Cathy Lawi, PhD
Certified trauma therapist, life coach, respiratory therapist and group facilitator. A native of France, she studied in the UK, Switzerland and the US, earned her PhD at the University of Geneva, and did post-doctoral work at UC San Francisco Medical Center. She spent the first part of her professional life in cancer research and then led the development of blockbusters against cancer before founding several biotech start-ups. While living in Switzerland, Cathy Lawi was recognized as a leader in biotechnology and was cited by the Swiss business magazine Bilan as one of the most influential people in the field.
Cathy Lawi decided to dedicate her life to an entirely new area of science after discovering Peter Levine's book "Awakening the Tiger" and became a Somatic Experiencing (SE)® Practitioner while studying a range of therapeutic and group leadership techniques. She is passionate about SE's healing potential, its wide-ranging applications, and especially its ability to provide unique tools for self-regulation and stress management.
She is the Executive Director of EmotionAid®, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emotional first aid and resilience building tools to diverse populations.