Meet our managing board.
Lisa Burns, Ph.D.
Lisa Burns is a 2009 Saybrook doctoral graduate where she earned a Ph.D. in humanistic and transpersonal clinical psychology. She earned her MA in counseling and psychology with an emphasis in art therapy from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont in 2003.
Dr. Burns has worked extensively with adolescents for over 25 years. She is a retired classroom educator, previously having served for six years as an intervention counselor for expelled students. She is in private practice in Grand Junction where she works within a trauma-informed paradigm to serve youth and women. Lisa’s strengths as a clinician are in the employment of creative approaches such as art therapy, sand tray therapy, narrative therapy, guided imagery, and trauma-sensitive care. Her approach is holistic and humanistic.
Lisa’s doctoral study, Elements for Holistic Sanctuary Design Based on the Expressed Needs of Traumatized and At-Risk Adolescents, is the foundation of her work toward innovating a sanctuary model of treatment delivery for traumatized youth and was an honorable mention for distinction at Saybrook. Dr. Burns co-founded Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation along with Frederick Bolton, CFO, in 2005 and serves as its clinical director.
Lisa’s background includes direct or seminar training by internationally recognized experts Dr. Bruce Perry, MD, Bessel Vander Kolk, MD, Peter Levine, Ph.D, Janina Fisher, Ph.D, and Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.
Frederick Bolton, MA
Frederick Bolton earned master’s degrees in human resources management as well as curriculum and instructional methods from Colorado Christian University. He earned a master’s degree in K-12 educational administration from Colorado State University. Frederick is retired from D51 after a long career which began teaching challenging students, but spanned many roles, including director of attendance prior to his retirement.
He has served in administrative capacities at both the community college level and in public education. He was a member of the administrative team that designed and developed the Tilman M. Bishop Unified Technical Education Campus, now known as CMU Tech. Frederick has been an active interagency collaborator involved with innovative educational concepts for at-risk youth.
He developed a model for reducing truancy across the K-12 spectrum resulting in a truancy reduction from 21% to 3%. His research identified the existence of TLE’s, traumatic life events, that are at the root of poor school performance and academic failure for a substantial population of school-aged youth. His experience working with traumatized youth and their families is extensive.
Joni Beckner, MA,LPC, ATR-BC
Joni Beckner, MA, LPC, ATR-BC holds a BA in Social Work and received her MA in Art Therapy and Counseling in 2008. She was the Director of The Center for Hope & Healing and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered, Board Certified Art Therapist. Employed by HopeWest for 21 years and now in private practice, her work has included counseling and supporting terminally ill patients and their families. Her interest and passion for using art therapy with children, adolescents and adults has evolved out of her experiences in hospice and palliative care, in psychosocial rehabilitation for chronically mentally ill adults, private practice for seven years and psychiatric & behavioral hospital care in both acute and residential treatment.
Joni’s associations include the American Art Therapy association, the Art Therapy Association of Colorado and the National Association of Social Workers. Her presentations at the local, regional and national levels have pertained to her work with incarcerated grieving teens, bereaved children and teens, anticipatory grief and art therapy. She is a board member for Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation.
Ms. Beckner established ArtLight Therapy & Studios to incorporate her creative therapy practice with her own artistic endeavors. Over the years Joni has enjoyed freelance and fine art projects, which have included children’s book illustration, real estate illustration and commissioned drawings and paintings. She has participated in juried shows at the regional and national level. Her contributions of original art to non-profit groups have included the National Hospice Foundation.
Carlie Shackelford
Carlie utilized SOZO as a youth and now wants to give back to her community. Carlie has been involved with Hope of the Grand Valley and works in a law firm. She brings a unique and personal perspective as well as many professional strengths to Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation. She is happily married and is raising an active, healthy family.