As Executive Director of Central Florida Lewy Body, Sue works creatively & passionately with people, across the state of Florida and beyond. She offers a genuine presence of compassion, an openness to learning from clients, and joy in resourcing families affected by Lewy Body Dementia. She is dedicated to mutual discovery of what brings vitality to life, in the midst of LBD challenges.
And she genuinely loves the many members she feels privileged to serve.
Throughout the years, Sue has specialized in “mind-body-spirit” education and support services, focusing on cognitive health and quality of life enhancement, since her move to Florida.
Sue Bouder’s prior work in the Orlando area has included:
- Facilitator and Coordinator for the Brain Fitness Academy
- Curriculum specialist and facilitator trainer
- Wellness Coordinator for the Cameron Group, an adult care management company
- Presenter for Advent Health’s CREATION Health initiative
- Brain Care Coach, both privately and for Flourish in Place, a home health agency
An ordained Presbyterian minister, Sue first earned her B.A. in Speech & Hearing from the University of Pittsburgh, with a minor in Psychology, and then her M.Div. from Lancaster Theological Seminary. She received additional training in counseling, holistic modalities, and multi-faith education. From 1980-2008, she worked in churches, hospitals, and clients’ homes – in Lancaster, PA; Charleston, SC; New York City; and Stony Point, NY – creating a unique private practice that blended spiritual support with the nursing modality of Therapeutic Touch, along with an Upledger Institute-trained modality called Heart-Centered Therapy.
– Sue is an advocate of multi-disciplinary approaches to healthcare, actively seeking creative partnerships with other care professionals who serve people affected by LBD.
Lisa Leitl, Team Member of Central Florida Lewy Body
Lisa has spent her life in the performing arts as a professional musician and actor. She later found herself using the arts to serve in a variety of diverse communities. During this time she discovered an innate ability to work side by side with both those diagnosed with dementia and their carepartners. She has been working for years now along side non profit organizations facilitating curriculum, developed to stimulate cognitive abilities, along with leading support groups throughout the Central Florida area.
Lisa has continued her studies to include Certification in Contemplative Care from the University of Arizona. She is also been certified to administer the MoCA, Montreal Cognative Assesment, and has been introduced to neuroanatomy and the cognitive domains that MoCA assesses.
Lisa feels it is essential that we don’t just focus on the disease and or diagnosis and instead turn our attention to what each person can continue to contribute, both to the wellbeing of their own lives and lives of others.
Julie Dykstra – Co-Facilitator of “Early Conversations for Care Partners”
Julie has a unique role as both a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a care partner for her husband Tom, who was diagnosed with LBD in 2017. She is passionate about helping caregivers use their strengths and to discover new ones as they care for their loved one. She is committed to helping care partners identify and practice those things that bring them joy and stay healthy while on the LBD journey. She is dedicated to providing emotional support, an atmosphere of openness, and connecting people to appropriate resources. As a participant in for nearly six years in CFLB support groups, she is excited to listen and share with others in different phases of the disease. She is deeply thankful for the facilitators and all who have participated over the years, and the friendships made. Her gentle, compassionate approach and listening ear are some of her greatest strengths.
Julie began her career in counseling after raising their four children and supporting her husband in ministry. Together they served five congregations in Iowa, Long Island, South Florida, and California. Julie completed her final year of college after putting their oldest two children through school and completed her BS in Psychology at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach. She transitioned right into the graduate program, completing her Masters in Counseling Psychology in 2010. Tom had to retire early due to LBD, and they moved to Central Florida.
Her full and part time positions in the field included Crisis Pregnancy Counseling, working as a Family Consultant for Boys Town’s school based early intervention program, Therapist at Parent Child Center, and Case Manager at Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, CA. At this stage in her life, she considers it a blessing to be able to stay home to care for her loving husband of 46 years!