Meet the staff

Ashley is passionate about using the arts for interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning. Ashley's connection to A Window Between Worlds began in 2017, when she co-launched AWBW youth programming at a domestic violence shelter in Oregon. Her career has been shaped by a belief that art should be process-based and that the experience itself is what transforms us. She has co-created a statewide arts curriculum framework for Oregon schools that wove social-emotional learning into classroom practice, expanded a museum's reach through a pop-up community exhibition that invited visitors to become active contributors rather than passive spectators, and participated in arts-in-medicine training at Harvard Medical School, using close observation of paintings to sharpen diagnostic thinking and build tolerance for ambiguity. Ashley holds a Bachelor's in Psychology from Kalamazoo College and a Master's in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied Learning, Design, and Technology with an emphasis in Arts Learning. She currently lives in the Lake Tahoe area and loves anything water related!

Christy Turek Rials holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, is trained in Trauma-Informed Care and has facilitated trauma-informed art workshops with trauma survivors and service providers for over 20 years. She has also trained mental health clinicians and community-based professionals through A Window Between Worlds’ (AWBW) Two-Day Windows Facilitator Training for over 15 years. Trainees benefit from her expertise in trauma-informed facilitation, curriculum design, and translating creative practices into practical tools that support emotional regulation, engagement, expression, and client connection.

Eunice Vargas is a community education professional and domestic violence advocate with 14 years of experience facilitating healing art workshops with trauma survivors and community members. A culturally inclusive leader with a deep focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and particular emphasis on the Black experience, she has facilitated healing art workshops with diverse participant populations, including Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander survivors. Trainees benefit from her expertise in culturally responsive facilitation, domestic violence prevention and intervention, and adapting healing art workshops to effectively engage diverse individuals and communities.

Kat Mardo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance with intensive movement-based training emphasizing grounding, self-regulation, listening, and presence. She has over four years of experience co-facilitating AWBW’s Two-Day Windows Facilitator Training and On-Demand course, contributing to experiential training for helping professionals. Trainees benefit from her expertise in embodied practices and practical strategies that enhance safety, engagement, emotional regulation, and reflective insight in individual and group settings.

Monica Martinez, LMFT, holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and has 20 years of experience in trauma treatment and professional training. She is trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model as well as Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Monica co-led the development of a holistic healing arts retreat model in collaboration with Georgetown University, and partner organizations including AWBW. The research obtained was subsequently peer-reviewed and published in the Traumatology journal. Trainees benefit from her expertise in trauma treatment, regulation-focused interventions, and translating research that informed the development of the Healing Arc which was adapted into the AWBW Arc of Healing that informs practical tools for clinical settings.

As the Program Coordinator, Rachel supports the Department with support within the Community of Practice, documentation and systems implementation for AWBW’s virtual and in-person training offerings. Rachel's journey with Windows started in 2018 when she became a facilitator at YWCA Greater Lafayette of Indiana. Passionate about sharing the healing power of art with others, she has facilitated workshops through A Window Between Worlds, SoulCollage®, and Inside Out Arts. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Purdue University and art therapy certificate coursework from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Rudy S. Hernandez holds a Master of Arts in Education Curriculum & Instruction, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and has over 16 years of experience in trauma-informed education, curriculum development, and healing arts program implementation. For over 12 years, he has led AWBW’s Two-Day Windows Facilitator Training and additional art-based professional trainings for helping professionals. Trainees benefit from his expertise in translating trauma-informed principles into practical training tools and creating engaging strategies that support diverse individuals and communities impacted by violence and trauma.

Tiombe Wallace, LMFT, holds a Master of Science in Counseling and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience providing clinical services, training, and supervision to professionals working with survivors of interpersonal trauma, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. She also has over 20 years of experience facilitating healing art workshops with both trauma survivors and those who serve them. Trainees benefit from her expertise in intersectionality, trauma-informed care, and training providers to work effectively with clients impacted by interpersonal trauma, oppression, and marginalization.