Team & Board
Star Spider
Executive Director & Founder
After leaving a high-control group twelve years ago, Star Spider had a relentless desire to understand the intricacies of psychological manipulation and coercive control. With years of dedicated formal education and independent research, Star has evolved into a seasoned researcher and writer. Currently pursuing a major in philosophy with a minor in psychology at TMU, Star brings a unique blend of personal insight and academic expertise to the field of psychological manipulation. Over two decades, Star has assumed diverse roles, including event planner, producer, student, researcher, and writer. Now, with the establishment of Counter, Star aims to empower others with knowledge and tools to prevent and counter psychological manipulation and coercive control.
Kim Jaggers
Consultant & Board Member
Kim Jaggers (MSW, RSW) is the Clinical Director and Founder of Guide Mental Health, a private Toronto based group practice that focuses on providing Therapy in the Life Space. With over 15 years of experience working in corrections, hospital settings, child protection, and community based mental health, Kim has become an advocate for those facing barriers to seeking mental health support. Kim is passionate about teaching and currently provides field instruction as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Kim’s professional work has focused on helping children and adults living with trauma, as well as providing education and support to those who have experienced gender-based violence, both in Canada and abroad. Kim currently lends her support and expertise to COTI, a Uganda-based organization focused on helping women and children move out of violence and poverty through education, and also works closely with the University of Western Ontario in special projects guided by the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children.
Lisa Smusz
Board Member
Lisa Smusz is a seasoned strategist with 25 years of experience in senior-management-level roles, excelling in public and mental health initiatives on local, statewide, national, and international levels. By blending traditional research methods with lived experiences, she finds unique solutions to complex problems. As an Instructor at California State University, East Bay for the past 19 years, Lisa has taught many courses for both the Department of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism as well as the Department of Educational Psychology.
Lisa is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPC 298) and was a member of the prestigious 2022 Global Health Delivery Intensive cohort at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Bio-Psychology and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology/Counseling. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys exploring thrift stores, reading geeky non-fiction books, and embarking on adventures with her family of seven.
Claudia Osmond
Board Member
Claudia is the Director of Education and Staff Development at Christie Gardens, a retirement community in Toronto. She is a former elementary school teacher turned elder care culture changer who now educates retirement home and LTC employees and students, supporting both their professional and personal development.
By night, Claudia dabbles in poetry and painting, and she also writes children’s fiction. She is an avid road-tripper and camper and dreams of the day she can live among the trees and sleep under the stars.
Claudia has three adult children, two dogs, an aquarium full of sweet little water creatures, and has lived in Toronto with her husband since 2010.
Ben Badger
Operations Manger
Ben Badger is a storyteller. He has worked in the post-production industry for almost 20 years and has a passion for interactive gaming. He met Star Spider in a high-control group and they exited the situation together. Since then, he’s been looking for a way to help others and tell his story in a way that is authentic and would benefit the world. He’s working to help establish Counter as an organization that can have broad efficacy for a problem that is so widespread and touches so many lives