Archives: Faculty

Luiza Neumayer, MA (Psych)

Hello and welcome! I am Luiza and I work with individuals and couples in Central London, UK. My initial psychotherapy training was in Jungian analytical psychology in 2010 back home, in Romania. Due to some unfortunate personal circumstances, I relocated to the UK in December 2017. My personal and professional life completely changed after meeting Diana and attending the Immersion held in London in 2018. I then understood what was missing in my therapy practice – making the implicit explicit, the explicit relational and the relational transformational. I fell in love with AEDP from the “get-go”, getting certified in 2021. Alongside AEDP, I trained in other experiential, somatic and emotionally -focused therapeutic modalities such as: AB-ISTDP, EFIT, IFS, EFT for couples, as well as EMDR and DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting).

My essential mode of supervision is relational, integrative and experiential, inviting supervisees into a safe, creative space where experiential learning can emerge. The supervisory space is a co-created space, encouraging collaboration, dialogue, curiosity and diversity. My aim is to foster each supervisee’s individual and unique ways of thinking and being with their clients, supporting them develop a clear theoretical understanding with practical skills and experiential learning. I value authenticity, vulnerability, openness, not-knowing, curiosity and I feel inspired to live from an approach to growth. I also have a spiritual practice which nurtures my personal and professional life and I feel deeply dedicated to support my supervisees in deepening their theoretical knowledge and embodied felt sense of AEDP.

Avi Klein

Hi there. I’m Avi—a lifelong New Yorker and father of three. I’m an AEDP-certified psychotherapist, supervisor-in-training, and the owner and clinical director of Downtown Somatic Therapy in New York City. I’ve been practicing for over 15 years and was lucky enough to join the AEDP community at an early stage in my career. My personal practice has focused on working with individuals and couples, particularly addressing issues related to masculinity and its impact on men’s relationships to themselves and others. I’m drawn to experiential, emotionally-focused, and somatic approaches, and in addition to AEDP, I have advanced training in Somatic Experiencing, PACT, and EFT, among other modalities.

My supervision style is warm, curious, and collaborative, emphasizing authentic presence and relational safety while gently encouraging supervisees and clients to step slightly outside their comfort zones. I strive to balance helping my supervisees develop a clear theoretical understanding with practical skills and experiential learning.

In addition to my clinical practice, I’ve contributed writings to publications such as The New York Times and Esquire and previously co-hosted “Hey Man – The Advice Podcast for Men.” As a therapist and thinker, I enjoy the challenge of communicating complex ideas in ways the public can understand, and I’m particularly interested in helping therapy-ambivalent individuals feel comfortable enough to try therapy. I deeply value authenticity, vulnerability, and an active, evolving, open-ended approach to growth—qualities I strive to nurture in my supervisees as they deepen their AEDP practice.

http://downtownsomatictherapy.com/

Laurie Greenberg

Jessie Chan

Jessie is a certified AEDP Therapist and an AEDP supervisor-in-training. She is also a certified TIFI Focusing Trainer, Certified HKPCA Counsellor, and NCDA Certified Career Service Provider. Jessie expresses deep gratitude and feels honored to be a member of the AEDP community. She developed a strong passion in AEDP and devoted much of her time and efforts to learn and serve in the AEDP Chinese Community.  With 20 years of extensive counseling experience, she specializes in working with adolescents, university students, and parents, offering professional support in both university settings and private practice in Hong Kong.

Jessie holds a Master of Social Science(Counseling) from the University of Hong Kong. Since discovering AEDP and Focusing, she has dedicated herself to helping individuals reconnect with their authentic selves in a safe environment. Her work facilitates healing from trauma and fosters the rebuilding of inner relationships. This transformative process has inspired her to integrate Focusing and AEDP methodologies into her practice.

In recent years, Jessie has focused on equipping therapists, social workers, and counselors with these valuable techniques, with the aim of benefiting both themselves and those they serve.

Abraham Lim

Abraham is a Certified AEDP Therapist, Supervisor-in-Training, Certified EFT Therapist, Certified TCT Trainer, Supervisor, Therapist, and Christian Spiritual Director. With over 20 years of dedicated experience in pastoral work and clinical practice, he provides compassionate care and guidance to individuals, couples, and families through his private practice.

Abraham holds a Master of Divinity from Singapore Bible College and a Master of Social Work in Family Practice from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is deeply committed to fostering holistic growth in those he serves. His dedication extends to supervising Bachelor’s Counseling students and teaching at various seminaries in Hong Kong, where he shares his wisdom and experience with the next generation of counselors.

Yoshimi Shimizu, LMHC

Yoshimi is a licensed psychotherapist with a private practice in New York City, offering services in New York, Florida, and Japan. Originally from Japan, she faced challenges adjusting to a new culture, including feelings of invisibility and discrimination. These experiences deepened her understanding of cultural and emotional struggles, shaping her compassionate, culturally sensitive approach to therapy.

Through AEDP psychotherapy—first as a client and then as a practitioner—Yoshimi experienced transformative healing. The AEDP community provided corrective emotional experiences that helped her feel seen, included, and empowered. This journey inspired her passion for supporting others in processing emotions and discovering their authentic voice through undoing aloneness and fostering connection.

Now a certified AEDP therapist and Supervisor-in-Training, Yoshimi has assisted in various AEDP courses, including Immersion, ES1, and Advanced modules, and served as a lead assistant for the 2023 Tsukuba course in Japan. She also led a free AEDP workshop for psychotherapists in Japan and presented a case at the Japanese Psychological Association conference. Yoshimi integrates AEDP and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, offering a safe, experiential space where clients and supervisees can slow down, connect inward, and foster healing and growth.

Courtney Poignand, LMHC

Courtney is the Founder of the Center For Self Care (CFSC), an experiential, somatic psychotherapy, clinical supervision and wellness consultation practice.

Courtney is Certified as an AEDP Therapist and is tracking to be a Certified AEDP Supervision soon.  

She welcomes inquiry for those interested in AEDP individual or small group supervision.  Courtney is passionate about creating community through sharing and caring and undoing the aloneness of being a therapist and an adult student.

Courtney is grateful to be recipient of supervision from Molly Eldredge, and faculty members Kate Halliday, Kari Gleiser, and Karen Pando Mars.  

Courtney began private practice in 1997 as a health coach, yoga and  mindfulness instructor and birth doula.   Courtney believes in the innate healing potential within each person, and celebrates the process of “midwifing” transformational processes.  Courtney is also certified in the PSIP model of psychedelic psychotherapy and offers ketamine and  cannabis assisted treatment, when appropriate, for major depression, anxiety and for resolving unwanted patterns resulting from trauma.

Courtney’s holistic scope of practice draws upon her unique sensitivity to intersections of mind, body, belief and behavior; and her passion to shine light on strengths and capacities within personal, relational, cultural and organizational ecosystems.  

Courtney has advanced training in somatic and energy psychotherapies, EFT, Tapping, EMDR, IFS, and is informed by a lifelong study of human physiology and development, nutrition, and organizational psychology.