From Theory to Practice Sexualized Abuse Faculty Bio Page

David Adams, Ed.D. (Licensed Psychologist)

David Adams is co-founder as well as Program and Co-Director of Emerge, the first counseling program in the world for men who abuse women. David has led groups for abusers for over 44 years and parenting education groups for 20 years. He is an international expert on abusers and abuser interventions and has conducted trainings of social service and criminal justice professionals in over 48 states and 26 nations. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on domestic violence. His book, Why Do They Kill? Men Who Murder Their Intimate Partners, was published in 2007. Dr. Adams is Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee of the Massachusetts Council on Domestic Violence, and also served as Director of the National Danger Assessment Training Project. He is a frequent Expert Witness on court cases involving allegations of domestic violence.

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is an internationally known expert on child abuse and gender-based violence. As a researcher, activist, expert witness, and author, she works to protect the most vulnerable. She authored the books: Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship, Interviewing Clients Across Cultures, and Child Abuse and Culture as well as related journal articles. Dr.Fontes is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has worked as a family, individual, and group psychotherapist. She serves as an expert witness on legal cases. She has conducted research in Santiago, Chile, and with diverse people in the United States. Dr. Fontes is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She is a popular conference speaker and workshop facilitator, and blogs for publications including PsychologyToday.com and Domesticshelters.org. Dr. Fontes completed a Fulbright Foundation Grant in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rus Ervin Funk

Rus Ervin Funk, MSW, CSE, is a long-time consultant and activist. He currently focuses on efforts to supporting efforts to “meaningfully support men and boys in ways that advance and promote gender and racial justice.” This work focuses both on supporting male identified people to receive the services and support they deserve; and supporting efforts to effectively engage and mobilize male identified people in responding to and preventing gender-based violence. Rus is the co-author (with Lundy Bancroft) of “Addressing and combatting intimate partner sexual violence” in Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Prevention, Recognition and Intervention (2017, Routledge Press).

Diana Groener

Diana Groener, a Licensed Professional Counselor, has worked with violent offenders of various types in outpatient settings since 1997. She has extensive experience working with both domestic violence and sexual violence offenders as well as with criminally-oriented and psychopathic offenders. She developed a treatment program for Intimate Partner Sexual Violence offenders. She is the co-author of LATTICES: An Integrated Treatment approach for High-Risk Forensic Clients. She has presented at the state and national level on a variety of topics, such as vicarious trauma, high-risk offender treatment, Internet access for sex offenders, and on multiple topics specific to domestic violence offenders.

Christopher Hall

Christopher Hall is a Doctoral Candidate within the Educational Research Methodologies department of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been working in domestic and sexual violence intervention since 1997 and has worked at Emerge and the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. His specialization is in program evaluation, with research interests in intersectional oppression theory, leveraging privilege, intimate partner violence intervention, and reflective practice. His research interests are in quantifying oppression theory through qualitative interviewing techniques with intimate partner violence perpetrators and use of the transtheoretical model and motivational interviewing in domestic violence intervention. He currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Office of Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Services within the UNCG School of Education.

Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Amy Ronayne Krause

Judge Amy Ronayne Krause was appointed to the Court of Appeals in November of 2010. Previously, she served as a judge on the 54A District Court in Lansing for nearly eight years, at which time she initiated a domestic violence treatment court with great success at reducing repeat offenders and changing behavior of domestic violence offenders. Judge Ronayne Krause received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School. She began her legal career as a litigation attorney for a private law firm and then served eight years as an assistant prosecuting attorney, including 4 years supervising a sex crimes prosecution unit. In 1997, she was appointed an Assistant Attorney General by then Attorney General Frank J. Kelley and was the first recipient of the Frank J. Kelley Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. Judge Ronayne Krause worked for the Attorney General’s office for more than six years. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Ronayne Krause was elected to serve on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, during which time she chaired the Law and Courts committee. She was an adjunct professor for the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School and has lectured for the Prosecuting Attorney Association of Michigan (PAAM) and the Criminal Defense Attorneys Association of Michigan (CDAM). She has also taught for the Michigan Judicial Institute, including teaching other district judges at the New Judges Seminar. She has also served as faculty for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, training other judges on a national level regarding best practices in handling domestic violence cases. Judge Ronayne Krause is also a member and Chairperson of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, as well as being the chairperson of a statewide effort to effectively investigate sexual assault cases for the State of Michigan. She volunteers to judge mock trial competitions, moot court competitions and to guest lecture for law schools, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is a member of the Appellate Practice, Criminal Law, Family Law and Negligence Law sections of the State Bar. She is also a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and the National Women Judges Association. In September 2007, Judge Ronayne Krause was recognized statewide for her outstanding work in domestic violence prevention and community service with the State Bar of Michigan’s Champion of Justice Award. In 2012, she was also awarded the Distinguished Barrister Award from the Davis-Dunnings Bar Association and in 2010, the Community Service Award from the Greater Lansing Area Chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. (GLAC-NANBPW). She has previously served her community as a board member with the Lansing Educational Advancement Foundation (LEAF) and the Uplift Our Youth Foundation. Currently, she serves on the American Red Cross Bio-Tech Sub-Committee for the Mid-Michigan Chapter and the Williamston Theatre Board of Directors. She was appointed in 2011 by the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader to the State Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee and in 2013 became chair of the committee and continues in that position presently. Judge Ronayne Krause is married to Kurt E. Krause and they currently care for 3 rescue dogs.

Greg Loughlin

Director of Community Engagement, Men Stopping Violence. Greg Loughlin is a facilitator and trainer with 20 years’ experience engaging men to prevent violence against women. Among other duties, Greg directs Men Stopping Violence’s marketing and fundraising campaigns, and he works directly with men who have used abusive and controlling behaviors towards women as a state certified Family Violence Intervention Program instructor. Prior to joining MSV’s staff, Greg served as Executive Director of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV), a state agency charged with coordinating legislation, local domestic violence Task Forces, and Family Violence Intervention Programs across Georgia. Greg is an accomplished public speaker and writer. He has presented for the Faith Trust Institute, Emory University, the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International, the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence, the National District Attorneys Association, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, among others. In addition, Greg has provided media commentary to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC.com, WSB-TV, Peachtree TV, WABE, WREK and WRFG, and his writing has been published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Voice, and Voice Male Magazine. Greg has an MSSW from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a BA from Guilford College. For more information, contact Greg at greg@menstoppingviolence.org

Judge Michelle Rick

Judge Rick conducted two specialty courts.  The one involving trafficked women with substance abuse disorder was trauma informed and responsive.  This court is called “Journey Court”.  This court uses the ACES test to screen participants.  The second specialty court was a sanctions-based model entitled “Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program” or “Swift and Sure” for short.

Adrienne Rowland

Adrienne Rowland (she/her/hers) is a licensed Master Social Worker and certified sex therapist through the American Academy of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). Adrienne has been working in the field of social work since 2004 and more recently as a sex therapist, since 2018. Adrienne is also pursuing her doctorate degree in clinical sexology through Modern Sex Therapy Institutes.

Adrienne started her social work career as a facilitator for batterer intervention programs and eventually became the Clinical Director of Catholic Charities where she continued to oversee and provide services for both the batterer intervention program and sex offender treatment program as a certified sex offender treatment specialist. In 2015, Adrienne made the switch to private practice and has been providing sexual health therapy to a variety of clients. Adrienne particularly enjoys working with clients within the LGBTQ+ community, clients struggling with out of control sexual behavior and with couples experiencing sexual issues in their relationship. Adrienne’s doctoral dissertation project is developing a curriculum for medical professionals with regards to providing affirming care to transgender and gender nonconforming patients.

Adrienne is passionate about teaching and enjoys presenting and providing supervision and consultation for mental health professionals about sexual health issues. She provides a nonjudgmental and positive environment for others to learn and explore.

Lori Stone LLMSW-C

Lori is a Mother to 6 children, Mimi to 4 grandchildren, Psychotherapist, and survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault.  Lori is co-founder of the Survivors Giving Circle (SGC), former Allstate and National Network to End Domestic Violence Speaker Bureau Member, former MCEDSV Board Member, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Speaker, and a business owner.  Previous speaking engagements include numerous DV survivor panels in Washington DC, Michigan, Illinois, New York, and California.  Lori is an avid advocate of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on a state and national level and was a guest speaker of the United States Congress in 2005. Lori was honored by President Obama during the first Domestic Violence Proclamation event and signing in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2010. Lori has participated in numerous interviews with various magazines and was interviewed on Good Morning America.  Lori continues her work to empower women and children who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through her work as a psychotherapist.

Myra Strand, MA, CA

Myra Strand, MA, CA, is the owner of Strand² Squared Solutions LLC where she provides training and education, both in person and through the Strand School House. She also provides consultation and agency support services.  Myra is certified as a Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist: Advanced. Last year, Myra provided training and education to thousands of professionals in the areas of trauma responsive and healing inspired services, technology and its relationship to victimization, implicit bias and applied intersectionality, and professional wellness/organizational trauma.   These trainings were delivered both in person, virtually and through the Strand School House.  The Strand School House provides drop-in and on-demand training opportunities to include an advocate certification program, a leadership training and many other training opportunities.  Myra Strand built and implemented the schoolhouse herself. Myra also provides consultation in the area of case review, agency assessment and management, implementing trauma responsive/healing inspired services, organizational trauma and professional wellness, and applied intersectionality.  She has experience working with law enforcement, advocates, SANEs and SAFES, military, schools, private business, corporation, outdoor enthusiasts, and athletic programs. Myra began working with people who have trauma in 1995. She has experience with youth with complex trauma and serious mental illness, people with developmental disabilities, youth in competing war zones, offenders, in the area of death notification, with victims fleeing DV and engaging with family court, and with victims of all crime types. Myra has had success in improving the systems response to victims of high stress and trauma in her eight years as a lead team member in the local Coordinated Response Team and the Sexual Assault Response Team.  She co-founded the Coconino County Domestic Violence fatality review board, which later became the state model.  She assisted in the process that led to DV risk assessments being used by local law enforcement and by the hospital, she assisted in establishing DV strangulation forensic exams in Northern Arizona. For over a decade, Myra was faculty member at Northern Arizona University, and more recently, Coconino Community College where she taught issues of violence, ethnic and gender studies, sex and dating and applied intersectionality. She has also taught social justice classes in the Coconino County Detention Center working with men on issues of violence and healing. She is very proud to be an Ethnics studies professor in Arizona. Myra is nationally recognized for her contribution to field of the complicated and often traumatic human services.  Here goal is to deliver and apply holistic, compassionate, multi-faceted human-centric, trauma informed and healing inspired response and care to victims, witnesses and survivors of crime, crisis and other traumatizing or high stress experiences through education, systems change and reform.  Myra Lives in Cornwall, New York with her husband, Russell Strand, youngest son and dog Yeti.

Carolyn M. West, Ph.D.

Dr. West is professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington Tacoma where she teaches courses on the Sex Crimes and Sexual Violence and Family Violence. She conducts research on women who use force in the context of their intimate partner violence victimization.  Dr. West has authored more than 80 publications and is editor/contributor of the award-winning book Violence in the Lives of Black Women: Battered, Black, and Blue. She also has written extensively on racism in sexualized media and in 2018 she produced the documentary “Let Me Tell Ya’ll ‘Bout Black Chicks: Images of Black Women in Pornography.” Dr. West trains, consults, and speaks to national and international audiences. Dr. West has worked as an expert witness in domestic violence/sexual assault cases, delivered keynote addresses, conducted workshops, and created innovative training materials to educate and equip professionals with the skills to provide culturally-sensitive services to survivors of color.

Eli Zucker

Eli Zucker came to Seattle by way of Michigan, where he had extensive experience as a community organizer in Detroit and metro-Detroit, as well as an administrator in higher education at the University of Michigan. For the past many years, Eli was immersed in efforts to uplift sustainable dialogue across difference, paying special attention to creating dialogues and trainings around race and gender. Using art, food, text, and physical space creatively, Eli built communal platforms for folks to engage in meaningful conversations with ideas and perspectives that they were uncomfortable or not familiar with. Now adjunct faculty at the University of Washington and the Director of Men’s Accountability with Seattle Against Slavery, Eli leans on his expansive knowledge of group facilitation to lead the Stopping Sexual Exploitation (SSE) program, which is a groundbreaking 10-week intervention that educates sex buyers on the harms of the sex trade and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships in their lives. Eli holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan.