2025 SDCA Conference Thursday and Friday Keynote Speakers 

Thursday May 1st Keynote 

 Tanja Mundt, MA, LPC-S

 
Living Disconnected: The relationship between Eating Disorders and Trauma

Synopsis Information To Come:

Speaker Information: 
Tanja Mundt has been a Licensed Professional Counselor for almost two decades. After graduating with her Master’s from the University of South Dakota, she began her career as a trauma therapist, specializing in treating individuals with a comorbidity of eating disorders. She then established and clinically directed the Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City for a number of years before moving to Arizona to be the Clinical Director of the Meadows Ranch, a nationally recognized eating disorder program for women and girls. During her time overseeing eating disorder facilities, she presented nationally regarding the relationship between eating disorders and trauma and was a clinical consultant for therapists treating highly complex cases. After her time in the eating disorder field, she transitioned to being the Clinical Director of various nationally known substance abuse treatment centers, continuing her specialty in trauma treatment with this clinical population. Ms. Mundt also was the Corporate Clinical Director of the largest Native American behavioral health program in Arizona, which she helped establish. Presently, Ms. Mundt is a behavioral health consultant, specializing in compliance, helping facilities improve clinical outcomes, and provides behavioral health facility clinical oversight. She also is an Arizona board-certified clinical supervisor, providing supervision for associate licensed clinicians. She is completing her doctorate in Public Healthcare Administration and in her free time spends every moment she can with her three children and her house full of animals.

Friday May 2nd Keynote

Taylour Neal, MS, NCC, LCMHC

The Intergenerational Impact of Domestic Violence

Synopsis:
As we continue to work towards dismantling and eradicating violence in our communities, Taylour dives deep into the powerful intersection of mental health and domestic violence advocacy. Drawing from her own personal experience, she will explore how trauma from domestic violence leaves lasting marks on familial and cultural dynamics, creating intergenerational patterns of coping, resilience, and risk. In this keynote, Taylour will illuminate the complex ways in which domestic violence reshapes neurobiology, fostering maladaptive coping strategies that perpetuate cycles of abuse across generations. Grounded in epigenetic research and the lived experiences of survivors, this presentation also highlights the profound, ancestral strength embedded within families affected by violence. Taylour will offer insights into how we can shift our practices to better support survivors, acknowledging both the trauma and the powerful resilience that lives within them.

Speaker Information: 
Taylour Neal is the owner and lead therapist at Healing In Authenticity, PLLC, where she provides accessible, person-centered, and trauma-informed therapy services to individuals seeking support in overcoming complex trauma. Specializing in intimate partner violence, attachment injuries, and mood disorders, Taylour’s approach centers on empowering clients to heal through authentic self-connection. She also serves as the Director of Campus Services and Mental Health Advocacy at the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she combines her expertise in victim advocacy with her passion for fostering healing and resilience among survivors of trauma. Taylour’s extensive experience includes therapy, crisis intervention, education, policy development, and prevention work. She has created and led trainings for students, faculty, and staff on the issues of sexual violence, domestic/dating violence, and stalking, as well as advocating for systemic change in institutions through policy revision and Title IX initiatives. Her dedication to amplifying the voices of survivors and addressing the intersectionality of race and intimate partner violence drives her work both locally and nationally. Taylour holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC). Taylour’s professional goals are centered on advancing local, regional, and national initiatives to recognize the intersection of mental health and intimate partner violence, while advocating for survivor-centered, trauma-informed, integrated approaches to healing and support.When she’s not advocating for systemic change or providing therapy, Taylour is a proud mother, wife, and dog mom. She enjoys binge-watching movies, reading, and traveling to beaches around the world.

 Taylour Neal is coming to SDCA's 2025 Conference in Partnership with South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.

   The South Dakota Counseling Association has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 2042. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The South Dakota Counseling Association is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

This organization, South Dakota Counseling Association approval ID 1058, is approved as a provider for continuing education by the: South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.