Khushi Malhotra, Founder, MPH, MSW, CYT

Khushi seeks to understand the relationship between health, well-being, and spirituality in her research and practice. She has served the homeless, the chronically ill, substance abusers, and other vulnerable populations in Philadelphia, and currently is working to create grassroots change in India.

Khushi’s interests delve into the concepts of health in the spiritual perspective. She believes spirituality is the foundation upon which all other values and beliefs are built, and aims to understand this concept in her work with underserved populations through Finding Freedom Within. Through her research, Khushi aims to understand how a spiritual community can be built and sustained between individuals on a global scale. She is particularly interested in promoting wellness in helping professions, the prison population, & young children through awareness-based practices that are rooted in a non-denominational yogic tradition.

Fran Gilmore, CYT, HOH Facilitator

Fran has taught Anusara style yoga since 2002, and recently began adapting it for people in recovery, with emphasis on addiction-recovery-related mantras to use in asana.  She also teaches an emotional healing course in prisons, called Houses of Healing (HOH), which encourages prisoners to identify their higher, wise self, and let go of identifying with their subpersonalities, or ego selves.Fran teaches HOH at Riverside Correctional Facility and New Directions for Women in Germantown.Fran has also worked in the public health sector, facilitating trainings in occupational health and safety.

Kate Halsey, LCSW, CYT

Kate received her undergraduate degree from Carleton College in Northfield, MN and Masters of Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. Prior to working at the Penn Center for Youth and Family Trauma Response and Recovery, she was a Clinician at The Yale Child Study Center. There, she provided home-based social services to English and Spanish speaking families for the Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS) program. IICAPS delivers treatment directly in the homes of children coping with the problems and stresses associated with abuse, neglect, chronic or acute physical or mental illness, parental substance abuse, and/or homelessness. She also has experience in the high school system as a therapist as well as knowledge of the auxiliary systems including DHS, juvenile probation and the education systems as it relates to mental health issues for youth and their families. For the past year, Kate has been the lead Clinician at the Penn Center, providing trauma focused therapy to Philadelphia youth and their families. Her background in trauma has included supervision by Dr. Steven Berkowitz and she has received targeted training in the following models/ interventions; TF-CBT (trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy), CF-TSI (the child and family traumatic stress intervention), and Dr.Edna Foa’s Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

In addition to her clinical background, Kate is a licensed, certified Yoga Instructor and currently teaches at the Sankhya Studio in Philadelphia, PA. She completed the Yoga Teacher Training and certification program at the Kripalu Institute in Lenox, MA, and is an instructor of multiple styles and disciplines of yoga that reflect the Kripalu message of compassion The physical and emotional releases and connections experienced through yoga postures and breath work has proven beneficial for victims of trauma, those suffering from Depression and Anxiety, PTSD, among other adversities. Consequently, Kate had used her yoga background in the mental health field in her work with children and families. Yoga and Mindfulness practice can aid in the development of physical and mental strategies for coping with challenges presented by psychiatric illness, trauma, violence, and various economic and environmental stressors.