Julie Bonitha Svay, PhD Physics

Founder of Lightrise Childcare

Native from Cambodia, Julie was educated in France where she worked as a research geophysicist, leading international multidisciplinary projects and teams. She has seated at the technical steering committee of Geoscientists Without Borders association for humanitarian disaster prevention and relief. She is also a certified resilience trainer from the HeartMath Institute and holistic therapist. 

The Khmer genocide has left a dark legacy that spreads silently through poverty and across generations. Julie has founded Lightrise Childcare charity for healing the Khmer children who suffer from trans-generational traumas and severe forms of neglect or abuse.

Lightrise Childcare is offering to expand its support to more communities impacted by mass traumas and assist global healing.

Beth Hedva, PhD Psychology

Expert in Transpersonal Psychology

Internationally recognized pioneer in transpersonal therapy and award-winning author, Beth is an expert in trauma outreach and community health. She is co-Chair of the Canadian Institute for Transpersonal and Integrative Sciences and was a former Board Director of the International Council of Psychologists.

Her cross-cultural healing approach blends ancient spiritual healing traditions
and contemporary psychology’s evidence-based practices.

Beth has been called on emergency missions mass trauma recovery (following the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia with the Indonesian Psychology Association, in post-civil war Sierra Leone in 2008 for Unicef, after the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti for the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention), where she upgraded psychologists and trained volunteer recovery workers. She has presented her work on disaster recovery program at the United Nations in New York.

Lightrise Childcare is honoured to collaborate with Dr Hedva.