Date: Sunday, January 19
Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Bedford Playhouse; 633 Old Post Rd., Bedford, NY 10506
Tickets: CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKET(S)

Wrestling Ghosts is a raw, intimate, and heart-opening documentary about parenting, childhood trauma, and healing. Wrestling Ghosts follows the epic inner journey of Kim, a young mother who, over two heart-breaking and inspiring years, battles the traumas from her past to create a new present and future for her and her family. In this intimate portrait, Kim shares deeply personal moments, learns about the impact of childhood trauma on her brain, and how, tragically, this very damage causes the trauma to be passed on to her own children. Armed with knowledge and compassion, she pursues new strategies to heal herself.

Hosted by Mindfulness for a Messy Life Creator, Elizabeth Kemler:

“Wrestling Ghosts is very moving and very stirring—a real accomplishment. The portrayal both of mental suffering and of therapy is profound and beautifully done.” – ANDREW SOLOMON, AUTHOR OF THE NOONDAY DEMON & FAR FROM THE TREE

“Wrestling Ghosts is a powerful and important look at one mother’s journey to heal from past trauma so she can more fully show up for her kids, and for her life.”— DEBBIE REBER, PARENTING ACTIVIST, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, CREATOR OF TILT PARENTING

“Powerful!! Needed!!! Important!!!”— CISSY WHITE, SPEAKER, JOURNALIST, AND HEALTH ACTIVIST, FOUNDER OF FOUNDER OF HEAL WRITE NOW

Panel:

ANA JOANES — DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Ana Joanes is a documentary filmmaker dedicated to inspiring conscious action and systemic change through film. Her previous works include Generation Meds, an exploration of our fears and misgivings about mental illness and medication, and Fresh, which celebrates the farmers, thinkers and entrepreneurs who are reinventing our food system. Before dedicating herself to filmmaking, Ana was a lawyer. She founded Reel Youth, Inc., a video production program for youth coming out of detention and other underserved youth. Ana is the mother of three children, and with Wrestling Ghosts, she hopes to contribute to a shift toward a more compassionate world. Read more about this groundbreaking films at: WrestlingGhosts.com

Elizabeth Kemler, Creator, Mindfulness for a Messy Life

Elizabeth Kemler is an author, educator, and performer, whose mission is to raise awareness around the social and psychological issues that can compromise our quality of life while offering relevant, real-world tools and techniques to proactively address them. For the past 20 years, Elizabeth has worked with Fortune 500 companies, colleges, high-schools, and non-profit organizations, creating and teaching courses that promote social-emotional learning, presentation skills, career readiness and mental wellness. Elizabeth’s most recent project is Mindfulness for a Messy Life, is a dynamic, interactive program designed to help those struggling with depression and anxiety,gain transformational insights into the source of their symptoms, recognize their own capacity for healing, and build a sustainable set of inner and outer resources to manage their symptoms and raise their well-being baseline. Learn more about this life-changing program at: Mindfulnessforamessylife.com

Duncan Simpson, LCSW

Duncan Simpson is a psychotherapist with a clinical focus on psychological trauma, including PTSD, C-PTSD, developmental trauma, male trauma, substance abuse, sexual disorders and other disorders related to traumatic stress. He believes there is an inner light in all individuals, regardless of circumstances, which, when cultivated, can lead to remarkable and enduring life changes. Having significant personal experience in life transformation, he is committed to helping his clients face their unique life challenges, using a compassionate, strengths-based approach. After working as a substance abuse counselor in the IOP of a major psychiatric hospital in Westchester County, NY for several years, he transitioned to working with individuals, couples, and families in private settings throughout NY and CT. Duncan also facilitates therapy, psycho-education and dual-diagnosis groups to further support clients’ growth and well-being.

Brian Halloran, Co-Founder, Break the Hold Foundation

Break the Hold Foundation was founded by Brian and Jolina Halloran after the tragic loss of their son to suicide in 2018. BTH provides resources and educational programming and sponsors community-based events, to promote mental wellness and suicide prevention for high school and middle school youth, young adults, family members, educators, and community members throughout Westchester and nearby communities. They are actively helping to raise awareness of the warning signs of those most vulnerable to suicide and empowering young people to speak up. BTH has also established a scholarship in Brian’s honor to a graduating student from Pleasantville High School that demonstrates a commitment, passion, and volunteerism for mental health advocacy. Please check them out at bthbreakthehold.org to learn more about the amazing work they’re doing.