CORE Faculty
GINA DE LA CHESNAYE
Gina serves as key faculty for The Lineage Project and as yoga director for The Three Jewels in New York City, bringing mindfulness based exercises, yoga and meditation to at-risk and/or incarcerated youth, incarcerated women and their support staff. In 2014, Gina joined the staff of the International Center for Mental Health and Human Rights as the Trauma Resource Director where she facilitates mindful movement, yoga and meditation, a component of the Contemplative Based Trauma and Resilience Training. Gina is an Associate Producer of Tibetan Stories, a documentary film project under the wings of ICMHHR, focusing on Tibetan refugees living in exile in Dharamsala, India. Gina is a contributing writer and photographer to The Huffington Post, NY Yoga + Life and YogaCityNYC and has written numerous articles on yoga, meditation, martial arts and Buddhism. Dedicated to humanitarian relief, she has spent several years focusing on trauma and resiliency work with children in orphanages, schools, refugee camps and monasteries throughout Nepal.
Ellen Goldsmith
Ellen is Board Chair of the National College of Natural Medicine. A licensed acupuncturist and co-founder of Pearl Natural Health, Ellen developed a distinct method for cultivating body/mind health for emerging performing artists at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in her program, Body Coaching for Performing Artists. Currently, she teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
Pippi Kessler
Education director and speaker who has trained thousands of parents and educators across the country to use their power for good. Pippi is Education Director at ImmerseNYC and ongoing consultant and former Program Director at Ma'yan, Jewish Community Center. She holds a Master's Degree in Social-Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.
JONAH SPEAR
Jonah has been an integral part of the Second Response team since its inception in 2004. He is a lead facilitator for trainings and is responsible for program direction and curriculum development. Jonah also served as a Counselor and Production Facilitator for Camp Grounded in locations across the U.S., and was Co-Director of Young People’s Camp at Rowe Camp and Conference Center. Jonah has trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Center, the Moscow Art Theatre, and Boston University School of Fine Arts, and holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Jonah currently is pursuing a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Education and the Psychology of Belonging at NYU Gallatin.
WILLIAM SPEAR
William is Founder of Fortunate Blessings Foundation and an international lecturer, consultant, mentor, and writer on complementary healing arts, self-development, end-of-life care, vital design, Eastern philosophy, and somatic treatment of trauma. His articles in The Huffington Post touch upon some of these subjects. His work draws from more than four decades as an educator following in-depth training with Michio Kushi, the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Center and Sogyal Rinpoche.
PLAYSHOP FACILITATORS
Deneen Bernier
Jennifer Botwick
Kane Clawson
Chris Cook
Talia Cooper
Nasimeh Easton
Brady Gill
Monica Hunken
Megan Lipsett
Fallyn McLeod
Ayodele Murphy
Caroline Parsons
Travis Puntarelli
Jill Ann Schwartz
Jonah Spear
William Spear
Cherub Stewart
Caprice Taylor
Abigail Wambaugh
Meet the rest of the team on the Fortunate Blessings Foundation website.