Lewis Mehl-Madrona
Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine and trained in family medicine, psychiatry, and clinical psychology. He completed his residencies at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has been on the faculties of several medical schools, most recently as associate clinical professor of family medicine at the University of New England. He has worked with Indigenous communities to explore how to bring their culture and healing traditions into health care. He is interested in what Indigenous cultures and practices can bring to contemporary medicine and psychology.
Barbara Mainguy
Barbara holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Creative Arts Psychotherapy and an M.S.W. from the University of Maine. She is a psychotherapist at Cornerstone Behavioral Health in Bangor, Maine. With a strong background as an artist and a psychotherapist, she specializes in working with individuals diagnosed with psychosis, chronic pain, and exploring the connection between art and healing. Barbara is certified in hypnosis and has taught for several organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association. She has authored numerous papers and co-wrote the book Remapping Your Mind. Currently, she is finishing her M.F.A. in documentary filmmaking.
Maria Gillen
Maria Gillen is a fourth-generation Irish storyteller and dramatherapist from County Cork. She brings traditional myths and folklore to contemporary audiences, from festival stages to boardrooms. Currently Storyteller in Residence at Sheehan’s Storytelling Cottage, she previously held posts at the Kerry Writers’ Museum and with Collette Travel from 2022-2025, sharing Irish heritage with thousands of international visitors. An award-winning performer featured at international festivals, Maria also curated the Listowel International Storytelling Festival. A prize-winner at national storytelling competitions, she is also a regular voice on Cork City Community Radio (www.cr.ie/seanchaichorcai). With an MA in Dramatherapy, training as a Biodynamic Therapist, and 22 years in European operations management, Maria bridges tradition, therapy, and leadership — helping communities and organisations alike find renewal through story.
Laura Simms
Laura Simms, storyteller, writer, healer, and humanitarian, combines sacred myth and fairytale with personal narrative. She teaches worldwide. She designed programs for Rutgers University, Sarah Lawrence College, The Constellation, and Mercy Corps. She was an advisor for Fetzer Foundation’s Sacred Story Project and is a founding member of the Healing Story Alliance. She received the Lifetime Achievement, Talking Leaves, and Oracle Awards from the International Storytelling Center. She directs the iconic storytelling series in Central Park and is a senior meditation instructor. Maori elders said “She is as good as our ancestors.” Vi Hilbert, Salish Elder said “Laura embodies the spirit of story.” She has recordings and books.
Denise Page
Denise Manning Keyes Page began storytelling when a dear friend in her last months of living with ALS urged her to do so. Denise excavated a story she had written about her mother’s family, edited it and shared it at a community story event. She did so to honor two people she loved. Her mother deceased at the time and her friend. Her friend delighted in the feedback and encouraged Denise to keep telling. Ms. Page is convinced this entry into the art of storytelling ignited a passion within her because it began in so much love. That was 2019. She tells stories to heal, challenge, inspire, inform and connect. She is also founder of Ubuntu Storytellers and “Women Tell by the Decades” with Jen Munro. She is currently working on a trilogy “Legacy of A Wealthy Slave” … a headline from the New York Times that references her great – great- grandfather. He patented an invention in 1866, and with its resultant revenue sent two sons to Yale University.
www.ubuntustorytellers.com ; www.denisekeyestells.com
Peter Blum
Peter Blum lives in Woodstock, New York. His work for almost 4 decades has focused on two areas: neo-Ericksonian hypnosis, and shamanic sound healing. His book, TranceSonics – The Vital Link Between Sound Healing and Hypnosis (2018) reflects his pioneering work in these two fields, both separately, and where they overlap. As a Certified Instructor for the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) since 1993, he has trained and certified hundreds in the art of hypnosis. After completing extensive study of the world’s major spiritual traditions, Peter was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in the seminary program of the Foundation for the Living Earth in 1995. Peter considers the practice of hypnotherapy to be a spiritual art form.
Jim Brulé
Jim Brulé is a respected transformational storyteller, death doula, and teacher with diverse cultural, spiritual, and academic backgrounds. He holds Masters degrees in Family and Systems Therapy and Artificial Intelligence. Jim’s workshops address healing, multicultural wisdom, and end-of-life themes. His school – Transformational Storytelling – trains spiritual storytellers from multiple traditions, and is accredited by the National Storytelling Network. He is the recipient of the Oracle storytelling award for leadership and service, and was part of the team in Marrakech, Morocco that set the world record for the longest continuous oral storytelling in 2024. Known for his collaboration, he has developed and offered dozens of workshops with storytellers from around the world, including Hears Crow, with whom he collaborates closely. Co-authored with Rebecca Lemaire, his book “Stories of the Heart” presents 18 global tales for navigating dying and living.
https://TransformationalStorytelling.org/ ; https://LovingTransition.com/
Doug O’Brien
Doug O’Brien is an international bestselling author, seasoned storyteller, and classically trained pianist with a love for front porch blues. His book The User’s Guide to Storytelling has helped coaches, speakers, and therapists bring their stories to life around the world. A longtime teacher of hypnosis and NLP, Doug blends decades of experience with an ear for rhythm, language, and human connection. Whether on stage or at the keys, his work invites audiences into stories that stick, stir, and stay with you.
https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling
Peter Rogen
At moments, a love of the spirit, of communication and of art, may break through the clouds like a bright sun. In school starting a Dramatic Society, then winning a Rockefeller Grant to study in the American Theater and performing Shakespeare with the Helen Hayes Equity Theater at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
In the business world, one might establish a communication consultancy with a hundred consultants across ten countries, only to retire and dedicate oneself to studying the arts and cultures of Asian and Middle Eastern peoples. Listening to Coleman Barks reading his translations / versions of Rumi’s poetry, I heard new dimensions of communication, meaning, and beauty. A wish was created to help other people discover Rumi’s poetry.
Paul McMahon
Paul McMahon is an artist, musician, and cultural figure known for his wide-ranging contributions to the Woodstock community and beyond. His work has been recognized in the New York Times, and his visual art is part of the Metropolitan Museum’s collection. McMahon has released ten albums and has an extensive catalog of songs online. He was instrumental in establishing venues like the Knitting Factory and the Mothership, a community hub in Woodstock. In addition to his creative work, he’s an ordained Interfaith minister, a single father, and the inventor of a popular cat toy. He is currently working on a multimedia autobiography.
Sparrow X
Sparrow lives in a trailer in the neoexpressionist hamlet of Phoenicia, New York with his wife Violet Snow. He has published 11 books, including Small Happiness & Other Epiphanies (Monkfish) and The Princeton Diary (Vinal). His poems and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Sun, and Reptiles of the Mind. Each month Sparrow writes fearless previews for Chronogram. He has run for President of the United States nine times.
Matoaka Little Eagle
Matoaka Little Eagle (Tewa, Apache, Chickahominy) – Long time Native singer, dancer, storyteller, educator. Acting: Winnetou’s Snake Oil Show from Wigwam City with SpiderWoman Ensemble. Short film: Indian Camp-Brian Edgar; Documentary film: Mystic Voices-The Story of the Pequot Wars-Guy Perrotta. Performance venues include: Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Juilliard School of Music, the National Museum of the American Indian plus many other prestigious venues, schools, and colleges. She has toured in the U.S., Canada, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany. Collaborations include: John Cage, The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, Pura Fe, Pete Seeger, David Amram, and Native jazz vocals with Gus Mancini and the Sonic Soul Band. She resides in New Paltz, New York.
Julia Howl Haines
Julia Howl Haines is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, and music therapist recognized for her lever harp, piano, and accordion performances. Known as a “harper among harpists” and a “hip harper,” she won First Prize for harp and voice at the O’Carolan Festival in Ireland for her composition, “The Mystery.” Haines blends classical, traditional, folk, jazz, and contemporary styles in her work, performing solo, as the duo RiverSong with Matoaka Little Eagle, and with the UpRiver Trio. She has collaborated with notable artists like Pauline Oliveros and The Roots, and has presented her work at various venues, including the Rubin Museum and Bard College. Her recordings include “WINDHARP,” “Odyssey: An Exploration of Afro-Celtic-Harp-Fusion,” and “HER SONGS.” She is dedicated to community programs such as Harp Pop-Up Experiences and Music Meditations for Peace and Healing.
Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas
Shelley Stockwell is a world-renowned storyteller, author, and hypnotist with over 50 years of experience. As the founder and president of the International Hypnosis Federation, she trains and certifies counselors, coaches, and hypnotists. She has authored more than 25 books, including Storytelling 101, and has been recognized with numerous awards. Stockwell has also been a featured guest on hundreds of radio and TV shows worldwide, including appearances on ABC, NBC, and BBC, captivating audiences across the globe with her unique expertise.
Jo Yanow-Schwartz
Jo Yanow-Schwartz, a personal trainer specializing in senior fitness, is deeply connected to the stories of her community in Woodstock, New York. She and her late husband, Arthur, were inspired to collect local oral histories after re-publishing a book about Overlook Mountain. This project, which included school programs and a play, unearthed a “treasure trove of tales” about farming, community spirit, and life in the Catskills. Yanow-Schwartz continues to find new stories in her work helping seniors and in her passion for environmental activism, fighting plastic pollution. She also finds time to practice reflexology and Reiki, and is currently writing a book about motherly love.
Jill Olesker
Jill Olesker is a seasoned storyteller and educator with over 35 years of experience gathering oral histories. She views storytelling as a vital tool for fostering community understanding. Along with her friend Jo Schwartz, she created “Our Lives in the Mountain,” a project that involved interviewing elders in Woodstock, NY, to preserve their personal stories. Inspired by a transformative experience at the World Storytelling Festival in Marrakech, Olesker is now leading “The Water Stories Project,” a new initiative that aims to gather stories about water from around the globe. Her passion lies in using storytelling to help people connect with nature, their imaginations, and each other.
David Gonzalez
David Gonzalez is storyteller, director, poet, and playwright whose work blends music, myth, and social themes. A Joseph Campbell Foundation Fellow and recipient of the International Performing Arts for Youth Lifetime Achievement Award, and tours nationally with his storytelling and poetry programs at venues such as Lincoln Center, The LA Music Center, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and The United States National Holocaust Memorial Museum. His commissioned works span from Oh Hudson to City of Dreams to Finding North. Recent directing includes Lorca’s Blood Wedding and Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires. He received his doctorate from NYU and lives in the Hudson Valley. Online at www.davidgonzalez.com