Mrs. Michelle Pair is the CERD Trainings Coordinator as well as a CERDified Trainer.
With an emphasis on resilience-oriented practices in a multitude of diverse settings among an
equally diverse client base, her belief in Resilience and the importance of community outreach
has naturally lead her to CERD. She is an expert in clinical and group dynamic processes.
Having worked with a variety of clients, a common theme in Mrs. Pair’s work has always
been to facilitate positive interpersonal relationships through strengths building and personal
insight development. She is particularly adept at facilitating relationships between clients
and groups. She has worked in classrooms, and one-on-one with parents, adolescents and
families. Her work also includes participation in a national federally-funded study evaluating
the effects of various treatment modalities on chemical dependency outcomes.
Mrs. Pair earned her Master’s in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the
University of Southern California.
Ms. Sylvia Thyssen is the CERD Projects Coordinator as well as a web consultant, researcher
and editor in the field of drug information. Some of her responsibilities with CERD are the
management of the CERD website and all printed materials. She was drawn to CERD’s
focus on the dynamic client-centered process of Resilience because it transcends rote allegiance
to programs that can quickly grow stale in our fast-paced world. She possesses over
nine years experience in the administration and management of research projects and
complex datasets, including surveys and factsheets. Her previous responsibilities as Projects
Coordinator have included procuring funding support, managing data collection and analysis
and media outreach. Ms. Thyssen graduated cum laude from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Art History and French.
