CPD-ACCREDITED Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse Conference 2025: Thriving After Trauma

Speakers.

• Lola
  Graham

  Lola Graham (she/her) is a Trauma-Informed Well-Being Educator, Life Coach, and Speaker. As the Co-Founder of Living Well, she coaches individuals one-on-one and partners with organizations to empower their people through workshops and resources that support mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Lola believes healing and care should be accessible to all, which is why she offers a free newsletter, Living Well Daily, to provide weekday support with mental-emotional well-being and longevity tips. Her mission as a well-being educator is shaped by her intersecting identities as a sexual-assault survivor, bisexual, and neurodivergent woman who embraces love, joy, and well-being as a form of resistance. When she’s not working, you can find her advocating for trauma-informed justice pathways as the Ontario Chapter Co-Rep for Survivors 4 Justice Reform, volunteering in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, or spending time in nature with her life partner and dog. 
• Mandi
  Gray

  Dr. Mandi Gray is an assistant professor at Trent University in the Sociology department, Criminology program. She teaches courses on gender-based violence, sexuality and the law, and responses to violence. Mandi has worked with women and girls involved in the legal system since 2008. She is the author of the book Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law (UBC Press, 2024), which critically examines the emerging trend of men accused of sexual violence suing their accusers and anyone who attempts to hold them accountable. She is also the primary subject and impact producer of the 2018 documentary film Slut or Nut The Diary of a Rape Trial. Her work has appeared in publications including Toronto Star, CBC, Globe and Mail and Toronto Life. Mandi is originally from Winnipeg but has called Toronto home since 2013, where she lives with her sassy little dog CeCe. Learn more about her: www.mandigray.com

• Kelly
  Beale

  Kelly Beale was an Assistant Crown Attorney in Toronto from 2001-2017. She prosecuted all types of criminal offences, specializing in child abuse and exploitation, multi-victim, and high-profile sexual violence cases. She was a designated mentor for junior crowns on sexual violence prosecutions and a designated human trafficking prosecution crown.
  

  Since 2018, she has been leading Ontario's Human Trafficking Legal Support Program. As independent counsel for victims and survivors of human trafficking, Kelly provides confidential legal advice, legal representation, and support to victims across the province to assist with exiting their trafficking situations. This includes obtaining human trafficking restraining orders, preventing traffickers from having any contact with their victims, or others at risk, while also connecting survivors with wrap-around supports. The Program is the first of its kind in North America and Kelly works closely with Ministry and non-Ministry anti-human trafficking stakeholders and community partners.
  

  Kelly participated in the development of Ontario's anti-human trafficking legislation. She educates police, lawyers, judges, child welfare agencies, medical professionals, educators, anti-human trafficking organizations and service providers on the legislation. She regularly presents at human trafficking conferences, educational seminars and in media outlets such as the "Passionate Eye" and "The Agenda with Steve Paikin" on her unique role and how it can assist in efforts to end human trafficking.
  

  Driven by a strong commitment to survivor empowerment, Kelly is passionate about helping survivors to access meaningful supports to provide for their emotional and physical safety while applying a trauma-informed approach; continuing to support survivors with their changing needs at every stage of their journey; and, empowering survivors to determine and control the processes, services, and supports they choose to engage with.

• Iona
  Sky

  Iona Sky (they/them/she/her) is a renowned Indo-Canadian Social Work clinician, educator, and public speaker with over 20 years of transformative leadership in child welfare across Ontario. A visionary in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA), Iona teaches at the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College, and consults widely on inclusive practice, workplaces, leadership, and service excellence. As a survivor and lifelong advocate against sexual and gender-based violence, Iona brings lived experience and deep expertise to their work with survivors, social service agencies, legal systems, and political landscapes. Their voice has been featured on numerous podcasts and platforms, raising awareness and driving change.
• Dr. Cindy
  McMann

  Dr. Cindy McMann (she/her) is a public educator with Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. Her anti-violence work includes presentations and workshops across Guelph and Wellington County on topics such as intimate partner violence, consent and human trafficking.
• Tamar
  Witelson

  Tamar Witelson is the Director of Legal Services at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic leading a team of lawyers, Family Court Support Workers, and students.
  

  For more than 20 years, Tamar has worked in several areas of social justice law and feminist advocacy, in union-side labour law; in the human rights system; at Constitutional Law Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General; at the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF); as Legal Director at METRAC Action on Violence; and then joining the Schlifer Clinic in 2019. 
  

  Tamar's experience includes advocacy and public legal education related to gender-based violence in the areas of family, immigration, employment, and sexual violence law. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre since her appointment in 2018.
  

  Tamar was a clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada and before going to law school, she worked for twelve years as a television journalist.

• Grissel
  Orellana

  The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape (TRCC/MWAR) is a non-profit, grass root feminist organization, women and non-binary people run collective since 1974. We work to provide a feminist peer support to survivors of gender-based sexualized violence. 1st. Rape Crisis Centre in Toronto for last 51yrs and Member of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) in Ontario. The Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) is a network of 30+ English-language sexual assault centres in Ontario. Our members offering counselling, information and support services to survivors of sexual violence, including sexual harassment, human trafficking, childhood sexual abuse and incest.
  

  TRCCMWAR provide services to survivors of sexual violence in our Metro Toronto and GTA community through our 24hour crisis phone counselling, face to face counselling, court support accompaniment/advocacy, support groups, Latinx women's program, public education, workshops, training/volunteer opportunities. Our services to survivors are free and confidential. Thriving community in strengthening and empowering all regardless of their social class, age, status, sexual orientation, abilities/disabilities and spiritualities.
  

  My name is Grissel Orellana, from El Salvador, Central America residing in Tkaronto/Toronto, Ontario; I identify as Indigenous, mestiza ancestry native land south central known as Maya nations from Pipil indigenous peoples, a feminist she/they pronoun, a human rights activist/defender, a lesbian femme, a mother, a healer, a survivor of war and gender-based violence. I celebrate freedom in empowering and strengthening life for survivors from the impact of sexual violence.
  

  Aa a Program Director of the Latinx Womyn Program at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape. I worked at the Centre for 25yrs, continuing to triumph for a diversity of Latin American survivors. A space for support, personal growth, collective development and dialogue about our role as Latinxs, immigrants in Toronto, Canada, political refugees, survivors of multiple abuse and human rights violations. A space to celebrate lives, similarities/differences, sexual orientation, ancestral roots (Indigenous, Afro-Latinxs, Mestizo), Canadian born cultural heritage and unique identity of origin in the Americas. A collective that thrives to advocate against all human rights violations with passion and dedication to social justice for the rights and liberation from all forms of violence.

• Dr. Glen
  Lawson

  Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Dr. Lawson graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Psychology in 1962, pursued graduate studies in German literature at Cornell University and the University of Toronto, and later earned her PhD in Psychology from McMaster in 1978.

  She began her career as a Probation Officer with Juvenile and Family Court before moving into teaching developmental psychology at the University of Waterloo and York University. She then worked as a Clinical Psychologist at Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital with the Adolescent and Young Adult Team, and later joined Surrey Place Centre in Toronto, focusing on sexual abuse of persons with developmental disabilities. She went on to serve as Director of Adult Services, overseeing comprehensive programs in assessment, intervention, education, consultation, and research support.

  Over her career, Dr. Lawson has mentored psychologists seeking registration, participated in agency and interagency committees, and helped develop services and protocols addressing mental health, domestic violence, disabilities, aging, gender identity, and homelessness.

  Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Lawson says, “I have lived a long rich life full of surprises, sadness and joy.” She continues to share her experience and insight with the next generation of professionals and advocates.

• Robert
  Lovely