Laura Peterson is the Founder and Executive Director of Hands to Hearts International,HHI. Laura has been the Clinical Director for a non-profit serving children with severe mental health issues, a Wilderness Therapist for troubled teens, and a faculty member in the College of Public Health at Oregon State University. She created "Wood Chicks", a wilderness empowerment program for women who were victims of domestic violence. Laura has a MA in Counseling, and was trained in the art of healing massage in the U.S. and Thailand. Her commitment to the health of women and children globally comes from years of working with troubled youth and eye-opening travel experiences in developing countries. In May of 2006 Laura received the "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Outcomes Award" from Wisdom University in honor of her impact on global humanitarian issues.