Human Flourishing, Resilience,
and Well-Being Summit

Plenary Session

Harold G. Koenig, MD, M.H.Sc., is a psychiatrist and researcher best known for his work on the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health. He is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, where he directs the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. His research and writing increasingly engage the concept of human flourishing, drawing on emerging models (such as Tyler VanderWeele’s six domain framework) to examine how religious involvement contributes to happiness, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close relationships, and mental and physical health. In recent reviews and presentations, Koenig has highlighted evidence that participation in religious communities and practices is linked to multiple dimensions of flourishing and has begun to integrate these findings into broader discussions of public health, clinical practice, and spiritual care.

The Impact of Toxic Relationships and the Power of Healthy Boundaries | Relationships

Dr. Chinwé Williams is a licensed professional counselor, board-certified therapist, and counselor educator known for her expertise in trauma, anxiety, youth mental health, and the integration of faith and mental health. Dr. Williams earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Practice from Georgia State University and her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Georgia. She is co-author of the best-selling book SEEN: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens through the Power of Connection and writes and teaches on helping youth and adults feel safe, connected, and resilient.

Plenary Session

Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and the founding director of
Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, where he leads major projects on religion and human flourishing. His research focuses on the scientific study of religion, the impact of faith-based organizations, and criminal justice, including work on prisoner rehabilitation, recidivism, and prosocial behavior. He has served as principal investigator on more than 80 million dollars in grants from U.S. federal agencies and private foundations and is widely recognized as a leading authority on how religion relates to crime, health, and well-being. Dr. Johnson has authored over 200 articles and numerous books, including More God, Less Crime, The Angola Prison Seminary, The Quest for Purpose, The Restorative Prison, and Objective Religion, and he co-directs the Global Flourishing Study, a large longitudinal project with Baylor, Harvard, Gallup, and the Center for Open Science.

Plenary Session

Tyler J. VanderWeele, Ph.D., is the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Director of the Human Flourishing
Program and Co-Director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University. He holds degrees from
the University of Oxford, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University in mathematics, philosophy, theology, finance, and biostatistics. His methodological research is focused on theory and methods for distinguishing between association and causation in the biomedical and social sciences and, more recently, on psychosocial measurement theory. His empirical research spans psychiatric and social epidemiology; the science of happiness and flourishing; and the study of religion and health. He is the recipient of the 2017 Presidents’ Award from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS). He has published over 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals; is author of the books Explanation in Causal Inference (2015), Modern Epidemiology (2021), Measuring Well-Being (2021), Handbook of Religion and Health (2023), and A Theology of Health (2024); and writes a monthly blog posting on topics related to human flourishing for Psychology Today.

Pathways to Flourishing: The Core Principles of Resilience | Resilience

Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “cook”) is an educational psychologist, international speaker, and bestselling author who founded and leads Celebrate Kids, Inc., a Christian ministry based in Fort Worth, Texas. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University and has authored multiple parenting and education books, including 8 Great Smarts, Screens and Teens, Start with the Heart, and Parent Dierently. A former tenured associate professor of education at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, she now speaks globally at conferences, schools, and churches and is a frequent guest on Focus on the Family and related media. Her work emphasizes that every child is uniquely gifted by God, helping adults motivate kids toward resilience, responsibility, and a confident, Christ-centered identity.

Positive Psychology and Solomonic Wisdom | Spiritual Well-Being

Dr. Ron Hawkins is a licensed professional counselor and serves as the Chair on the executive board of the AACC. Before serving as Provost and Chief Academic Ocer for Liberty University and recently retiring, Dr. Hawkins served as Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary; President of Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon; Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Liberty; and founding Dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences at Liberty.

Plenary Session

Tim Timberlake serves as the Senior Pastor of Celebration Church. He’s a graduate of the Pistis School of Ministry in Detroit, Michigan. Pastor Tim is a gifted communicator and teacher who has the ability to communicate to people from all walks of life. His sense of humor, combined with his in-depth Bible teaching, gives the listener and reader the tools to transform their lives from the inside out. He takes pleasure in the small things, is an avid sports fan, and a popular thought leader. Pastor Tim lives in Jacksonville, FL, with his wife Jen and son Maxwell. The Timberlakes feel most alive when they are pouring back into others, and they seek to glorify God through their lives and family.

When it all Gets to be Too Much: Crisis, Grief, and Trauma Care | Mental Health

Jennifer Cisney Ellers is a Christian counselor, professional life coach, crisis responder, trainer, and author. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Wake Forest University. She is Senior Director of Advancement, Special Projects and Church Engagement with the American Association of Christian Counselors and serves as Acquisitions Editor for AACC Publishing. She provides training, consulting, and care for issues of grief, crisis, trauma, and suicide. She is an approved instructor and faculty member with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and co-author of several CISM courses, including “Understanding Suicide: Tools for Prevention, Intervention and Survivor Support.” She also authored a course on youth suicide and is instructor of AACC’s Hope-Focused 3-R Suicide programs. She is co-author of two books including, The First 48 Hours: Spiritual Caregivers as First Responders. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Hampshire, IL.

The Digital Mind: How AI, Social Media, and Cyberpsychology Are Rewiring the Next Generation | Mental Health

Jason VanRuler is a licensed therapist, author, speaker, and coach known for his work on relationships, trauma, and personal transformation. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from South Dakota State University, an M.A. in Marriage and Family
Therapy/Counseling from Sioux Falls Seminary, and a graduate certificate in Addiction Studies from the University of South
Dakota. He is the author of Get Past Your Past: How Facing Your Broken Places Leads to True Connection, a 2023 book
integrating his clinical expertise and his own story of hardship and healing.