Jan Holden >>

Janice Miner Holden grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, USA. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with honors from the University of Illinois, she taught high school psychology for 11 years and was a high school counselor for one year while she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in counselor education at Northern Illinois University. Since completing her EdD in 1988, she served 31 years on the University of North Texas (UNT) Counseling Program faculty—12 of those years as chair of the Department of Counseling & Higher Education. In 2019 she retired as professor emerita of Counseling. Beginning with her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Holden’s primary research focus has been counseling implications of near-death experiences, after-death communication, and other transpersonal experiences—those that transcend the usual personal limits of space, time, identity, and influence. In this research area she has over 50 refereed journal publications and over 100 national and international presentations; served as lead editor of the 2009 Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation, and co-edited the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling’s (ASERVIC’s) 2017 Connecting Soul, Spirit, Mind, and Body: A Collection of Spiritual and Religious Perspectives and Practices in Counseling. Since 2008 she has served as editor-in-chief of the International Association for Near-Death Studies’s (IANDS’s) scholarly Journal of Near-Death Studies. She is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and an American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE [pronounced “assist”]) Certified Mental Health Professional. For her career-long research on and advocacy for people who have had transpersonal experiences, Jan was awarded ASERVIC’s 2013 Research Award and the American Counseling Association’s 2015 Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. For her outstanding and sustained contributions to scholarly-creative activity, teaching, and service, Jan received the UNT Foundation’s 2019 Eminent Faculty Award, one of the highest faculty achievements whose recipient serves as an inspiration for the entire UNT community. In early 2020, Jan served for 10 days as an International Visiting Scholar at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Since 2020 she has served as IANDS’s president.

Chase Skylar DeMayo >> Chase, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Orlando, Florida native, underwent a profound spiritual transformation after a near-death experience in 2008. His NDE led him to embrace a life philosophy of ‘Chasing the Light,’ focusing on personal and community betterment. For 12 years following his NDE, DeMayo kept his experience private, but eventually he used it to guide his work in community service and holistic healing, particularly in helping veterans and addressing mental health. As a speaker, he shares his insights to inspire others, embodying a spirit of service and commitment that defines his spiritual journey. Chase has recently completed a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine and another bachelor’s in ministry, and he will soon be completing a doctorate in holistic counseling.

Deborah Connor >> Deborah has been an IANDS member for six years, and a board member for one year. She is an NDEr, and has had many other spiritual experiences. In addition to spiritual exploration, coaching, volunteering, and reading, Deborah spends time with family, enjoying the lake she lives on and the bountiful natural wonders of Nova Scotia, Canada. Deborah has decades of experience building inclusive leadership teams as a board member, as Executive Director, and Director of Development for not-for-profit organizations. As a certified coach, Deborah supports groups and individuals who are seeking to integrate their spiritual awakening, and is also a Reiki and Laser Light Therapy practitioner.

MUSIC BY:

Karen Michelle >> Karen is a near-death experiencer and psychic medium who has a unique understanding and compassion for her clients.  She has spoken at events and conferences in regards to near-death experiences. Karen began working over eighteen years ago in the mental health care field focusing on PTSD, trauma recovery, and dynamics of abusive relationships. Wanting to honor the messages she received during her NDEs, Karen Michelle shifted her career to reflect a holistic and spiritual path. Her specialties include Resonant Kinesiology with harp and guided imagery to facilitate therapeutic music and sound interventions for stress management and relaxation. Dr. Karen Michelle’s educational background includes a doctorate in clinical psychology, Resonant Kinesiology Instructor certification, grief and loss training, and certificate training in working with survivors of sexual assault.

Christina Tourin >> Founder and Director of the International Harp Therapy Program, Christina leads  training centers in multiple countries with  Therapeutic Harp Practitioners serving on five continents. As an internationally award-winning artist, she trained at the Mozarteum in Austria and McGill in Montreal. She was harpist for the Vermont Symphony and for 17 years for the Sound of Music Maria von Trapp family. Returning to IANDS, she is remembered  for her workshops on Music of the Spheres. Christina truly lives a life ‘As above, So below’ sharing her performances of sacred and transcendent moments. Bringing her harp to magical life, she shares with the world the deepest, most profound truths of the Universe, which rightfully and intuitively credits as the source of all she creates.