Our Team

Her innovative trauma resiliency models have been introduced in 75 countries across Asia, Africa, North America, Australia, the Middle East, South America, and Europe. Elaine has presented CRM® at the Skoll World Forum and the United Nations, and her book has been recognized by the United Nations as a resource contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She launched the radio show Resiliency Within on VoiceAmerica in 2021 and is a regular contributor to Psychology Today. She is a founding member of the International Transformational Resilience Coalition and a Consultant to Emory University's SEE Learning program, initiated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Elaine designed and led the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project, offering online support to Ukrainian teachers, children, and community members. Throughout her career she has responded to earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Nepal, wildfires in California, typhoons in the Philippines, hurricanes in Louisiana and North Carolina, and mass shootings across the United States.

Elaine currently resides in Claremont, California with her husband Jim. Her family includes two children, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter.

Dr. Sapp holds an M.A. in General Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The New School in New York. He assumed the role of Associate Executive Director in 2016 and was appointed Executive Director in 2020.

He is the co-author of the chapter "The Nervous System, Memory, and Trauma" in Elaine Miller-Karas' book Building Resilience to Trauma. In collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund, Dr. Sapp played a crucial role in establishing a CRM Teacher Training program for Angola in 2023, aimed at educating 180 Young Adult Social Mobilizers impacting up to 6,000 Angolan youth.

His humanitarian work has taken him to Istanbul supporting Syrian refugees, Northern Ireland supporting survivors of the "troubles," Nepal following the 2015 earthquake, and Cebu City, Philippines following Typhoon Yolanda. Under Dr. Sapp's leadership, TRI achieved GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency in 2023.

Dr. Sapp resides in Upland, CA with his wife Shannon and their two sons, Christian and Caleb.

In this role, she focuses on aligning programs, partnerships, and systems to support scalable, community-based resilience efforts, including large-scale disaster recovery initiatives.

Jeanine brings over 20 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and political sectors. Her background includes brand leadership roles at The Wonderful Company (FIJI Water) and Brighton Collectibles, as well as executive-level fundraising and operations roles in political campaigns, where she led multi-million dollar fundraising efforts and donor engagement strategies.

Throughout her career, she has specialized in translating complex work into clear, actionable strategies that drive measurable impact. She is also actively engaged in her local community, contributing to initiatives focused on student well-being and thoughtful technology use in classrooms.

Kevin holds a B.S. in Communications and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Appalachian State University. He served as Director of Operations & Strategy for the Division of Community Health at Duke University, where he was introduced to the Community Resiliency Model in 2018 and completed a CRM Teacher Training that year.

He has also worked for the YMCA of the Triangle as Sr. Director for Community Outreach and currently serves as a board member at ReCity, a nonprofit incubator in Durham, NC focused on solving systemic issues related to discrimination, economic disparity, and opportunity.

Kevin resides in Clarksville, Tennessee with his wife Niesha and their two daughters, Kaitlyn and Aubrey.

Heather is a Certified CRM Teacher and co-founder of Yoga Village, a Wilmington, NC based nonprofit whose mission is to increase access to evidence-based, trauma-sensitive and resiliency-focused yoga and mindful movement programs.

Since 2013, she has offered trauma-sensitive and resiliency-focused body-based interventions to diverse populations including the unhoused, survivors of sex trafficking and interpersonal violence, formerly incarcerated individuals, oncology patients, and inpatient and outpatient individuals with mental health diagnoses or substance use disorder.

She holds a BFA from New York University and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500-hour level, a Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator, and a Certified MNDFL Mindfulness Facilitator.

With over 15 years of experience in the field, Jessica brings deep clinical expertise to her leadership role as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She maintains a private practice in Claremont, California, where she specializes in somatic therapy, supporting individuals in healing from trauma, chronic pain, sports-related issues, anxiety, and depression.

Jessica is also a senior TRM and CRM Trainer and has served as a consultant to TRI for many years, contributing to the development and sharing of resilience-informed practices across diverse communities and settings. She has been mentored for over a decade by her mother, Elaine Miller Karas, and by Michael Sapp, preparing her for her leadership role in faculty development.

As a senior faculty member and CRM teacher trainer, K works directly with TRI's faculty and facilitators through development and coaching to ensure exceptional training experiences. K is also a member of the executive team.

K holds a B.S. in Psychology and Women's Studies from Old Dominion University and a Master in Counseling from the University of San Diego. They have worked with people impacted by sexual and relationship violence since 2010, with a focus in LGBTQIA2S+ communities.

K is a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) and currently maintains a small private practice utilizing TRM® as the primary treatment modality. K lives in San Diego, CA.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor's in Political Science and her Master's of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her graduate research focused on the impact of shared learning environments on the reduction of trauma symptoms among newly resettled refugees in the U.S.

She was instrumental in developing the Knit Together program with Refugee Support Services of the Carolinas and later worked as a Department of Justice certified specialist in Immigration Legal Services, aiding hundreds of refugees and immigrants with applications for Permanent Residency, Citizenship, Work Authorization, and Family Visas.

Stephanie became a certified CRM teacher in 2021 and used her certification to offer classes through a nonprofit working with individuals in rural communities impacted by chronic and generational poverty.

Lori received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands. Her past work experience has included working with unhoused individuals, the juvenile justice system, and volunteer management and relations.

She currently resides in the Pasadena area and will be completing her MSW from Syracuse University in fall 2026.

This role includes managing logistical communications, follow-up, and relationship-building to support training teams.

John was first introduced to the Trauma Resiliency Model in 2016, when he participated in a training. The experience inspired him to pursue a career as a mental health therapist. John earned his Master’s of Social Work from California State University San Bernardino. His graduate thesis studied the effects of the Community Resiliency Model among K-12 educators.

He currently holds his ACSW and has worked as a therapist for young adults and middle schoolers. John currently lives with his family in Claremont, California.

Fiorella is originally from Peru and is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of administrative experience. She earned her degree from the Peruvian Institute of Business Administration.

Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional organization skills and a strong commitment to supporting the smooth operation of various organizations.

Fiorella’s passion for making positive impact led her to work for nonprofit organizations, where she played a pivotal role in advancing their mission. Her dedication and contributions were recognized when she received the prestigious Peace Award for her outstanding service.

Fiorella’s expertise, combined with her unwavering dedication to fostering positive change, continues to make a lasting impact in the field.

Fiorella lives in Loma Linda, California with her husband, Adolfo, and their two sons, Sebastian and Nicolas.

She coordinates with Trainers all the materials that are needed for trainings. She also handles all the merchandise online if you have questions in regards to online purchases.

In addition, she coordinates referrals about Trained TRI Practitioners for those who are looking for a TRM- or CRM-trained therapist in their area.