ADMINISTRATION

Frank Bourke, PhD

Frank Bourke

Dr. Bourke is the Executive Director of the NLP Research and Recognition Project, and Coordinator to the NLP Community. After the 9-11 attacks in 2001, Dr. Bourke designed and implemented a rehabilitation plan for 800 World Trade Center building survivors. He found that he was able to change the symptoms of PTS survivors he was treating with an NLP-derived protocol much quicker and more effectively than the 30 or so therapists he was working with. He founded the Not-For-Profit Corporation to advance the science of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and bring the research up to a scientific standard necessary for more widespread implementation. He brings with him more than 33 years of professional experience in Executive, Clinical and Research roles.

RESEARCH

The Research and Recognition Project Board Members create the backbone of the organization, giving the program a framework and shape. The Team Members become the muscle and meat of the project. Without exceptional research being conducted, the program would be a bare skeleton. Additionally, without networking and communication, the program would be a body existing in a vacuum, unable to reach out and help the very people the program was developed to assist.

Members of the Research Team, led by Richard Gray, PhD, are a group of invaluable professions dedicated to all aspects of Research. This includes developing future research hypothesis, methodological and grant consulting, as well as organizing conference presentations.

Members of the Network and Communications Team, led by Richard F. Liotta, provide the platforms for public interaction with the project. This includes developing website, media and social interactions for everyone from the general public to academic and governmental researchers.

Richard Gray, PhD

Director of Research

Richard Gray

Richard M. Gray, PhD is research director for the Project. He is on the Faculty of the Touro School of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown, NY, and is recently retired from the School of Criminal Justice, Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. Prior to his appointment at FDU, Dr. Gray served for more than 20 years in the U.S. Probation Department, Brooklyn, New York. Gray was recipient of the 2004 Neuro-Linguistic Programming World Community Award in Education. He is the author of Archetypal Explorations (1996), Transforming Futures: The Brooklyn Program Facilitators Manual (2008), About Addictions: Notes from Psychology, Neuroscience, and NLP (2008), Co-author with Frank Bourke and Lisa Wake of The Clinical Effectiveness of NLP (2012). Dr. Gray received his BA in Psychology from Central College, his MA in Sociology from Fordham University, and his PhD in Psychology from the Union Institute. Gray works on grant writing, experimental design and publications for the project.

Karen Selz, PhD

Associate Director of Research

Karen Selz

Professor Karen Selz, PhD, is a research scientist whose interests, publications and skills bridge neurology, biology and psychology. Her academic appointments include Harvard Medical School, NIMH Clinical Neuroendocrinology Branch, Emory University Medical School, and The Institute des Hautes Etudes Scientific, in Bures-sur-Yvette, France. Her cutting edge scientific publications span over 15 years across a broad range of scientific subjects. She brings a wide and deep range of scientific acumen to the Research and Recognition Project.

TRAINING

Lisa Wake

Associate Director of Training

Lisa Wake

Lisa Wake is Managing Director of Awaken Consulting, and also of Awaken School, a UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) accredited NPL psychotherapy training organization. As a former nurse and NHS manager in the UK, Lisa has a MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice exploring NPL and integrates latest thinking in neuroscience into NLP therapy practice as a trainer, clinician and supervisor. Lisa has served as Chair and Vice Chair of UKCP, and was instrumental in working with the Government and Dept. of Health on the statutory regulation of psychology, psychotherapy and counseling, and the recently published White Paper on the regulation of non-medical professionals. She worked closely with Skills for Health in implementing the ground work for the development of National Occupational Standards for Psychotherapy. She also challenged the notion of a therapeutic mono-culture for psychotherapy and provided research-based evidence within the Dept. of Health and House of Lords to counter the drive by the Dept. of Health to exclude equally effective forms of psychotherapy. Lisa is advisor to Association of NLP, and was also on the steering committee of the first International NLP research conference at Surrey University. Author of Neurolinguistic Psychotherapy: A Postmodern Perspective; The Role of Brief Therapies in Attachment Disorder; and, NLP – Principles in Practice, Lisa is a committed to NLP research and development and runs the world's first UK University-recognized NLP Trainers Training that has an academic underpinning.

Rosalyn Templeton, PhD

Rosalyn Templeton

Professor Rosalyn Templeton joined the Board of Directors in 2013. She brings a profound academic skill set related to all facets of Graduate Education and University administration. Her academic appointments have included Executive Dean - College of Education and Human Resources, and University Provost. She has written and supervised multi-million dollar grants in the human service field for over a decade.

CLINICAL OPERATIONS

IN-HOUSE STAFF

Denise Potts, PhD

Associate Clinical Director

Denise Potts

Dr. Denise Budden-Pott’s earned a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and over her extensive clinical career, has specialized in the areas of Transforming Limiting Beliefs, Resolving Internal Conflicts and Neutralizing Trauma. She is clinically skilled in the processes of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) having designed and taught over 14 programs based on NLP tools for emotional management and communication skills. As the Clinical Director of the San Diego Branch of the Research and Recognition Project Dr. Potts completed the treatment of 30 San Diego Male Vets diagnosed with severe PTSD followed by a clinical study with 20 female vets diagnosed with Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and general PTSD. Dr. Denise brings her 30 years of clinical competence to this much needed area of PTSD research and treatment, and is proud to be one of the pioneering researchers helping military vets alleviate the intrusive symptoms of PTS utilizing the breakthrough methodology of the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM Protocol™) Protocol.

ASSOCIATES

Peter Kean

Clinical Associate

​Will Murray

Clinical Associate

Rachel Hott

Clinical Associate

Stephen Leeds

Clinical Associate

Hugh Comerford

Clinical Associate

Doug O'Brian

Clinical Associate

Gary Phillips, MA, CRSP, CHRP

Clinical Associate

COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Kathy Welter

Mike Cardellichio

Bob Weikel

FUNDRAISING

John H. Dow

John H. Dow

John Dow is a businessman and entrepreneur who has founded and led a number of companies both public and private. He joined the R & R Board in August 2015 and is lending his business acumen to the development of the Projects economic self- sufficiency. Mr. Dow is currently the owner and CEO of FirstFlight, a full service aviation company providing international operations from several locations throughout the United States. He formed FirstFlight in 1987, shortly after he acquired B & F Brake and Wheel Service. In 1989, he expanded FirstFlight’s services by adding a charter brokerage division to his management, charter and aircraft sales capabilities. In 1992, FirstFlight successfully developed and received worldwide FAA 135 Commercial Certification. Mr. Dow has held Air Transport Type ratings and accumulated thousands of flying hours in Gulfstream aircraft and the Beechcraft Premier. He served as a member of the National Business Aviation Association Operations Committee as well as the National Air Transport Association and served on the aviation committee for the Elmira/Corning Regional Airport. He attended the University of Miami.

Robert DiNardo

Robert DiNardo

Mr. DiNardo's present position is Special Counsel at Catania, Mahon, Milligram and Rider. He served as an adjunct professor at St. John's University in the Sports Management Department. He is a graduate of Fordham University and received his Juris Doctor degree and graduated New York Law School cum laude in 1969. He was editor-in-chief of the New York Law Forum, 1968 – 1969, a Special Courts Martial Judge, U. S. Marine Corps, 1971 – 1972. He served in the United States Marine Corps, JAG Corps, from 1969 – 1972, and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Mr. DiNardo serves as an advisor to the Research and Recognition Project, Inc., A 501(c)(3) Foundation, with offices in Middletown, New York, whose purpose is the development of therapy for and treatment of PTSD for veterans and first responders.