Speakers

Héðinn is a qualified teacher and policy specialist, holding a Master’s degree in International Policy and Policy Analysis from the University of Bath in England. He worked in the Prime Ministers Office of Iceland from 2010 to 2023. He taught part-time for many years in the Departments of Political Science and Social Work at the University of Iceland, as well as servant leadership in the Faculty of Business at Bifröst University.

For the past 35 years, Héðinn has worked in the field of mental health, drawing both on his own lived experience and on his professional expertise in mental health policy. From 2003 to 2010, he worked as a mental health policy specialist at the Icelandic Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). He initiated the Geðrækt mental health promotion programme and the Ten Steps to Better Mental Health initiative Geðorðin 10.

Héðinn is the author of Vertu úlfur (Be a Wolf), a book that, among other things, recounts his personal experiences of the mental health system. The book was later adapted for the stage and performed at the National Theatre of Iceland over three theatrical seasons.

He served on the board of Geðhjálp, Iceland’s mental health advocacy association, from 2013 to 2015, and returned to the board in 2019. He served as vice-chair from 2019 and as chair from 2020 to 2023.

Judy is a Certified Addiction Professional in Florida, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, a Certified Hypnotist, certified in EMDR and an internationally recognized specialist for healing trauma and PTSD. Over the last 15 years, she has developed one of the country’s leading treatment centers specializing in trauma/PTSD and addiction recovery as well as spearheaded Spirit2Spirit Healing, a new movement in experiential and holistic therapies. She is a sought-after speaker and presenter on PTSD and sexual trauma resolution, and she currently also serves as a consultant for many of the country’s leading treatment centers to train their clinical teams.

In 2010, Judy was chosen to receive the Administrator of the Year Award from the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators for her significant achievement in the field of addiction treatment administration. In 2012, she was selected as the Behavioral Healthcare Champion in recognition of her life-changing therapy, services and support to Americans who suffer from mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Judy believes that persistent addictions, chronic relapse and repetitive self-sabotage are often the results of unresolved trauma. Healing occurs when we identify the “root cause” of addiction. She often says, “You have to unravel the trauma story to understand the addiction story and write the recovery story.”

For Judy, The Guest House Ocala has been a labor of love. Its creation is a combination of every healing moment within her lifelong service and commitment to others. Her continued work is motivated by both unrelenting vigor and fixed determination. Here, her passion and purpose have collided.

Michael once slept rough on the London Underground, his life disrupted by mental illness and addiction. The turning point came in hospital, when a man who had lived through something similar visited him. He describes himself today as “recovered but not cured”, still on the path, like anyone else.

From peer support worker to Director of Advancing Recovery in Ireland to his current role, Michael built a career from that turning point. In 2024, he was appointed chair of a WHO taskforce that built a roadmap for integrating lived experience into mental health policy across the WHO European region, published in June 2025. He also represents Europe on the Global Leadership Exchange Lived Experience Council.

He lives near Westport, County Mayo, with his wife Angela, their son, and their dog.

Dr. Dayton is a fellow of the American Society of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy ASGPP, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, their Scholar’s Award, the President’s Award and served as editor in chief of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. She is also the winner of The Marty Mann Award, The Mona Mansell Award, and The Ackermann Black Award.

Dr. Dayton has been featured as a guest expert on national television networks, including NBC, CNN, and MSNBC, as well as on programs such as Montel, Rikki Lake, John Walsh, and Geraldo.

Today, she places strong emphasis on daily mental health maintenance, prevention, and mental health literacy.

She is the founder of Mental Health Crowd and collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders – from politics and schools to businesses and large public events such as the Mental Health Rocks Run. A strong believer in #mentalhealthrocks, she challenges narrow and gloomy narratives of mental illness and brings a hopeful, empowering perspective to the field. She is Vice President of Mental Health Europe, a member of the steering board of Aktionsbündnis Seelische Gesundheit in Germany, and holds a B.A. in Communication Studies & Psychology.

He has been working in residential treatment since 2003 conducting process, experiential and psycho-educational groups. He has an expansive education in process addictions including gambling, gaming, and internet addictions. Tom is an international speaker and trainer and has trained other clinicians in trauma work throughout the United States and on three continents.