2025 Annual Conference Speaker Profiles
April 3-5, 2025 | Oregon City, Oregon
Providence Willamette Falls Community Conference Center
Catherine Beckett, LCSW, PhD, has provided psychotherapy with a specialization in grief, loss and trauma since 1994, in a variety of settings including community agencies, addiction treatment centers, hospitals, and both adult and pediatric hospice. Her doctoral research focused on training mental health providers to work effectively with grief, and she has designed and taught workshops and courses for health and mental health care professionals across the country. In addition to more mainstream counseling approaches, her practice draws from her training as an End of Life Doula and Reiki Master Practitioner, and as a psychedelic practitioner certified in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. She serves on the faculty for the End of Life course at Colorado's Psychedelic Research and Training Institute, and maintains a private therapy practice in Portland, OR.
Dr. Buist is an Associate Professor at OHSU and a licensed health psychologist in Oregon and Washington. She has been working as a pain psychologist in the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU since 2016. Prior she was the Clinical Director of the Progressive Rehabilitation Associates multidisciplinary pain management program for 12 years. She has been advocating for increasing pain education and patient access to multidisciplinary pain treatment for the past 20 years through her work as Chair of the Oregon Pain Management Commission and numerous other committees. She helped develop the OHSU Pain Intersession which provides 45 hours of pain and addiction education for OHSU medical students, was co-lead on the OHSU Chronic Pain and Opioids ECHO and is on the Steering Committee for NW Pain Guidance.
James Gurule, MA, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over four decades of clinical experience in community mental health settings. Previously working as a Child and Family Therapist, James provided clinical supervision with Lifeworks NW staff, was Lead Risk Manager, and regularly provided consultation with agency staff regarding various clinical practices and ethical challenges.
James received his MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 1985, became an LPC in Oregon in 1995, and is an Approved Supervisor with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.
In addition to providing the state-required 30-hour Clinical Supervision training for Counseling Professionals, James also regularly offers professional workshops in Counseling Ethics, Solution Focused Clinical Supervision and other strength-based supervisory practices at Lifeworks NW and through the Center for Community Engagement at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Since 1998, James has also taught many other courses in the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. You can contact James Gurule at [email protected]
Dr. Debra M. Kawahara, Ph.D. is a distinguished psychologist, professor, and leader in multicultural clinical psychology. She is the Executive Director of the Illumination of Mindfulness Institute and a Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University. With over two decades in academia, she has held leadership roles, including Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Program Director for CSPP’s Clinical PsyD Program in Hong Kong.
Dr. Kawahara’s research focuses on diversity, feminist leadership, and intergenerational trauma, with numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and books. She is a Fellow of multiple APA divisions and has received prestigious awards, including the San Diego Psychological Association’s Distinguished Contribution to Psychology Award. As the 2025 APA President, she continues to champion equity, inclusion, and transformative leadership in psychology while maintaining a private clinical practice integrating culturally responsive interventions.
Danielle Keenan
Danielle worked with United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon and volunteered for Northwest Family Services for the surrounding areas. She has a bachelor’s degree in human services with a concentration in providing support and interventions to families facing challenges as well as an associate's degree that focuses on psychology. During this time her health declined to where she was unable to work and became a patient at OHSU after seeing multiple other establishments. This led her to find answers and diagnoses such as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, dysautonomia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and more.
Dr. Sandra Noble is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and Assistant Professor of Counseling at George Fox University. Her work centers on the integration of trauma, eating disorders, embodiment, and spirituality in clinical treatment, education, and professional training. She has published and presented nationally in academic, religious, and clinical contexts. Dr. Noble is actively involved in several organizations dedicated to promoting accessibility and trauma-informed approaches to mental health care. Outside of her professional life, Sandra is a foster parent and avid women’s soccer fan who appreciates the landscape (and coffee culture) of her current home in Portland, Oregon.
Dr Susan Rosenzweig has served as Director of Professional Affairs for the Oregon Psychological Association since 2018. Formerly chair of the OPA Insurance Committee and member of the OPA Board of Directors, Dr. Rosenzweig maintains an independent practice of psychology with a focus on patients experiencing medical illness in themselves or family members. She has been a Medicare provider since she became licensed. She is a member of APA Divisions 42 and 31. Dr. Rosenzweig earned her PsyD from Florida Institute of Technology in 1994. She has maintained a private practice in Portland, Oregon since becoming licensed as a psychologist in 1996. Her specialty areas of practice include: Chronic illness, Insomnia, Brain injury, and Geriatric psychology.
 Bill Rubine, MS, PT
Bill Rubine has been the senior physical therapist at the OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center for 17 years where he collaborates extensively with the psychologists. He also teaches about pain management as an adjunct professor at OHSU, in the physical therapy program at Touro University and has been an invited speaker both nationally and internationally. He was faculty for OHSU Chronic Pain and Opioids ECHO and serves on the Steering Committee for NW Pain Guidance.
 Marina Valdez, PhD
Dr. Valdez is originally from the beautiful border city of El Paso, TX. She completed her undergraduate education at Texas Tech University, and earned her master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. She has over 20 years of clinical experience, including work in college mental health, physician/healthcare provider wellness, and trauma therapy. For nearly a decade, Dr. Valdez has managed an independent practice where she offers immigration evaluation services. She believes in the positive impact that this work has had on improving mental health and general wellness in families. In addition to providing our immigrant community with important services for immigration-based legal proceedings, these evaluations provide professional support and access to mental health referrals as needed. At IMPACT, Dr. Valdez manages the training program, supports training clinicians, and consults and collaborates with legal and mental health professionals to advance understanding of this specialized work.
 Hayes Young
Hayes Young (they/them/Hayes), Program Director of TransActive at the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, holds over 20 years of advocacy in their home states of Mississippi and Oregon. From holding support spaces in their living room in Mississippi to being a resource for trans people across the state of Oregon, Hayes is anchored by compassion, empathy, and a strong belief in communication and connection. They grew up in and attended college in Jackson, Mississippi, where they co-founded multiple LGBTQIA+ organizations. Since 2012 they have worked to support youth-serving organizations across the country and break new policy ground across the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining TransActive, Hayes co-founded the Gender & Sexual Health Program at Legacy Health. (More on LinkedIn)
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Gurule, MA, LPC
