The Institute for Healing of Memories – North America seeks to contribute to lasting individual and collective healing that makes possible a more peaceful and just future. Our work is grounded in the belief that we are all in need of healing, because of what we have done, what we have failed to do, and what has been done to us.
OUR MISSION
We seek to contribute to lasting individual and collective healing that makes possible a more peaceful and just future.
How Do We Fulfill Our Mission?
- Facilitate Healing of Memories (HOM) workshops
- Facilitate Community Dialogs
- Train HOM workshop facilitators for IHOM-NA and for partner organizations seeking to utilize our methods
We Believe All People
- Are spiritual beings and of infinite worth
- Share responsibility for the past and are responsible for shaping the future
- Are capable of being both victim and victimizer
We Are Commited To
- Redeeming the past by celebrating that which is life giving and laying to rest that which is destructive
- Equity and social justice for all
- Working in partnership with others who share our vision
The Institute for Healing of Memories-North America (IHOM-NA) is an affiliate of the Institute for Healing of Memories in South Africa, founded by Fr. Michael Lapsley to promote healing and reconciliation in the post apartheid years. In 1990 he survived a letter bomb sent by the apartheid regime, and has since devoted his life to facilitating the healing of others.
He began the Healing of Memories methodology while working at the Trauma Center for Victims of Violence and Torture in Cape Town, South Africa, which supplemented the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Beginning in the1990s, the South African Institute was invited by partner organizations and governments to conduct workshops, train facilitators, and consult on issues of healing and reconciliation in several countries. Since then Healing of Memories has conducted workshops around the world, enabling participants from diverse ethnic groups, races, and religions to reach a better understanding of themselves and each other.
In March 1999, the first Healing of Memories workshop in the United States was held at Riverside Church in New York City and thhe Institute for Healing of Memories-North America was incorporated in April 2009 in Delaware as a nonprofit corporation.
We serve people who endure the pain of discrimination, marginalization, and other traumas large and small. These include but are not limited to immigrants and refugees, victims of domestic and gender-based violence, soldiers returned from recent or distant wars, the incarcerated or those recently released and are coping with the problems of reentering society, people in residential substance abuse treatment, those living with disabilities.
Our workshops have proven highly effective in empowering them to begin to heal, to seek further help if they need it, and to move forward with hope to create a better life. Our workshops not only further the healing of individuals, but also can help restore the social fabric of communities and societies. When participants come from diverse social groups, listening to one another’s stories also helps to overcome negative perceptions of “the other.” People witness first hand the thoughts and feelings of participants different from themselves who have nevertheless experienced great pain. Thus, the very experience that promotes individual healing also furthers mutual understanding, reconciliation, and a sense of community empowerment.
Board of Directors
Michael Lapsley, born in New Zealand, joined the Society of the Sacred Mission and was sent to South Africa in 1973. There he became active in the anti-apartheid movement, ultimately joining the African National Congress. After surviving an assassination attempt, he returned from exile to found the Institute for Healing of Memories in Cape Town.
Linda Rich, DCSW, LSW, CSAC makes her home in Honolulu, has been on the board for four years, is a HOM facilitator, and coordinates IHOM-NA’s work in Hawaii. Her social work career of 35 years has included clinical and administrative roles in mental health and substance abuse treatment. Linda is a member of a Just Peace, Open and Affirming United Church of Christ congregation, Church of the Crossroads.
Is the President/CEO of Barrier Free Living. Paul was instrumental not only in creating a partnership between Healing of Memories and Barrier Free Living. He was also the founding chair of the board of the Institute for Healing of Memories-NA.
Is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist who has spent more than 30 years bringing attention to the global struggles for social justice. Growing up in Zimbabwe he began documenting the post-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles of southern Africa and went on to become CNN’s roaming Africa correspondent for more than a decade, covering conflicts across the continent. In 1997 he was awarded the Prix Bayeux for best television war correspondent for his coverage of the Liberian civil war. Since 2001 he has concentrated on investigative documentaries focusing on the geo-politics of the 21st Century which have been screened internationally by the world’s leading broadcasters and recognized with several awards. Bob also works as a communications consultant and media advisor for UNICEF and other UN agencies in their humanitarian and emergency efforts around the world.
Zoë Wild is Executive Director and Founder of One Light Global, an international NGO transforming refugee settlements and indigenous reservations into regenerative communities that align ancient wisdom with modern technology. Her background includes over a decade as a peace builder, ordained interfaith minister and former Buddhist nun coaching individuals and groups to heal from trauma and reclaim inner peace and connection with the earth. She facilitates workshops and individual healing through chaplaincy, grief counseling, spiritual guidance, trauma healing, facilitating groups in cultural and religious conflict, hospice care, counseling veterans, prisoners and bereaved children. Zoë facilitates workshops for healing trauma and PTSD with Healing of Memories founded by Father Michael Lapsley, and intergenerational trauma and peace and reconciliation between cultures in conflict with Healing the Wounds of History founded by Armand Volkas.
ANDREW MONROE RICE graduated from Colby College in 1996 and earned a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in 1999. He was a State Senator in Oklahoma City, from 2006-2012, and has worked in a variety of capacities in the non-profit sector, focusing on healthcare, human rights, reconciliation, and addiction recovery. Rice leads contemplative prayer sessions for incarcerated men in Oklahoma and is the convener of a men’s contemplative group at the St. Francis of the Woods Spiritual Renewal Center in Coyle, OK. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and two sons. Rice recently published his first novel, GHOSTS OF URSINO.
Matthew Hoh is the Associate Director of the Eisenhower Media Network. He had nearly twelve years experience with the US military and the wars overseas with the United States Marine Corps, Department of Defense and State Department.
In 2009, Matthew Hoh resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan with the State Department over the American escalation of the war. Prior to his assignment in Afghanistan, Matt took part in the American occupation of Iraq; first in 2004-2005 in Salah ad Din Province with a State Department reconstruction and governance team and then in 2006-2007 in Anbar Province as a Marine Corps company commander. When not deployed, Matt worked on Afghanistan and Iraq war policy and operations issues at the Pentagon and State Department from 2002-2008.
From 2010-2024, Matt was affiliated with the Center for International Policy, first as a senior fellow and later as a senior fellow emeritus. He is a disabled veteran.
Facilitators
Pamela Cornwell is a clinically licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has worked with survivors of abuse and neglect for more than 28 years. Pamela currently is the Clinical Director for Trauma Practices for Saint Francis Ministries, a private, not-for-profit child welfare organization. Pamela is certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, Trauma Systems Therapy and a facilitator for Healing of Memories workshops. She provides trauma-responsive care helping individuals recognize the impact of trauma and facilitates their healing journey.
Cathy Harrington has a rich and varied background as a single mother, hairdresser, bakery/café owner in Seward, Alaska, working with the homeless in San Francisco, spending time with the poor in the barrios of Nicaragua; all of which have informed her work as a parish minister. Cathy specializes in Interim Ministry helping congregations navigate the uncertainties and challenges of searching for a new settled minister. She currently serves a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Traverse City, Michigan. It was after the tragic murder of her youngest child in 2004 and the difficult journey of grief and healing, that Cathy sought to honor her daughter’s memory by earning a Doctor of Ministry degree with a focus on Restorative Justice in 2012. She has worked as a Victim Outreach Specialist, earned a Professional Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Engagement and has served as a volunteer police chaplain. But it was Cathy’s personal transformative experience at a Healing of Memories workshop with Father Michael Lapsley in 2013 that led her to become trained as a facilitator. “To share our stories in a safe and loving space, to be heard and affirmed is an immeasurable gift. I am humbled by the stories shared and the healing I’ve witnessed.” ~ Cathy Harrington
Chairperson
Linda Rich, DCSW, LSW, CSAC makes her home in Honolulu, has been on the board for four years, is a HOM facilitator, and coordinates IHOM-NA’s work in Hawaii. Her social work career of 35 years has included clinical and administrative roles in mental health and substance abuse treatment. Linda is a member of a Just Peace, Open and Affirming United Church of Christ congregation, Church of the Crossroads.
After a successful career as a family law attorney and mediator, Lori Rubenstein, JD, PCC chose to follow her own mission – to empower people to heal from their relationship wounds, eventually becoming a professional certified coach. In addition to her private practice and other volunteer work, Lori is a lead facilitator for Healing of Memories North America. You will find she has a unique ability for holding sacred space for people to heal and mend their past, and to transcend their own “stories.” Inner peace, she teaches, starts with self-love, self-acceptance, and self-compassion. She is the author of three transformational books, including the Amazon best seller: Forgiveness: Heal Your Past and Find the Peace YOU Deserve.
Is the President/CEO of Barrier Free Living. Paul was instrumental not only in creating a partnership between Healing of Memories and Barrier Free Living. He was also the founding chair of the board of the Institute for Healing of Memories-NA.
Josè Olagues has been an educator throughout his adult life. He was an education major in college, and is a Vietnam war veteran. He served his time as instructor/administrator at the Basic Army Administration group at Ft Ord CA. He taught his first 2 languages (Spanish/French) at a boy’s prep school, prior to joining the corporate world. There he had various positions which included training responsibilities; at one point he was responsible for training the corporations’ trainers. He designed, and implemented a full human resources plan for a company abroad. Training at many levels was essential. He took early retirement to attend seminary, where he turned half-century old. After being ordained as minister of word and sacrament for The Presbyterian Church – USA, he spent most of his time training leaders. In addition to lay leadership training, additional training included (but not limited) Christian Education, mission, Stewardship and Social Justice. After his second retirement, he attended a weekend Healing of Memories (HOM) workshop. Afterwards he pursued the necessary training to become a facilitator in the program.
Anne Grenn Saldinger, Ph.D. is a consultant and founder of Looking Back for the Future, helping people to capture their memories and insights for themselves, their families and future generations. Her belief in the power of personal stories grew out of her training as a social worker and clinical psychologist and her experience as executive director of a community-based oral history project working with hundreds of Holocaust survivors. Her warm presence, passion for the transformative power of compassionate listening, and her research on the long-term effects of trauma come together in her work with the Institute for the Healing of Memories.
Zoë Wild is Executive Director and Founder of One Light Global, an international NGO transforming refugee settlements and indigenous reservations into regenerative communities that align ancient wisdom with modern technology. Her background includes over a decade as a peace builder, ordained interfaith minister and former Buddhist nun coaching individuals and groups to heal from trauma and reclaim inner peace and connection with the earth. She facilitates workshops and individual healing through chaplaincy, grief counseling, spiritual guidance, trauma healing, facilitating groups in cultural and religious conflict, hospice care, counseling veterans, prisoners and bereaved children. Zoë facilitates workshops for healing trauma and PTSD with Healing of Memories founded by Father Michael Lapsley, and intergenerational trauma and peace and reconciliation between cultures in conflict with Healing the Wounds of History founded by Armand Volkas.
As an Episcopal priest, Joanie Delamater, feels called to teach and preach and heal. As a healer she is a compassionate companion on the journey, who holds the stories of others with an open heart and no judgment. Joanie invites folks to let go of what they no longer need to carry as a step toward healing in body, mind and spirit.
Kathleen Garast has been a Healing of Memories facilitator in 2013. She began a career as an RN and Head Nurse on the first adolescent unit in Chicago. She specialized in Emergency Care and as a Traveling Nurse in AZ, CA, LA and Fla. She has a MA in Management/Organizational Behavior and is certified as a Spiritual Director and Health Coach since 2005. Her career and volunteer choices in life have been motivated by the belief that each person with a bit of love and support can empower their own healing and recognize their own unique worth. She was a facilitator/board member/ trainer with Beginning Experience and Young Peoples Beginning Experience. BE/YPBE conduct weekend retreats for those who have experienced divorce or death of a spouse or a parent. Kathleen was the first Parish Nurse at the Beatitudes Church in Phoenix. She was Vice President for Catalina Behavioral Health, Health Net’s five mental health clinics in Arizona and Regional VP for Metlife Health Care HMO Plans.
Emeritus Board of Directors
Is the Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Healing of Memories in Minnesota. She has worked with Fr. Michael Lapsley and the Institute for Healing of Memories since 2007. She was one of the founding members of a working group of the Minnesota’s Warrior to Citizen Campaign, which has offered Healing of Memories workshops for veterans since 2009. She served as Chair of the Institute for Healing of Memories-North America from 2011- 2014 and has been a Healing of Memories workshop facilitator since 2011, and Lead Facilitator since 2014. Margaret is an Episcopal priest. She holds a BA degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary/Seabury Western Theological Seminary. The focus of her ministry is working with Healing of Memories workshops.
After her son, Greg, died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, Phyllis Rodriguez and her husband wrote an open letter, “Not In Our Son’s Name,” opposing military retaliation. They became founders of September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. A documentary about the Rodríguezes, “In Our Son’s Name,” has screened nationally. After attending a workshop in 2006, Phyllis became a Healing of Memories coordinator.
aIs a founding member of our Board of Directors. She is President of ML&G Associates, a lobbying and government relations firm, and is a regulatory consultant and compliance advisor in the U.S. commercial insurance and financial sectors. She is Vice-Chair of Boys Hope Girls Hope New York and President of YES! Solutions, Inc., a grassroots community-building charity based in Harlem.
Workshop Coordinators
