Laura Khoudari is a trauma practitioner, certified personal trainer, and the author of the book Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time. She is passionate about giving people the tools they need to heal from trauma and cultivate mental health and wellness. Her work has been widely recognized by the trauma and fitness community, and she has been featured on NPR, Buzzfeed, UpWorthy, Outside Online, Medium, Vice, and Nike.com. She has presented her work for Somatic Experiencing International, The Breathe Network, Reebok, Les Mills, The Goodwill Excel Center and fitness studios in the US and Canada. She lives in New York City with her family and two cats.