About This Episode:

Dr Lori Leyden (PhD, MBA) is an internationally recognised trauma-healing professional, transformational leader, and mentor whose work has supported thousands worldwide — including genocide survivors in Rwanda, communities impacted by the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, and Indigenous and refugee communities in Australia. Lori joins Chris Cooper to explore what it really takes to heal trauma in individuals and communities — and why regulating the nervous system and cultivating therapeutic presence can be more effective (and safer) than "talking it out" for PTSD.

We'll explore Lori's story and book, Embodying Grace, which is a practical and deeply compassionate guide to healing trauma by restoring safety, presence, and dignity in the body — not by reliving the story. We also discuss powerful insights from her humanitarian leadership journey — from founding the nonprofit Create Global Healing and launching Project LIGHT: Rwanda, to her current resilience work with Ukrainian leaders living through active war — and what it means to build peace from the inside out, even in the most challenging circumstances. Listen in for inspiration, wisdom and a transformational perspective on how best to overcome trauma.

About Lori Leyden:

Lori Leyden, PhD, MBA is an internationally recognized trauma-healing professional, transformational leader, and mentor who helps individuals and communities heal in the aftermath of profound tragedy. Her work has supported thousands worldwide, including genocide survivors in Rwanda, survivors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, as well as Australian Indigenous and refugee communities.

Inspired by the resilience of orphan genocide survivors in Rwanda, Dr. Leyden founded the nonprofit Create Global Healing and established Project LIGHT: Rwanda, the world's first international youth healing, heart-centered leadership, and entrepreneurship program. Project LIGHT offers a new model of humanitarian aid—empowering young people to heal trauma, develop meaningful livelihoods, and lead with compassion. She also served as Executive Producer of the award-winning documentary When I Was Young I Said I Would Be Happy, which follows the transformational journey of Project LIGHT Ambassadors as they bring healing to others from Rwanda to Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

Dr. Leyden's vision is to cultivate a global movement of peacebuilders creating peace from the inside out. She mentors individuals seeking deeper healing, meaning, and impact, and is a member of the Global Evolutionary Leaders Council and the Association of Transformational Leaders, as well as an Evidence-Based EFT Master Trainer. She received the Personal Achievement Award (2019).

She is the author of The Grace Process Guidebook and The Stress Management Handbook, available in multiple languages. Dr. Leyden holds a doctorate in Health and Human Services with a concentration in psychoneuroimmunology, and an MBA in management.