Leading a Balanced Life: Recognizing Secondary Trauma and Mitigating Its Effects

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Jen Donovan, Wellness Specialist, RYT, RCYT, RPYT, is a registered Yoga Instructor, certified Sound Healer and certified Rawfood Nutrition teacher who leads sessions on breathwork techniques, posture, yoga/chi-gong movement, plant based whole foods education, meditation, and music sound therapy. She has been sharing her 24 years worth of knowledge by teaching at judicial national conferences, workshops, retreats, and online platforms for several organizations and their teams. During the global pandemic she shared her teachings through the zoom platform which enhanced her ability to work with fast paced professionals. Jen has dedicated her life’s work towards helping others to better regulate their stress levels, in order to center themselves and make wiser decisions. It's her personal mission to humbly teach and reach as many judges, attorney’s, case workers, probation officers, court clerks, psychologists, law enforcement and forensic nurses who are working with our children and families who have undergone trauma. Jen wants to be a part of the positive change in the lives of others by supporting the well being of people that not only work in the judicial system but also the children and families who are affected by the system. During her sessions, Jen shares her knowledge of a variety of practical resources because she believes that by accessing these time tested tools, we all have the power to help create systems change. Jen was with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) for a span of 17 years and now consults as a Wellness Specialist. She has played a key role in the NCJFCJ’s Monday Morning Moments Judicial Initiative, an online wellness series that promotes judicial well-being. Jen teaches at judicial conferences, workshops, institutes, local wellness studios and retreat centers. She teaches and develops plans in self-care and wellness to the entire staff of several national and local non-profit organizations. She also trains the staff so they can teach others. Jen has worked with juveniles in custody, children who are in shelters and she works with individual clients.

Judge Victor Reyes served as a District Judge from January 1999, through December 31, 2014, in the 10th Judicial District located in Pueblo, Colorado. He has presided over, Criminal, Civil, County Court Appeals, Probate, Domestic, Restraining Order, Juvenile and Dependency and Neglect matters. Judge Reyes was also appointed to serve as the judicial liaison on the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board and the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee. Before becoming a judge, he served as a Deputy State Public Defender for the State of Colorado for 15 years where he also provided training. From October of 2021 through January of 2023, Judge Reyes served as the Judge in Residence for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). At NCJFCJ, he was involved with the Judicial Wellness Initiative, specifically hosting the Monday Morning Moments Wellness webinars along with leading wellness sessions at conferences. Judge Reyes also participated in nationwide training, developing curriculum, and writing on all aspects of the law that impacts children, their families, and victims of domestic violence. He has written presentations on Compassionate Leadership, Engaged Justice, and Implied Bias. Since 2002, Judge Reyes has facilitated international and nationwide trainings to a variety of groups and organizations on issues related to mindfulness, every aspect related to domestic violence, the effects of vicarious trauma on judicial officers, judicial leadership, and federal firearms legislation. He provided the training on domestic violence for Colorado Judges and has testified before both houses of the Colorado Legislature on DV related legislation. He has served as faculty for the NCJFCJ, the National Judicial College and the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence. Also Judge Reyes has trained Judges from the Ukraine on the issue of Domestic Violence and has participated in webinars sponsored by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Additionally, Judge Reyes conducts peer review of grants for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women and has reviewed domestic violence legislation for countries complying with United Nation Charters. Judge Reyes is a Life-member of the NCJFCJ. He is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Georgetown University Law Center in W