The Women and Spirituality Conference is a place where we hope you feel welcomed, supported, and safe as you explore meaningful and sometimes deeply personal topics.
To help create this environment, we have a Safety Policy that clearly outlines what behaviors are not acceptable and how we address any concerns.
We also have a Conference Care Team—a group of compassionate individuals here to support you. Whether you need someone to help you find your way, or you’d like a listening ear as you process an emotional or spiritual experience, they are here for you.
The Conference Care Team
The Conference Care Team offers a welcoming space where you can sit, rest, and talk. Sometimes new insights—especially those that invite spiritual growth—can feel overwhelming or stir up strong emotions. Our role is to hold space, listen without judgment, and help you integrate whatever is coming up for you.
Lisa Spiral Besnett, M.Div., Chaplain
Lisa Spiral Besnett is currently working as an inter-religious hospital chaplain in the Twin Cities. She has a Master of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary. She’s studied Buddhist and Muslim texts from traditional practitioners. She’s been an initiated Wiccan Priestess for over 30 years. She sees chaplaincy as a means to support patients own spiritual understanding and finds her breadth of experience an asset to working with diverse traditions and understandings of the Divine.
Deb Goldberg
Dr. Deborah R. Goldberg is a seasoned relationship consultant, behavioral strategist, mediator, and speaker with over 30 years of experience. She integrates psychology with spiritual insight to help individuals and organizations move from conflict to connection. Known for her clarity, warmth, and depth, Dr. Deb teaches a unique, divinely inspired psychological model that supports emotional resilience, conscious leadership, and soul-centered healing. Her work bridges science and spirituality, offering practical tools for transformation and inner alignment.
Dawn Morningstar
Dawn has devoted over 35 years to empowering women to live with
confidence, compassion, and purpose. Author of Venerable Women: Transform
Ourselves, Transform the World, she has completed more than 400 hours of training in
Compassionate Self-Care and Care for Others in Chennai, India. Dawn brings a deep
belief that kindness, attentive listening, and gentle accountability can help transform any
challenge. A loving mother and grandmother, she offers her heart and experience in
service to all who seek support–and is honored to serve as a Conference Care Team
Member at the 41st Women and Spirituality Conference.
Tiffany Adams
Jo/Shannon Abbott
Jo is a Shamanic Reiki Practitioner, a Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator, and a medicine carrier. They also have a background as a social worker and firefighter.
Their unique professional and personal experience gives them the capacity to hold space and create safety. They are honored to be able to offer support to those that need it at the conference.
