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PROFILES OF W.A. LAUGHTER PRACTITIONERS

Janet Whitfield

As the current President of Laugh WA, Janet is passionate about sharing the joy of laughter and empowering others to enhance their wellbeing. She is an authentic and engaging presenter who will make her audiences feel at ease with being playful in the laughter exercises. She would be delighted to hear from any group of people who are seeking to boost their energy and have more fun in their lives.
In 2019 Janet was certified as a Laughter Yoga Facilitator to compliment her 24 year career in recreation, sports management and health promotion. She has a Bachelor of Social Science (Leisure Sciences) from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Janet has experience working in local government, not-for-profit organizations, schools, workplaces and hospitals. Janet is an accomplished facilitator of Women’s Circles, a sacred space for women to journey into self-discovery. She is also an experienced practicing Iyengar Yoga student who loves to share her knowledge of breathwork and mindfulness in her Laughter Yoga sessions.
Contact mobile: 0450 351 473 and email: JanetWhitfieldWellbeing@gmail.com


Grant Stone

B.Sc. (Hons); Dip.Ed; Dip.Lib.Studies.  Grant Stone is a laughterholic (recovering).  Although a Librarian by training Grant discovered Laughter Yoga as part of recovery from a stroke in 1989.  He trained with Dr. Kataria in 2000 and helped found the Perth Laughter Club the same year.
Grant became involved in the formation of Laugh WA Inc. in 2002 and was the foundation Convenor.  He has trained hundreds of people to become Laughter Leaders to spread the laughter word throughout the community.
Grant has and will run sessions of Laughter Yoga anywhere, anytime to anyone throughout W.A. and is available for Corporate and private functions for 10 or 1,000 people.    Contact:  mobile: 0412 170 665; email: stonefam@upnaway.com


Janni Goss

B.App.Sci (Physio) I trained with Dr. Madan Kataria in November 2000 and founded laughter clubs at Shenton Park and the Cancer Wellness Centre, Cottesloe. Known as the ‘Laughter Lady’ I am an Internationally Accredited Laughter Yoga Leader, Teacher and Ambassador for Laughter Yoga International. I provide presentations at Conferences, Seminars, Professional Development days and at Health, Education and Corporate events. I now focus on Outsmarting Stress for Healthy Longevity. I am the author of the DIY Nurturing Kids Kit, which is now available and introduces the JelliTime game for adults to share with the children in their lives.
Contact: Phone No. 9277 7922 email: janni@jannigoss.com   and website:     www.jannigoss.com


Katrin Marras


M.A.Ed (Languages; Sports Science).    Katrin is Australia’s leading Laughter Linguist. She helps you to learn and live through the Language of Laughter. Katrin states that laughter is a universal language that everybody is able to speak. She worked for several years as a teacher in schools situated in busy city districts. Teaching children from diverse and difficult backgrounds, Katrin and her colleagues experienced a high level of work-related stress. Laughter Training helped her to manage difficult classroom situations and to improve her health significantly. 
Katrin’s service “Laughter Language Learning” provides teaching professionals with a powerful tool that boosts the learning performance of students. Furthermore, teachers suffering from stress will feel the instant benefits of Laughter Training themselves. Katrin’s programs can be delivered online internationally or face to face in person. She has recently worked with international professionals from all over the world in Moscow, Dubai, Chicago, and Hamburg. She has broad experience of working in Primary as well as Secondary school settings and has taught the Language of Laughter to several adult Yoga groups.
Katrin is a certified Laughter Yoga teacher, holds a Master’s degree in teaching, and is a professional in the fields of sports and languages. As an expert in language teaching and communication, she speaks 3 languages fluently and is always keen to learn more. In 2019 Katrin trained with Merv Neal, Australia’s leading laughter expert, and joined LaughWA as a committee member.
With her German style Katrin communicates a clear message in her programs and gets straight to the point. She is a young and energetic individual and her laughter is contagious. Even in a professional business context, Katrin will manage to put a smile on your face.
website: www.laughter-skills.com       email: katrin@laughter-skills.com
phone: +61 (0)490338750


Annelize Prinsloo
 
Lize Prinsloo has been a physiotherapist (B.PhysT) for over 25 years and is a wellbeing laughter yoga facilitator. Lize completed her Laughter Yoga training in 2015 under the expertise of Janni Goss, Kimmy O’Meara and Grant Stone. As a physiotherapist she has been utilising the skills of laughter into her professional and personal life to improve mental health and wellbeing and counteract the effect of burn out and compassion fatigue.
She has incorporated laughter yoga into her work environment in age care, training sessions in the mining industry, used it in the Solid Pathway training sessions in the Kalgoorlie aboriginal community, and in community events such as the BeFriend community and other social groups.
Lize post regular laughies on “The Laughie Challenge Australia” facebook page to increase mental health wellbeing and awareness. Laughter can cross any cultural, age and language barrier. Lize believe “Live your Laughter” daily. 
Lize can provide laughter yoga presentations at conferences, seminars, professional development days or at health, education, community and corporate events.
Contact 0400213891 or email: lizeprinsloo69@gmail.com


Deb FForde

Can’t Sing! Can’t Dance! BUT…….have a lot of fun with Laughter Yoga! Trained as a facilitator by Grant Stone in 2005 with further training and mentoring by Janni Goss. Certified Laughter Teacher by Sebastien Gendry, American School of Laughter in 2012. Committee member of Laugh WA Inc. since 2005. Therapy assistant in aged care for 17 years and I am a Reflexologist.  Along with Kath McKeown I run the Heathridge Laughter Club, we meet every fortnight on a Monday.  Details on website.   I would love to share my knowledge in Laughter Yoga for wellbeing with Community and Support groups in Northern Suburbs. Email: ffdebjoy@gmail.com


Kimmy O’Meara

Kimmy was given 3 years to live in 2000 after being diagnosed with an auto immune disease called C.R.E.S.T.  Through the natural benefits of laughter and a positive outlook on life she has passed her "use-by-date" by 15 years.
Kimmy has been a Laughter Facilitator for 12 years. She was awarded the International Laughter Yoga Ambassador Award in 2008 for outstanding work in the community through laughter. Kimmy has facilitated up to 10,000 people to do Laughter Yoga at music festivals all over Australia. She is invited back every year to do opening and closing ceremonies and hold Laughter Yoga sessions throughout the festivals.
Kimmy has been working for 9 years at Richmond Wellbeing, a psychiatric recovery hostel and has delveloped a four part program introducing laughter, humour and positive thought in a non confrontational, compassionate and skillful way to people challenged with mental health issues.
Kimmy is a holistic counsellor, teacher and inspirational speaker who loves to present at Personal Development days for all types of businesses and organisations, at all schools both primary and secondary, for people with disabilities, at nursing homes and retirement villages. In fact anywhere she can bring a fun, positive and empowering experience to everyone. She has travelled to Rwanda and brought Laughter Yoga to Genocide survivors and has created the first Laughter Club in Rwanda. On her second visit she was invited to teach Laughter Yoga to the Psychology students at the National University of Rwanda so they could continue bringing the benefits of Laughter Yoga to Genocide and AIDS survivors in Rwanda.
Kimmy founded the East Fremantle Laughter Club in 2014, where the objective is to facilitate participants to be playful and stress free. To illustrate her versatility here are just a few of the organisationsw she has laughed with - Wesfarmers, Perth Modern School, Richmond Wellbeing, Cancer Wellness Centre, Canteen, Fremantle Hospital, University of Zululand, the councils of Fremantle, Cockburn, Kwinana, Mandurah, Bunbury and others, Water Corportation, Synergy, Bethanie Retirement Villages and St. Stephen's College. 
Contact: Phone 0404 732 324     Email: exillerizzfull@yahoo.com.au




Kath McKeown

I did my training with Dr. Kataria here in Perth in November 2000 and have assisted with Perth Laughter Club since its inception in November 2000. With further mentoring by Janni Goss I instigated the Heathridge Club with Deb Fforde. I am a Reflexologist and interested in all natural and complimentary therapies.  I have recently resigned as Secretary and Treasurer of Laugh WA Inc. a position I have held since 2002.   I can be contacted by email on kathmckeown@bigpond.com



Patricia Jamieson

My initial introduction to Laughter was at World Laughter Day in Kings Park May 2012.
I did my facilitators training in June 2012 with Laugh WA. and participated in a workshop with Sebastien Gendry that I found very helpful and inspiring. I wished to help spread the joy and benefits of laughter and formed the Affinity Laughter Club, which meets on the second Wednesday of each Month in the Dalkeith Hall, Waratah Ave. I have given laughter presentations during City of Nedlands events for seniors where I work in Positive Ageing. Laughter yoga is such a valuable art for wellbeing at any age. After every session I feel privileged to be able to facilitate joy, love and laughter. I also enjoy seeing how strangers become friends so readily through laughter. I have been taking yoga for seniors’ class for the past four years so Laughter Yoga was a natural fit.
Contact: H: 93865002 W: 93866170   M: 0417963305   Email: pjamieson@nedlands.wa.gov.au    H. jamieson@bigpond.net.au



Luke Be

Luke Be is the founder of Creative Expressionismismmms; A not for profit organization that uses art, laughter and play to improve mental, emotional and physical health within our community.
With a passion for creative self expression, and a background in some of the most demanding professional industries, Luke provides his unique services to corporate, social and community groups and holds regular community sessions, workshops and events.
For more information please contact Luke Be at Creative Expressionismsismmms
Phone: 0401 356 563 Email: creativeexpression@live.com Web: www.creativee.org.au




Tammie Reid
BSci(Forestry), MSci ( Environmental Education), Grad Dip Rural Leadership, I am also a self confessed laughterholic and joymonger. I discovered the importance of laughter to build resilience and hope to counter the stress of my work in incident management. I learnt that laughter, even fake laughter, creates the endorphins and other happy chemicals of dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin to counter the cortisols of stress. How fantastic is this, a cardio vascular workout in joy.
In 2008 I trained with Grant Stone, Janni Goss, Deb Fforde and Kath McKeown, four of the best laughter practitioners in WA. I am a founding member of the Bunbury Laughter Club, commenced in 2010. I am also a committee member of LaughWA representing the south west region.
I’ve run sessions for Fringe programs, orientation weeks, neurological and other health support services, businesses and community groups. I love to spread the word and the practice of laughter yoga via PD’s, conferences, festivals… anywhere where positive empowering experiences bring a smile to willing and open participants. We who laugh, last.
Mobile: 0477 009152   email: tammiereid@focussedfacilitation.com
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More to come………..watch this space!

 

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