Bri manages RMBI’s communications, programs, and membership directory, and supports the Board of Directors. Bri has her Master’s in Social Work and has experience working with survivors of trauma, children/adolescents in schools and residential treatment programs, and adults experiencing homelessness. She also has experience supporting Brainspotting therapists and other nonprofits in managing their trainings and websites. Outside of work, Bri enjoys hiking, traveling, and learning Spanish.
About
Rocky Mountain Brainspotting Institute
Leading the Way in Brainspotting Therapy and Accessibility
The Rocky Mountain Brainspotting Institute (RMBI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created to promote and advance the use of Brainspotting, a brain-body treatment approach. RMBI is a professional association of mental and physical healthcare practitioners who are trained in and use Brainspotting in their practices.
The mission of RMBI is to advance the use of Brainspotting through information dissemination, knowledge advancement, peer-to-peer learning and professional training. RMBI also administers a Scholarship Treatment Fund (STF) to cover the cost of Brainspotting therapy for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or unable to afford treatment on their own.
Our Mission is to:
support mental and physical health professionals in their use and development of Brainspotting
Offer Scholarships For Brainspotting Therapy To Income-Qualifying Individuals Unable To Afford Treatment On Their Own
Assist The General Public In Finding Brainspotting Practitioners And Resources
Encourage Brainspotting Practitioners To Further Their Education In The Field Of Brainspotting
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Please consider including RMBI in your charitable giving. Your donation will help with RMBI’s overall functioning including the development and delivery of our Scholarship Treatment Fund, through which we offer Brainspotting to those unable to afford it.
RMBI
Board of Directors
Pie Frey, Psy.D.
President
Pie received Phase One Brainspotting training in 2006 and Phase Two and the five day Intensive in 2007. She has been assisting Dr. David Grand, the founder of Brainspotting, in all levels of his trainings since 2008. Dr. Frey is the Senior US Trainer for Phase One and Phase Two Brainspotting trainings, and has been facilitating Brainspotting trainings since 2009. She is the President and founder of the Rocky Mountain Brainspotting Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes Brainspotting (BSP) and developing scholarship programs for those who want BSP Therapy and can’t afford it. Dr. Frey is trained in EMDR I and II, Sand Tray Therapy, Play Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Thought Field Therapy. Dr. Frey started a private practice in Boulder, Colorado in 1982 and does group and individual consultations. In Pie’s first career, she taught math, special education, and regular education in the Boulder Valley School District.
Serene René Calkins, P.T.
Vice-President
Serene is a Physical Therapist, a Brainspotting practitioner and a writer. She has served as Vice-President of RMBI since 2018 and is currently the Founding President of the United States Brainspotting Association.
As a Physical Therapist: Serene is the owner of Art and Science Physical Therapy in Fort Collins, Colorado. Since 1985 she has specialized in treating patients with chronically involved issues.
As a Brainspotting Practitioner: Serene is a Brainspotting Consultant and an International Brainspotting Specialty Trainer. Serene has created two, three-day Specialty Trainings with Mary Jane O’Rourke, LCSW, LMT. These trainings support the brain/body connections for processing trauma in the body and in the brain (“From Freeze To Thaw: Unlocking Trauma in the Body with Brainspotting” and “From Freeze To Thaw: The Next Level”). Serene and Mary Jane have had the honor of receiving attendees from 32 countries and having their work translated into 4 languages. This team continues to create a variety of ongoing workshops, small groups and short seminars.
As a Writer: Serene is currently writing her book, (“The Art and Science of Healing: Resolving Chronic Physical and Emotional Pain and Trauma”) and co-authoring a book with Pie Frey, PsyD., (The Principles of Brainspotting: A Compass for Everyday Life). Serene continues to offer her writing workshops and monthly writing groups (Stepping Stones) which focus on using Brainspotting to support either writing one’s memoir or on deepening character development for fiction writers. She enjoys collaborating with Kristyn Snedden in a Brainspotting-based writer’s retreat and monthly writing group called, “My (TRUE) Story: Using Fiction, Memoir and Poetry to Deepen Healing”.
Thad Frye, LCSW
Director of Communications and Outreach
Thad is the owner of Performance Brainspotting in Boulder, CO and has been in the counseling and performance coaching field for over 20+ years and became a Brainspotting Consultant in 2021. He enjoys working with Brainspotting practitioners towards getting certified in this amazing somatic modality. Thad is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified Brainspotting practitioner and has completed Phase 1-4, the Master Class with Dr. David Grand, and the Intensive with Dr. Pie Frey. Thad is a teacher’s assistant for Phase 1, 2, 3, From Freeze to Thaw, and Brainspotting for Sports, assisting Dr. Pie Frey, Dr. David Grand, Melanie Young, Lisa Larson, Serene Calkins, Christine Ranck, and Paige Roberts. Thad is passionate about the healing power of Brainspotting and utilizes it with artists, musicians and collegiate and professional athletes who want to further their creativity and performance.
Sandy Della Ripa
Treasurer
Sandy is a former senior insurance investigator with 28 years of experience in a Fortune 500 company. After leaving the corporate world, she spent three years with a Denver nonprofit, researching, writing, and submitting grants, as well as providing administrative support to their mission. As a board member, she is excited to be part of the RMBI mission to enhance the psychological and physical well-being of the community. A Colorado native with a BS in Paralegal Studies, Sandy recently relocated to the charming town of Loveland, Colorado where she enjoys kayaking in the many lakes, and hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Melanie Twite, MA LCPC
board member at large
Melanie is the owner of a private practice, Remedy Counseling in Meridian, Idaho, and is licensed as a professional counselor in Idaho, Wyoming, and Texas. She became a Brainspotting consultant in 2022. She has had the privilege of assisting several Brainspotting trainers, including Melanie Young, Pie Frey, Lisa Larson, Cherie Lindberg, Christine Rank, and David Grand, which has been invaluable for her growth as a Brainspotting practitioner. Melanie has two professional passions. The first is helping clients recover from PTSD and move towards post-traumatic growth. She also supports adults who have received a later-in-life diagnosis of ADHD. Her second passion is supporting practitioners and clinicians in building an ethical and thriving trauma-informed practice. Her role as a Brainspotting consultant and creator of two trauma-informed ethics courses, as well as “Mastering the Art of Trauma-Informed Care”, fosters this passion.
Ya'el Chaikind, MPH, MA, LPCC
board member at large
Ya’el is a licensed psychotherapist and a certified Brainspotting consultant in private practice. She holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling from Highlands University and a Master of Public Health from Rutgers University.
The proven capacity for Brainspotting to change people’s lives underscores Ya’el’s passion for this somatic healing modality. A member of RMBI since 2021, she has assisted Phase 1 and From Freeze to Thaw trainings and participated in the RMBI scholarship program. As a board member, Ya’el is delighted to help expand Brainspotting’s benefits to an ever-larger audience of clients and therapeutic professionals. With a focus on helping clients re-write the stories that no longer serve them to create a life of more connection, meaning, and belonging, Ya’el also greatly enjoys helping other therapists become certified Brainspotting practitioners. She specializes in working with families with adult children, writers, and people seeking deeper connection to spirituality through rites of passage.
Ya’el’s excitement for Brainspotting is matched by her enthusiasm for nonviolent communication, a foundation of her therapeutic offerings and corporate trainings. As a poet and author, Ya’el has published eight nonfiction books, including the recent Children of Bipolar Parents, along with numerous poems, essays, articles, and short fiction in various anthologies and literary journals. You can usually find her hiking in the mountains in Santa Fe, NM, always stopping to pet a dog along the way.
Carolyn Robistow, M.Ed., LPC
board member at large
Carolyn is a Clini-Coach, Certified Brainspotting Practitioner and Brainspotting Consultant.
You know how therapists can have a successful 1:1 practice but still dream of having a more flexible schedule and budget for travel and creativity? Well what Carolyn does is show them how to create and monetize group coaching and intensives and then scale back their caseload without raising therapy rates past what’s accessible.
She’s high-key obsessed with Brainspotting, using it to not only help therapists get out of the office for more paid time off, but also to help professionals quit their groundhog day drinking habits.
She can’t shut up about it on her podcast Brain Unblocked: The Brainspotting Podcast, which can be found on most podcasting platforms.
Dr. Audra Funk, LPC-S
board member at large
Audra is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in Texas, Certified Brainspotting Consultant, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with a deep commitment to guiding individuals through complex trauma and emotional healing. She is passionate about the healing power of Brainspotting and has extensive experience working with clients who have felt stuck, hopeless, or unsuccessful in previous therapeutic experiences. Dr. Funk specializes in helping individuals break through barriers and reclaim their lives.
She has completed Phase 1-5, the Master Class with Dr. David Grand, Brainspotting Kids Training with Monika Bauman, Brainspotting Pearls and Crocodiles Training with Roby Ables, Brainspotting to Heal Shame, Self-Esteem, and Imposter Syndrome Training with Staci Bertagnaand, and the Intensive with Lisa Larson. Dr. Funk is a teacher’s assistant for Phase 1, 2, 3, 4, and Expansion assisting Lisa Larson, Dr. Pie Frey, Melanie Young, and Dr. David Grand.
With her compassionate and results-driven approach, she is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive space where clients feel heard, understood, and equipped with the tools necessary for lasting transformation. As a leader in the field, Dr. Funk is passionate about advancing trauma-informed care and mentoring fellow clinicians in Brainspotting. She brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and unwavering dedication to her work, making her a trusted resource for both clients and colleagues alike.
