Presenters & Facilitators
See Our 2026 Lineup
2026 Keynote Presenters
These presenters will take the stage on Thursday and Friday, April 23rd & 24th.
Dr. Michael Groat, PhD
The Lindner Center of HOPE, Chief Clinical Officer & CEO
Dr. Michael Groat is the Interim CEO and Chief Clinical Officer at Lindner Center of Hope. With over 16 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment, he has held leadership roles at renowned institutions like CooperRiis, Silver Hill Hospital, and the Menninger Clinic. Dr. Groat is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care, fostering a culture of excellence, and driving innovation in the field. He is also a skilled clinician and educator, with expertise in psychotherapeutic treatments, personality assessment, and recovery.
Dr. Karlyn Pleasants, PsyD
Anew Treatment Center, Chief Clinical Advisor
For over 25 years, Dr. Pleasants has helped create thriving therapeutic environments that have supported thousands of individuals and their families successfully build a life of self-management, health, and independence beyond the bounds of psychiatric diagnoses. She began her career as a therapist at Hanbleceya, a small therapeutic community in Southern California before going on to acquire the program in 2005 and co-found the Hanbleceya Treatment Center and Hanbleceya Recovery Network. In 2022, she and a group of equally dedicated professionals took the model and culture to Arizona and founded the Anew Treatment Center. Dr. Pleasants has dedicated herself to cultivating programs rooted in a culture of belonging, hope, and a belief in sustainable change. She is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on working with severe mental illness at the individual, sibling, and whole-family levels to support generational healing and change.
Dr. Georgia Fourlas, DSW, LCSW, LIAC, CSAT-S
The Meadows, Executive Director of Rio Retreat Center
Georgia Fourlas, Executive Director for Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows, holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in social work. She has worked in the field of behavioral health for more than 20 years and has extensive experience working with adults and children as a crisis counselor, trauma therapist, and addictions therapist. More than a decade of Dr. Fourlas’ experience has been working with patients in an inpatient setting at both state and privately funded agencies. She also previously held positions as a program coordinator, program director, and clinical director, and she is an approved clinical supervisor through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
Dr. Amy Serin, PhD
Horizon Recovery, Director of Neuropsychology
Dr. Amy Serin is an internationally recognized neuropsychologist and stress expert on a mission to help you live your best life! After graduating from Arizona State University in 1996 as Valedictorian (Moeur Award), she obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2006. She then founded Serin Centers in 2007 to integrate cutting-edge, results-oriented neuropsychology into profound and permanent results for her clients. Her unique blend of scientifically based methods including 3-D brain mapping, neurofeedback, bi-lateral stimulation, EMDR therapy, CBT therapy, and Near Infrared Technology for anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, giftedness, performance enhancement, and life challenges are “truly revolutionary” according to Huffington Post. Since 2007, Serin Centers have helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults reach their full potential.
Dr. Katie McCoog, DSW, LCSW
Embark Behavioral Health, Clinical Director
Dr. Katie McCoog graduated from Marywood University with an MSW degree in Social Work, with a concentration in Behavioral Health. She has been working in the field for 15 years and has been acknowledged internationally as a certified trauma therapist. Katie has provided family and individual therapy, substance abuse, and behavior modification to a wide variety of populations such as children starting at the age of 5 to adults 60 and over. She has treated individuals diagnosed with autism, mental health illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and comorbidity.
2026 Workshop Facilitators
This includes Pre-Conference Workshops and all other non-keynote Workshops.
Dr. Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD
Consulting Psychiatrist and former President/CEO of Lindner Center of HOPE
Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. He is also Consulting Psychiatrist and former Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Founding President-CEO Emeritus of the Lindner Center of HOPE, a state-of-the-science, UC-affiliated comprehensive mental health center in Mason, Ohio. Dr. Keck has conducted extensive research in bipolar disorder, depression and clinical psychopharmacology, supported by grants from the NIMH, NARSAD, the Stanley Foundation, the Marriott Foundation, and industry. Since 1996, he has been in the top 20 of the most cited scientists in the world publishing in the fields of psychology and psychiatry and in the top 5% of scientists publishing in medicine worldwide.
A magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Keck received his MD with honors (AOA) from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. He served his internship in Internal Medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and completed his residency training in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA. Dr. Keck remained on faculty at McLean and Harvard before joining the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati in 1991.
Dr. Keck is the author of over 400 scientific papers in leading medical journals. He has also contributed over 200 reviews and chapters to major psychiatric textbooks and is the editor or author of 6 scientific books.
Thomas B. McCray Jr.
Founder & CEO of Thrive Mental, LLC
Thomas B. McCray Jr. is the CEO and Founder of Thrive Mental, LLC, a behavioral health technology company pioneering AI-driven, phone-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and emotional support through its flagship companion, Claireena™, positioning it as the first to offer real-time AI-powered CBT across healthcare, corrections, education, and corporate wellness. With over two decades of leadership in customer experience, operations, and AI innovation, Thomas previously served as Vice President of Customer Experience at SNOW Oral Care, where he deployed advanced AI to modernize operations and boost satisfaction, revenue, and brand reputation, following high-impact roles at PayPal, Lexington Law Firm, and American Home Shield building elite teams and cutting-edge service strategies. A published author of AI Human Experience Mapping and the forthcoming Voices in the Machine: How AI Is Reimagining Mental Health Care, he pioneered AI Human Experience Mapping™, a framework fusing cognitive-behavioral techniques with empathetic AI design for scalable support. Certified in Psychological First Aid (Johns Hopkins), Health Behavior Change (Yale), Anxiety and Related Disorders (APA), and HIPAA compliance, Thomas is also ordained with an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, reflecting his compassionate mission to blend technology and human care.
Amanda Johnson
The Story Oracle & Saved By Story Publishing, CEO
With more than two decades of experience partnering with people to rewrite personal and collective narratives as a friend, a mother, a teacher, a facilitator, a storyteller, a brand and content strategist, and a messenger guide, Amanda Johnson (The Story Oracle) empowers audiences ready to stop the st*ry loops and start co-authoring a truer story for themselves, their loved ones and colleagues, and the world. Her unapologetically-honest, story-driven approach awakens individuals to the st*ries that hold them back and equips them with the tools to begin taking more control of the narrative.
Dr. Allison Brownlee, PsyD, LMFT
Stronger Together Community Services, Founder & Clinical Director
Dr. Allison Brownlee, LMFT, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Stronger Together Community Services, a California-based nonprofit mental health agency delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and community-centered outpatient therapy to bridge clinical theory with real-world healing for families affected by systemic inequities, intergenerational trauma, and community violence. With over a decade of expertise in family systems therapy, complex trauma, and resilience-building in underserved communities, she holds a Master’s in Marital and Family Therapy, is a licensed LMFT with advanced training in trauma recovery, culturally adapted interventions, and clinical supervision, and has designed integrated programs combining mental health education, whole-family support, and collaborative care with schools and social services—all grounded in equity, accessibility, and healing-centered engagement. A seasoned presenter and supervisor, Dr. Brownlee leads workshops for mental health professionals, educators, and nonprofit leaders on trauma-informed care, family systems, and inclusive practice, translating evidence-based models into practical tools for diverse outpatient clinicians.
Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD, FAED, CEDS
CEO and CMO of Within Health and Galen Hope
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, M.D., FAED, CEDS, is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of Within Health, a world-renowned expert in eating disorder treatment with over 25 years of clinical experience, having developed four comprehensive bio-psycho-social programs that integrate intensive psychotherapy, behavioral science, and high medical standards to address underlying drivers of mental health conditions and guide lasting healing. Board-certified in Adult and Addiction Psychiatry with training at NYU-Bellevue Hospital and academic appointments at NYU, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the University of Nevada School of Medicine, she was recently named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association—one of the field’s highest honors—while also serving as a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. The author of two books, including Questions and Answers on Binge Eating Disorder: A Guide for Clinicians, Dr. Oliver-Pyatt has earned Senatorial Recognition for her transformative contributions to mental health.
Kayla Karesh, LMFT, ATR
Create Wellbeing Therapy Collective, Founder & Clinical Director
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA & AZ) and Registered Art Therapist with over 20 years of integrative care experience, Kayla leads the exceptional team at Create Wellbeing while serving as Clinical Consultant for Anew Treatment Center in Scottsdale, AZ, and drawing from prior clinical and executive director roles at BrightQuest, Center for Discovery, Bridges to Recovery, and True Life Center for Wellbeing. Holding a Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy from Loyola Marymount University with specialized clinical art therapy training and a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary, she crafts individualized, non-linear healing plans that strategically blend evidence-based, body-based, expressive, and spiritual therapies—integrating modalities honed through lifelong learning to foster immediate and lasting change. Kayla’s strength lies in cohesively connecting diverse methods with relational trust and collaboration, the cornerstone of healing, even when messy.