Jan has practiced as a social worker/psychotherapist for over 45 years. In addition to her clinical work, Jan is an author and teacher and is internationally recognized for her expertise in trauma and addiction.

Jan is an Educational Partner and Course Developer with the Polyvagal Institute where she offers a 3-year training program based on her book, Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, Routledge 2021. Her new book, 20 Embodied Practices for Healing Trauma and Addiction: Using the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, (Norton), is due out March 18, 2025. Jan has contributed a chapter in Somatic-oriented therapies: Embodiment, trauma, and polyvagal perspectives. W. W. Norton.  In addition, Revolutionizing Addiction Treatment with The Felt Sense Polyvagal Model is co authored with Dr. Stephen Porges in International Body Psychotherapy Journal, July 2022.

Jan is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto and a Certifying Co-Ordinator with the International Focusing Institute. She is also Co-Director of the Borden Street Clinic where she supervises graduate students. Jan is the creator of the Embodied Dialogue Series.

Ellen, director of Ellen Yack and Associates in Toronto, brings over 40 years of experience in occupational therapy services, specializing in sensory processing challenges. Ellen is a co-author of Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration: Occupational Therapy for Children with Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Ellen has conducted nationwide workshops for occupational therapists and other health care providers.

Recognized as a trauma-sensitive practitioner, Ellen has been engaged by various mental health agencies to provide training and to conduct assessments and develop recommendations for children facing sensory and self-regulation challenges stemming from trauma.

Ellen’s impact has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2023 University of Toronto Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy Alumni Achievement Award and the Autism Ontario Gerry Bloomfield Award for her
outstanding professional contributions in autism awareness and sensory differences.