RITA ABDALLAH, LISW-S, LCSW-C, ACSW 

Rita brings over 25 years of academic preparation, professional knowledge and life experience to her passion for serving others. She received a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and an undergraduate degree from John Carroll University. She is an Ohio Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-S), Licensed Certified Social Worker–Clinical (LCSW-C) in Maryland and member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW). Rita’s career accomplishments include: published author, researcher, national speaker, blogger and full-time volunteer. She has won local and state awards for her commitment to service. Today, Rita is a national speaker, intuitive, blogger, and awardwinning wellness coach. She is an authority on the topics of joy, cancer survivorship, work-life balance, self-care, and conquering stress. Rita’s programs are a blend of her deep wonder of practicing of life. She is known for her spirited and intelligent teaching and coaching style. Students receive clear and practical guidance on how to feel strong, hopeful, and inspired about life and spirit. Through her company, Turning Point, Rita shares divine teachings in useful and accessible ways, reminding us that there is always space for all beings to connect to the practice of love, peace, and joy.

LANA AMAWI, MSSA, LISW-S

Lana has over 25 years’ experience in mental health across various multidisciplinary settings as well as clinical research. She is a first-generation Syrian-American Ohio state licensed clinical social worker who has been working in private practice for the last 12 years. Lana's multicultural experiences and fluency in Arabic, helped start her career at the Menninger Clinic (Topeka, KS), followed by Henry Ford Behavioral Health, and Arab American & Chaldean Council (both in Detroit). She is the Cleveland liaison for NuDay Syria, a nonprofit humanitarian organization based in New Hampshire. Lana has also been very active with refugee resettlement and offers counseling and therapy for those who witnessed and experienced trauma due to the civil war in Syria.

ZEYN JOUKHADAR, PH.D

Zeyn is the Syrian American author of the novel The Map of Salt and Stars (Touchstone/ Simon & Schuster, 2018). Joukhadar’s work has appeared in Salon, The Paris Review Daily, The Kenyon Review, The Saturday Evening Post, and elsewhere, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. Joukhadar is a 2017-2020 Montalvo Arts Center Lucas Artists Program Literary Arts Fellow and a 2019 Artist in Residence at the Arab American National Museum.