Canada solely dedicated to working with sex workers who had been sexually assaulted while involved in the sex trade. She is an accomplished lecturer in respect of investigations involving sexual assaults, child abuse, victim issues and pedophiles. She has also provided training sessions to police, probation, parole and penitentiary personnel in London, England –  Amman, Jordan – San Paolo, Brazil- Quito, Ecuador and across Canada and the United States. Wendy is also a volunteer for the past 15 years with Circles of Support, a volunteer-run initiative, supported by Corrections Canada that has proven to be an effective method for dealing with high risk, high need sex offenders released at warrant expiry into communities across Canada. Wendy has worked extensively with sex workers and the agencies supporting them. She is presently working with the Women’s Initiatives Committee, Rotary Club of Toronto to develop a safe house for victims of Domestic and International Human trafficking.

Shiona Robertson, B.S.W. is an associate to Geraldine Crisci, M.S.W.  Shiona is affiliated and in good standing with the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Counsellors. Shiona has 8 years Social Work experience and has worked in child welfare services; mental health services and support to youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Shiona supervised and supported staff in residential support services for individuals with Developmental Delay.  She has developed services for individuals with Developmental Delay including integrating services with outcome models. Shiona can provide trauma assessment and treatment and has participated in Geraldine Crisci’s Trauma Assessment and Treatment Externship.  Shiona is currently under the supervision of Geraldine Crisci, M.S.W.

Laurel Choat is a graduate of the Toronto Art Therapy Institute and has been on the Board of Directors for the past three years. She has also been a guest lecturer at the Institute and works as an Art Therapist/Child & Family Therapist at The Etobicoke Children’s Centre, specializing in the area of trauma with latency-aged children.  Laurel has also developed and co-facilitated a CBT/Art Therapy group and an Anger Management group at The George Hull Centre for Children and Families for the past five years and was in private practice for six years before joining the ECC full time.   With a Design Arts background Laurel worked as an Interior Designer for ten years and was also an art teacher for eight years, working at two private elementary schools in Etobicoke before returning to school to study art therapy.  Laurel is a painter, sculptor and stained-glass artist.