PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR THIRD ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
Brain-Body Balance: From Neuroscience to Practice
National Thought Leaders. Local Innovators. One Shared Experience.
Program Begins:
5:45pm
Admission:
Free of Charge
Location:
University of Bridgeport, Mertens Theater
84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Keynote Speakers:
Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
World-Renowned Trauma Expert and Author
Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LPAT, REAT
Psychotherapist and Expressive Arts Therapist
Panel of Experts:
Coming Soon
CEUs, CMEs, and CNEs will be available for eligible professionals.
In Partnership With Yale New Haven Health
April 30, 2026
This year’s Symposium features Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.—world-renowned trauma expert and bestselling author—as keynote speaker, alongside Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LPAT, REAT, a leading psychotherapist and pioneer in expressive arts therapy.
The program will also include a special premiere by local educator and artist Vernon Thompson, featuring an original song and video created for this event. Through music and visual storytelling, the piece highlights the essential roles of creativity, regulation, and connection in healing and learning.
Following the keynote and artistic presentation, a dynamic panel of experts will share practical insights and collaborative solutions, with time for audience engagement and discussion. Advance registration is required due to expected high interest.
Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Keynote Speaker
Dr. Bruce D. Perry is an internationally respected neuroscientist and child psychiatrist whose work has changed how the world understands trauma and healing. For more than 30 years, his research has helped illuminate how adversity shapes the developing brain and how healing is possible through connection, safety, and care. As the founder of the Neurosequential Model® and the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of What Happened to You? with Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Perry brings complex neuroscience to life in ways that are deeply human and hopeful. His work reminds us that before we can learn, connect, or grow, we must first feel safe and regulated.
In this live virtual keynote, Dr. Perry will offer insight into how trauma affects the brain and how regulation-first, relationship-based approaches can support healing and resilience in families, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Event Sponsors
Consider Sponsorship.
Take the Next Step.
Yale New Haven Health
We are deeply grateful to continue our partnership with Yale New Haven Health as our Presenting Sponsor for this year’s symposium. Their unwavering support helps us bring together leaders across sectors to foster meaningful conversations and advance trauma-informed care.
Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Bruce Perry is one of the world’s most influential trauma neuroscientists. Dr. Perry reframes trauma not as a behavioral issue, but as a disruption in neurodevelopment, demonstrating that healing occurs through safe, patterned, relational experiences that help reorganize the brain.
In his live virtual keynote, Dr. Perry will:
- Explain how trauma alters brain development and stress-response systems
- Describe why regulation-first, bottom-up approaches are essential for healing
- Show how safe, patterned, relational experiences help reorganize the brain
- Keynote presentations and the panel discussion will include time for audience Q&A.
Vernon Thompson
Vernon Thompson is a community-centered educator and leader who has served as Principal of Warren Harding High School since the 2023–2024 school year. Deeply committed to social-emotional learning and student well-being, Vernon integrates community organizing, relationship-building, and the healing power of the arts into his educational practice. Recognized as a Hip Hop Educator, he uses Hip Hop visual arts as a tool for expression, connection, and positive messaging, amplifying student voice, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
As part of the program, Mr. Thompson will premiere an original song and video created especially for this event, using music and visual storytelling to highlight the role of creativity, regulation, and connection in healing and learning.
Through a collaborative, relationship-driven approach with staff, students, and families, his leadership helped guide Warren Harding High School out of turnaround status in the 2025–2026 school year, an important milestone for the school and the broader community.
A proud graduate of Quinnipiac University with a BA in Marketing, Vernon was the first Division I walk-on at his university to earn a scholarship. He later served as Assistant Basketball Coach at Albertus Magnus College, helping lead the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. These experiences continue to inform his emphasis on mentorship, teamwork, and student potential.
Vernon holds a Master’s degree in Special Education with a concentration in Learning Disabilities from Southern Connecticut State University and completed his 092 Educational Administrator certification at the University of Bridgeport. He brings 14 years of experience in the Bridgeport Public School District and has also served as Assistant Principal at Hartford Public High School and Warren Harding High School.
Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LPAT, REAT
A nationally renowned leader in trauma-informed art therapy and expressive arts, Dr. Malchiodi brings the neuroscience to life—demonstrating how creative and sensory modalities operationalize regulation, integration, and whole-person healing.
Following Dr. Perry’s keynote, Dr. Malchiodi will:
- Translate neuroscience into practical, embodied approaches
- Demonstrate how art, imagination, and expression operationalize regulation
- Highlight applications across clinical, educational, and community settings
- Keynote presentations and the panel discussion will include time for audience Q&A.
Our 2025 Community Symposium
Want to see the impact of last year’s symposium? Discover highlights from The Courage to Understand: Nurturing a Trauma-Informed Community 2025 and see how we united leaders to inspire lasting change. Check it out and get excited for what’s next!