It's Your Mind: Own It!

Nicole Jon Sievers, MSW, LCSW, is an innovative problem solver, author, speaker, licensed clinical social worker, educator, and social justice advocate. For over 30 years, she has worked with youth and the systems serving them. Her diverse roles have included therapist, teacher, educational district consultant, Outward Bound instructor, and forensic consultant. Nicole is the founder and executive director of Stand for Courage (standforcourage.org). This bullying-prevention program employs stories, creativity, and popular culture to recognize students leading bystander action to eradicate bullying. In 2014, the SFC school-based program was honored by the American Psychological Association with a Visionary Award. In 2017, an academic study reported that victimization decreased by 69 percent when schools implemented SFC bullying-prevention practices. Building on her bullying prevention work, Nicole currently is a producer for an upcoming IndieFlix documentary entitled "The Upstanders," about the bystander's role in bullying prevention. Nicole also is the founder of Little Mercies (littlemercies.org), a nonprofit creating channels for simple kindness and for the distribution of essentials to ease the suffering of children living in the world's harshest conditions. The current focus of Little Mercies is migrant children awaiting court dates in U.S. border towns. Also an avid supporter of the arts, Nicole has served on the Seattle Music Commission since 2014, championing youth in music, community building, creative arts, and educational initiatives while promoting Seattle's vibrant music culture. She also is an Advisory Board member of the Origins Project Foundation, which strives to address the challenges of the 21st century through public events with thought leaders. She is joined on the Origins Project Board of Directors by Nobel Laureates, award-winning authors, distinguished scientists, artists, and business leaders. In addition, Nicole serves on the Advisory Board for Pediatric Emergency and Critical Care-Kenya. PECC-Kenya is an international collaboration committed to improving the management and outcomes of critically ill children in sub-Saharan Africa. Nicole lives in La Jolla, California. She and her husband, Eric, are the grateful parents of five sons.

Since 1980, Norene Gonsiewski, MSW, LCSW, has helped couples and individuals to change how they think, feel, and respond to life's challenges. Dedicated to helping people of all ages to understand how our thinking determines our lives, Norene has coached thousands of people not only to improve their moods and manage depression and anxiety, but also to improve their marriages, work relationships, and family lives. Together with Nicole Jon Sievers, she has taught many workshops and classes for teenagers and their parents in the areas of ANTs and communication. Known affectionately as the "Relationship Guru," Norene now works exclusively with couples and teaches workshops on how to build lasting and passionate relationships. These offerings and more can be found at her website: RockSolidRelationshipHelp.com. Although no longer working with adolescents, she continues to help parents with the challenges that arise inside themselves and in the marriage while raising a family. In today's world, those challenges can last even longer as young adult children continue to live at home. In addition to coauthoring "It's Your Mind: Own It!" with Nicole Jon Sievers, Norene also is the coauthor with Tim Higdon of "Rock Solid Relationship: Seven Keys to Restore Your Connection & Make Your Love Last." Both books are recipients of national awards. With Higdon, Norene offers a coaching program for couples, which can be found on her website, that is based on "Rock Solid Relationship," their award-winning book on marriage. Norene also authored "A Training Manual for Respite," a book focused on the importance of respite care for families with children with medical needs. She lives in Sisters, Oregon, with her husband, Tom.