Our Current Work
Founder, Julie Turner, serves as an advisory board member and has created a movement program at the Good Shepherd Shelter in Los Angeles, a long-term shelter for mothers and children who have escaped domestic violence.
Our current program involves teaching the mom’s a body movement class once a week. This trauma-informed program helps survivors regulate their nervous systems and rebuild physical and emotional resilience. After abuse, many live in a constant fight-or-flight state. Movement practices like Pilates, dance, yoga, and functional fitness help reduce these responses, restore confidence, and support healing. These group and individual classes emphasize bodily autonomy, awareness, and the mind-body connection—helping survivors feel calmer, more focused, and present in their lives and parenting.
We also host a 3-week summer camp for the children living at the shelter. Through activities like soccer, dance, Pilates, and yoga, the camp builds confidence, self-advocacy, and peer connection in a safe, playful environment. It also provides mothers valuable time for their own healing while children engage in supportive movement-based activities.
We’ve witnessed amazing transformations in the residents of this shelter over the past five years and are eager to expand our program to include more classes here for the moms and children while expanding our program to other shelters in Los Angeles.
Who We Are
Julie Turner - Founder
Julie Turner is a dancer, movement instructor, and Reiki master with more than 20 years of experience in kinesiology, somatic practice, and trauma-informed training. She holds an MFA from George Washington University in dance, along with certifications in Social Dance, Pilates, Reiki, and Myofascial Release.
Julie believes deeply in the healing power of movement and integrates anatomy, somatic awareness, and energy work to help survivors of domestic violence reconnect with their bodies, release stored tension, and rebuild a sense of safety and strength. Her approach blends precise instruction with compassion to support emotional regulation and embodied confidence.
She began her career as a professional dancer in New York and later became a sought-after movement instructor, teaching on the sets of Django Unchained, Scandal, and Confirmation. Her work has been featured in Self Magazine and on Elle.com. Julie also serves on the Advisory Board for Good Shepherd Shelter in Los Angeles.
Stacey Urauchi - Board President
Stacey Urauchi believes in the power of movement to help survivors reclaim safety, agency, and joy. Her leadership centers on creating healing spaces that are accessible, culturally responsive, and grounded in compassion.
In her role with the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development’s School-Based Initiative, Stacey helps build programs that nurture emotional well-being and strengthen community-based systems of care. She collaborates with schools and partner organizations to expand trauma-informed practices and ensure that youth have the resources they need to thrive.
Stacey holds a Master of Health Administration (MHA) and brings years of experience in community health and nonprofit leadership. Guided by her identity as a fifth-generation Asian American woman, she is committed to advancing collective healing and supporting communities with empathy, equity, and resilience.
Lyndsie Curry - Board Treasurer
Lyndsie Curry brings legal expertise, advocacy, and deep compassion to her work with The Movement Effect. As an attorney dedicated to supporting survivors of trauma and violence, she is committed to expanding wellness and movement services in domestic violence shelters across Los Angeles.
Her career began at SafeHouse in Birmingham, Alabama, where she supported survivors navigating the legal system. She later served as an Assistant District Attorney in Tuscaloosa, prosecuting domestic violence cases and working to ensure long-term safety for survivors.
With firsthand experience in the gaps and challenges survivors face, Lyndsie believes strongly in holistic healing. Her trauma-informed approach and dedication to survivor-centered support help guide the organization’s mission and strategic vision.
Lyndsie received her JD from The University of Alabama School of Law.
Lauren Zaslansky Conner - Board Secretary
Lauren Zaslansky Conner is a Fractional Chief Operating Officer who helps small and medium sized businesses find clarity and confidence in their work. She brings a community-centered, empathy-driven approach to her role at The Movement Effect, ensuring that healing and connection remain at the heart of the organization’s work.
Lauren’s career includes leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, MGA Entertainment, and Little Tikes, along with serving as co-founder of GatheringUs, where she supported families through grief and major life transitions. These experiences shaped her commitment to creating supportive, dignified spaces for people in vulnerable moments.
Service is central to Lauren’s work. She is a past co-president and former treasurer of Burbank Temple Emanu El, and a former board member of ACEing Autism. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.