Born and raised in Germany, she started out working in Uganda and Zimbabwe as a general medical doctor, later started and ran a home-based AIDS care team, and then specialized in psychiatry and psychotherapy to support church based global workers. First Level 1 training in EMDR in 1999. She moved to Kenya in 2005 to work with Tumaini Counseling Center. She co-organized the first Kenyan EMDR training in 2007. As a founding member of EMDR Kenya and the EMDR Africa Association, she serves as a member of the executive committee and heads the standards and training committee of the latter. She currently continues with online work from Germany. Her current project is getting African EMDR consultants trained as EMDR trainers.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Siver Kibu is a psychotherapist and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He holds a Doctorate in Christian Counseling from Salt Lake Bible College of America and a Ph.D. Fellow in Clinical Psychology at Daystar University, Nairobi. He earned a Master of Science in Clinical Counselling from the University of Bamenda, along with Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Cameroon and Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. He is a trained EMDR therapist and certified traumatologist from the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, USA. He is also a Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA) accredited counselor/Psychologist. He is a visiting lecturer and a counselor at AOSK Chemchemi Ya Uzima College - Kenya.
Vivian Olgah Kudda-Mukiibi is a committed Ugandan Clinical Psychologist with a decade of experience, specializing in trauma work. She has designed and delivered mental health and psychosocial support services across various settings, including clinical, refugee, school, and community settings. Vivian is skilled in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and also conducts neuropsychological and educational assessments for both children and adults. Her EMDR expertise has benefited civic actors and human rights defenders. She currently practices at the Psychology Practice in Naguru and Minders Wellness and Psychological Centre in Ntinda.
Femke is a clinical and educational psychologist and EMDR therapist based in Uganda. She works at Psychology Practice and is an Associate Professor at the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit in Entebbe, where she heads the Disability Research Group. She is the EMDR Africa research Committee Lead and has given presentations about cultural adaptations in EMDR at the EMDR UK, EMDRIA, and EMDR Europe conferences.
Aboh is a clinical psychologist and PhD candidate at Ghent University, Belgium, specializing in trauma-focused interventions for military populations. His research examines the efficacy of EMDR in treating post-traumatic stress disorder among Nigerian soldiers, emphasizing culturally specific implementation. Aboh has conducted mixed-method studies on military mental health and trauma outcomes, integrating clinical practice with evidence-based research. Dedicated to culturally relevant trauma therapy, his work advances strategies to strengthen mental health care for soldiers and improve trauma services in resource-constrained, conflict-exposed settings like Nigeria.
Dr. Hasina Andrianarivony Bakohariliva is a Child Psychiatrist, Researcher, and Teacher at the Faculty of Medicine of Mahajanga, Madagascar. She has been an EMDR Europe accredited Practitioner since 2017, trained by Trauma Aïd France with Martine Iracane Coste, and became an EMDR Europe Consultant in 2024. Hasina serves as Vice President of the EMDR Madagascar Association, is a member of the Standards and Subcommittee of EMDR Africa since 2024, and belongs to the EMDR France Association. She works at the Universitary Hospital PzaGa Androva Mahajanga, part-time in the Child Psychiatric Unit of the Pediatric Department, and is the referral Child Psychiatrist for minors who are victims of sexual assault at the UNICEF-supported Vonjy Center.
Dr. David Van Den Berg is a practicing Clinical Psychologist, professor of Clinical Psychology at the VU University Amsterdam, and head of the Mark van der Gaag Research Centre (MRC) at Parnassia Psychiatric Institute in The Hague. As a therapist, David is specialised in cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis and post-traumatic stress. David is a supervisor for the Dutch Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy and a member (practitioner) of the Dutch Association for EMDR. With colleagues, David led the Dutch Treating Trauma In Psychosis trial, and he is the principal investigator on the Re.Process trial, from which the results are expected to be released next year. Besides studying the effects of psychological and psychosocial interventions for people with psychosis, David leads several research projects aimed at reforming the Dutch Mental Healthcare system.
Dr. Arlene Nduku, PsyD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with adults, children, and adolescents impacted by trauma. She earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from United States International University–Africa (USIU-A) and completed advanced training in trauma therapy. Dr. Nduku specializes in culturally responsive, evidence-based interventions, including EMDR, CBT, and brief therapies. She recently led a research project on EMDR with children in residential care in Kenya, focusing on PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Her work reflects a strong commitment to expanding access to effective mental health care in low-resource settings. She currently serves as Chairperson of Research for EMDR-Kenya and is an EMDR Supervisor-in-Training.
Zawadi is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and PhD applicant at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, researching EMDR in treating ADHD among trauma-exposed adults. She is EMDR Level 2-trained, with additional certifications in EMDR for depression, complex early childhood trauma, and creative EMDR for children and adolescents. With over eight years of experience, her clinical work spans trauma-informed care, neurocognitive assessment, and complex comorbidities. Zawadi has served as a clinical lead and CME coordinator, organizing hybrid symposia and multidisciplinary panels. Her published work includes peer-reviewed articles and commentaries on ADHD, telepsychiatry, social media, and culturally responsive mental health care in sub-Saharan Africa.
Laker is a trained trauma counsellor working in Northern Uganda. For the past 20 years, Joyce has been supporting victims of war who experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder through Narrative Exposure Therapy and EMDR. Joyce holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Psychology from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda (1997), a Postgraduate Diploma in Conflict Management & Peace Studies from Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda (2009), and a Diploma in Trauma Counselling, equipping her to bridge evidence-based approaches with local realities.
Jannetta Bos is a psychotherapist, family therapist, registered sexologist, and EMDR supervisor with extensive experience in trauma treatment in humanitarian and cross-cultural contexts. She has worked for more than a decade at Arq Centre ’45, a leading institute for survivors of war and persecution, and has trained and supervised internationally in EMDR, cognitive behavioural therapy, and Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy. For nearly 20 years, Jannetta has volunteered with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as a mental health trainer and consultant in conflict and post-conflict settings, including South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone. She has facilitated EMDR programs in Botswana and supported community-based trauma healing with genocide survivors in Rwanda. Her work highlights the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to trauma therapy, integrating global best practices with local knowledge and resilience.
Dr. Dzifa Abra Attah is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Ghana Medical School. With over 15 years of clinical and academic experience, she focuses on trauma therapy for survivors of abuse, particularly women and young people. She leads the TALKIT research project, an artificial intelligence initiative addressing negative self-talk among medical students, and the Building Resilience in Medical Students project. Dr. Attah has published on digital mental health interventions, trauma care, and psychosocial wellbeing. She is a passionate advocate for mental health equity and gender-based violence prevention, who combines research, community engagement, and International partnerships to advance trauma-informed, culturally sensitive mental health services in Ghana and across Africa.