SPEAKERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist whose passion is to help people see the power of the mind to change the brain and find their purpose in life. She is the author of Switch On Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, and Think, Learn, Succeed, among many other books and journal articles, and her videos, podcasts, and TV episodes have reached millions globally. She currently teaches at various academic, medical, and neuroscience conferences, as well as in churches around the world. Dr. Leaf and her husband, Mac, live with their four children in Dallas and Los Angeles. |
David Woods Bartley, like most people, has seen his fair share of successes and setbacks, from directing a nationally recognized nonprofit to battling a life-threatening mental illness. But over the last seven years, David has successfully navigated from the isolation of mental “hellness” to the inclusive space of mental wellness. He is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the International Association for Youth Mental Health, the National Storytelling Network’s Healing Story Alliance, and Active Minds. David holds certifications in Mental Health First Aid for Adults and Youth, SafeTALK (Suicide Awareness for Everyone), and is a national trainer for the groundbreaking suicide prevention technique known as QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer). He is a professional speaker on a variety of aspects of mental health, including suicide awareness and prevention, the power of connection to create hope, and the use of language as a tool for healing. |
Dr. Matthew Holve (Kaiser Permanente Site Chief, Department of Psychiatry) is a board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist practicing in Solano County for the past 6 years with Kaiser Permanente. His primary goal is to help bring preventative care to mental health and increase awareness of mental illness in the community. He has given many presentations to local organizations and the community around psychiatric illnesses in youth and adults. He currently lives in Vacaville with his wife, two daughters and two dogs. |
Lucas Sherman is a 17 year old High School Senior at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences. At the age of 8 his father was sent into rehab for a drug addiction. At the age of 12, in quick succession, he lost both his mother and a close friend to suicide. In the years since he has worked tirelessly to help with the prevention of suicidal ideation and those left behind after the death of a loved one. In early 2017 he co-founded a 501c3 nonprofit called The Other Six that focuses on helping the intimately affected survivors of suicide. At school he has partnered with administration to create a Student Committee on Health and Wellness to implement programs like training the student body, parents, and faculty in suicide prevention skills and creating a "Mental Health Week" with panels of professionals working in the field. In his free time Lucas can be found on the lacrosse field, the robotics team, or leading student government. He and his dad, Paul, live in Seattle, Washington, with their pet dog and goldfish. |
Dr. Carla Demaray has been practicing chiropractic care for 30 years. She utilizes Nutrition Response Testing in her practice, which employs muscle testing to analyze the body to determine the underlying cause of illness and then, ascertain which supplements would be best utilized by your unique body chemistry. Dr. Demaray is passionate about educating her patients and the public about the body’s innate power and intelligence to adapt to life and environmental stressors. The body has the ability to heal itself, and by the use of the chiropractic adjustment and nourishing food, a body can prevent many illnesses and disease.
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Heidi Biber is a Bay Area native; born in San Francisco. She is one of two children born to her (then) German immigrant father and Jamaican/Haitian-American mother. Heidi is also a proud mom. She studied Criminal Justice and continued her passion beginning her career at Solano County in Juvenile Probation, onto San Quentin’s Special Investigations Unit, finishing in Social Services; working for Contra Costa County; ending in her home county of Solano; where she is currently a Patient Benefits Specialist in the Mental & Behavioral Health field and active member of the Suicide Prevention Committee. |