NARM Training Institute Staff

Adriana Ponce-Jimenez (She / Her)
Training and Operations Manager
Adriana Ponce-Jimenez is the Operations & Training Manager at the NARM Training Institute. With over fifteen years of hospitality management experience and a passion for developing successful teams, Adriana brings a unique blend of operational and relational skills to the Institute. Adriana is excited to be joining the team to not only support the day-to-day aspects but also to support the vision of NARM being at the helm of healing trauma.
“It is truly inspiring to see the life-chaning work that NARM has created. I look forward to working with a team and community who is passionate about NARM's mission and who values curiosity and heartfulness.”

Alisa Sponseller (She / Her)
Community Support Coordinator
Alisa Sponseller holds the role of Community Support Coordinator at the NARM Training Institute. With her background in Community Health Education, she is passionate about the growth and wellbeing of others. With more than 6 years of customer service experience and working to help others on their wellness journey, Alisa is excited to continue her passion of helping others through her support at the NARM Training Institute.
“I’m truly so privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of the NARM community. Being able to interact with the staff and students who are doing such meaningful and life changing work is inspiring and aligns with my own passions for self love and growth. I'm excited to grow and learn with the team as we continue to support each other on the mission to help heal complex trauma.”

Brad Kammer (He / Him)
Training Director
Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC, SEP, NMT is the Training Director and Senior Trainer for the NARM Training Institute. Brad helped NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller establish the NARM Training Institute and has been responsible for the development of the NARM training programs including the 4 levels of NARM Training, the Inner Circle, and webinar series; training curriculum; faculty and training assistant programs; diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB) efforts; outreach; and is the executive producer of the Transforming Trauma podcast. He has a passion for cultivating a professional learning community that provides accessibility to ongoing training opportunities and mentorship to a diverse group of mental health and other helping professionals in their work with complex trauma. Brad is also the co-author with Dr. Laurence Heller of “The Practical Guide to Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma.”
“I am deeply grateful to be part of such a heartful community of passionate helping professionals dedicated to healing trauma for individuals and communities around the world. My work is focused on bringing NARM to individuals, communities and organizations with the intention for supporting the healing of complex trauma as a pathway to personal and collective transformation”

Lisa DePaulis (She / Her)
Training Coordinator
Lisa DePaulis is the Training Coordinator at the NARM Training Institute. Lisa brings unique expertise in communication and problem-solving. Her previous roles in higher education and human resources coupled with a degree in mental health counseling facilitate a smooth transition into the Training Coordinator role. She has a passion for helping others and is eager to support faculty, training assistants, students, as well as her NARM team.
“I genuinely enjoy learning about NARM and to be part of something so impactful is a gift. I am grateful to be surrounded by a team whose passion is healing complex trauma; a vehicle for transformation on a personal and collective level.”

Olga Piontkowski (She / Her)
Customer Relations Manager
Olga Piontkowski is the Customer Relations Manager at the NARM Training Institute. She has a graduate degree in psychology and comes from a training organization in the conflict management field. Olga’s passion for building relationships, while creating efficient and effective organizational processes, are a perfect fit for helping the NARM Training Institute further build and support its community of helping professionals.
“I am honored to be a part of an organization with such an important mission. I have always felt that our ability to connect was at the root of individual happiness. I am lucky to be working for a cause I believe in, and with a wonderful, supportive team to boot!”

Stefanie Klein (She / Her)
Assistant Training Director
Stefanie Klein, LCSW, SEP, NMT is the Assistant Training Director and Trainer for the NARM Training Institute. Along with teaching our Level 1 Online Basics Training, Stefanie has been involved in many aspects of supporting the development of the Institute and its programs. Her focus as Assistant Training Director has been on co-creating and supporting our Training Assistant Program. She is inspired by the power of the NARM approach to not only bring healing to individuals, groups and communities impacted by complex trauma, but to also provide a framework for helping professionals to create a healthier and more sustainable relationship to their professional roles.
“After decades of supporting the healing of individuals in clinical practice, it is an honor to be able to shift my focus to supporting the learning and growth of other clinicians through this powerful model”.

Tori Essex (She / Her)
Systems and Product Manager
Tori Essex holds the role of Systems and Product Manager at the NARM Training Institute. Tori has more than five years of experience with project management in the art and design field, and joins us from her previous role as a university admissions counselor. To our team, she brings strong creative problem solving skills and an eye for detail.
“I’m so excited to be a part of the NARM Training Institute. After feeling the life-changing effects of NARM in my own life, I remember wishing that I could share the experience with every other person in the world. My work for NARM is right in-line with that desire. I look forward to supporting the NARM Training Institute, and experiencing my curiosity transform into a deeper understanding of NARM’s work.”