Keynote and Plenary Presentations

Keynote Speaker: His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas

Medical Plenary Speaker: Dr. Carla Thomas, Family Medicine Physician, Anniston, AL

Theological Plenary Speaker: Nadia Kizenko, PhD, Director of Religious Studies & Professor of History, University at Albany, Albany, New York

Psychological Plenary Speaker: Fr. Stephen Muse, PhD, LMFT, LPC, Director of Clergy-in-Kairos Program, Pastoral Institute Inc., Columbus, Georgia

Workshop Presentations

Disability as Icon: Framework for Understanding Who We Are
Justin Heard, MDiv student; Summer Kinard, MDiv, ThM, OblOSB; Katherine Karam McCray, MDiv, ThM, PhD Candidate

Homemaking our Hearts: Wounded Healers, Prayerful People
Lydia Bailey, MA

Facilitating a “Memory Eternal” Bereavement Group
Sarah Byrne-Martelli, DMin, MDiv

Healing Encounters: Appreciating the influence of disease and treatment philosophies and compatibility within a Christian framework
V. Rev Fr Jeremiah Loch, DO MTP, CRNA, PhD

The abundance of Christ’s incarnational life and positive psychology; can healers learn resilience from both in their hospitality?
George Tadros, MD; Mena Mesiha, MD

Approaching Mental Health as Ministry
Sangeetha Thomas, MS; Katherine Karam McCray, MDiv, ThM, PhD Candidate

Modalities of Healing Culture vs Spiritual Life
Rev. Vasileios Thermos, MD, PhD

Autistic Patients as Sacred Persons: A Theological Vision for Accessible Care
Summer Kinard, MDiv, ThM

Orthodox Hospitality in Action: Three Models
Daniel B. Hinshaw, MD; Alison Perry Sower, MS, LPC; Fr. Paul Albert; and Jane Carnahan Hinshaw, MD

Being Peacemakers: Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Practices with Spiritual Disciplines
Sofie Azmy, PsyD, HSPP, MBA

The Power of Words
Albert S Rossi, PhD

Responding to Health Disparities with Christian Love: An Application of the Ascetic Practices of Saint Maria of Paris In The Modern Healthcare Setting
Whitney Maikkula, BSN

Violence Against Women and the Orthodox Church’s Response
Varvara Gulina, MPH; Philip Mamalakis, PhD, LMFT; Helen CreticosTheodoropoulos, PhD

Empathic Attending as Sacred Hospitality: Deepen communion and belonging through skilled listening with individuals, families and groups.
Joel Klepac, MA

Improving Group Meetings through Functional Subgrouping Deacon Markos
Nickolas, PhD

Inviting in the Storyteller: The Transformative Power of Personal Narrative
Dn Yervant Kutchukian, MA

Paper Presentations

The Recovery of the Loved Ones: Reflections and Teachings on the Healing Process for the Families and Friends of Those Struggling with Addiction
Dean Theophilos, MA, LCPC

Pastoral Emergency in Hospitality: A Revolution from Images to Likeness of God in Everyday Life
Sebastien Falardeau, MA, PhD Candidate

Spiritual Hospitality
Monica Felix, PhD

Encountering God through Others: St. Gregory of Nyssa’s Etymology of Love and Community
Fr. Basil Gavrilovic, PhD

Is Organ Donation a Moral Obligation of Orthodox Christians?
John B. DuBois, PhD, DSc

The Problem of the Gnomic Will: A Proposed Model for Spiritual & Psychological Development
Steven-John M Harris PhD

Compassionate Administration: Utilizing pastoral theory as a guide for administrative policy.
Fr. John Schieffler, PhD

Listening as Hospitality: Elder Sofian the Apostle of Bucharest
Ioan Gheorghiu, MDiv

Hospitality and Other Orthodox Christian Truths in Psychotherapy
Monica Boughdady, MD