Cesar is a Filipino-American activist, educator and a culturally competent bilingual (Tagalog) psychotherapist. He has been conducting lectures, presentations, and workshops on multicultural issues internationally and nationally since 1989, and founded a program addressing racial trauma.  Cesar is also an organizer in strategic development and received Beryl Buck Achievement Award for Social Justice, the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from the Marin County Human Rights Commission and the Benjamin Dreyfus award from the ACLU. 

Founder of Neurodevelopmental Art Therapy (NDAT), and the CATTI treatment intervention, is a nationally recognized expert in art therapy and play therapy, director at the Art Therapy Institute of the Redwoods and adjunct faculty member at several universities. 25 year clinical faculty and researcher with the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Founder/Director of the UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital Pediatric Play Therapy Program, treating childhood trauma. Linda was a federally funded Art Therapy researcher, and has authored/co-authored chapters and papers in prestigious professional journals; Review board member of the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, and author of Neurobiologically Informed Trauma Therapy with Children and Adolescents (W.W. Norton), and co-author of START UP!™: A School-Based Arts Curriculum for Native American Youth and ALL Cultures: Interventions for Development and Learning, Facilitators Manual (Amazon Kindle 2017). 

A nationally-recognized cross-sector partnership and cause marketing expert, Bruce Burtch helps the for-profit, nonprofit, education and government sectors develop strategic partnerships which maximize the benefits to all their stakeholders. Clients include the American Red Cross, St. Mary's Medical Center, Ramsell Corporation, U.S. Olympic Committee, Marriott Corporation, AT&T, Special Olympics and March of Dimes and more. 

Lona is a Native American Art Therapist with over 30 years experience working with Native Peoples across the US.  Lona served as Director for Indian Health Services, Behavioral Health at Pineridge Hospital for 30 years, working with diverse age groups in trauma, and substance abuse. She was co-director of theTakini Network, treating historical trauma in Native adults throughout the Great Plains Region and US Tribal Nations.  

John is a Board certified Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Specialist. For the past 10 years he has been providing psychotherapy services in Indian Country.  He is currently a psychotherapist for the Indian Health Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He has served as the Behavioral Health Manager for the Sandia Pueblo and the Denver Indian Health and Family Services, and as the Executive Director for the Denver Indian Family Resource Center.  Prior to his career in psychotherapy, John worked for 20 years in development, marketing, and senior management for international, national and local non-profit organizations. John is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, from South Dakota. 

Gerardo is the Founder and President of two successful LLCs where he provides jobs for the Latino Community.  Gerardo has two legally registered patents and a stellar reputation within the San Francisco Bay Area.  He has a deep understanding of the Latinx culture and is passionate about business and providing business education and expertise for the Latino population.   

Co-founder and Board President of Seven Circles Foundation, a non-profit organization, educating the community in the practices of American Indigenous People. Michael is also the founding director of Ocean Conservation Research, a scientific research and policy development organization focused on understanding the impacts of, and policy solutions to human-generated ocean noise pollution. Michael brings much experience with the not-for-profit, public benefit sector. 

 Cedric is a counselor and Employee Assistance Program Director for the Oglala People on Pineridge Reservation. Cedric is a long time activist and community organizer, teaching Native children Lakota Culture and the Ways of the Horse Nation.  

Educator/Counselor for over 30 years. He has served as; Chairman of the Santee Tribal Government, Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council, Great Plains Indian Gaming Association, Indian Commissioner for the State of Nebraska, Mediation Commission for the Nebraska Supreme Court, National trainer- Fox Valley, Technical College for Bureau of Justice Assistance grantees, and The Tribal Historic Preservation Office as Tribal monitor.

Spiritual Leader, Round Valley Indian Reservation in Northern California For the last 25 years Ron has served as a member of tribal councils and tribal governments. Ronald has worked to preserve traditional and spiritual ways for over 30 years, and has fostered the re-emergence of respect for indigenous peoples’ way of life. Ronald is a presenter at many educational gatherings, raising awareness, offering wisdom and healing knowledge, to empower upcoming generations. 

START UP!™ is a Neurodevelopmental Art Therapy model which uses the brains’ integrative capacity to rewire your brain from trauma.  Your brain is capable of creating new neural pathways (neurogenesis) which were damaged in the traumatic experience/experiences. Through rewiring your brain you will decrease the maladapted stress response within the limbic system. You may find that other issues you thought were unrelated to trauma may clear as well.   
See the Issues START UP! Treats (add link) for more information.  

START UP!™ uses a holistic approach, utilizing the integrative capacity of the both sides of the brain, from side to side, and bottom to top, addressing limbic system impairment, while ensuring optimal functioning in the all four functioning levels of the brain.  It is more than talk therapy, which only engages the left brain, whereas Art Therapy engages both left and right brains, allowing for an integration and rewiring of neural circuitry to allow your brain to function optimally again (neuroplasticity). START UP!™  creates structural and functional changes in ALL parts of the brain, no matter your race, gender, etc.  
The START UP!™  Program is evidence-based with outcome research in neuroscience,  demonstrating its efficacy and power to strengthen and rewire the brain from trauma. Art Therapy is not new in the psychology profession, but it is quickly gaining recognition from the neuroscience field as a new paradigm in health and healing.  
 

Depending on age (as children have more pliable neuroplasticity than adults), severity of trauma, and how long you have suffered from symptoms, as well as how devoted you are to practicing the START UP!™ practices, tools and guidelines, in your session and outside of sessions.  Some people might start to see positive changes very quickly after they begin the therapy process, while it may take more time for others. Children tend to have quicker results due to their pliable neuroplasticity, but this does not mean you will not see quick results if you are not a child. We cannot expect results overnight and it is not useful to put a timeline on one’s healing process as this can create anxiety and perpetuate the maladapted stress response.  Just know that with commitment and dedication, you are rewiring your brain, and your symptoms will begin to dissipate and disappear.   

The START UP!™  Program’s successful outcome research is based on children’s symptom reduction after completing The START UP!™  Program sessions twice weekly, however you can do the sessions as many times as you wish before moving on to the next module, because repetition builds and strengthens neural pathways.  Your commitment and dedication, and your choice to implement suggested START UP!™ tools outside of the sessions may require more of your time, but you may see a reduction of symptoms sooner than you would if you only do this program once or twice per week.