A large part of my time is spent facilitating workshops and delivering keynote speeches to audiences and organizations in Canada and around the world.
From parents to professionals, corporate audiences to educational institutions, live speaking engagements are sometimes the best way to help a large number of people and to help instill feelings of empowerment and excitement about enacting the changes they want to improve their lives.
What To Expect | Keynotes | Workshops | Professional Development | Booking Inquiry
What You Can Expect
My speaking approach blends actual clinical experience and research-based evidence with my first-hand understanding of human nature and the difficulties we all have with finding peace, balance, and connection in our busy lives.
Every program below is backed by extensive research, and I make sure that participants walk away with the necessary tools and practical take-home strategies to create positive momentum in their lives. Each of my programs can be customized to suit your specific needs.
- After completing the speaking inquiry below, you will hear back from me within 72 hours.
- We’ll arrange a call to make sure there is a good fit, and that your audience receives the best experience possible.
- We will discuss any additional resources that may be helpful to your attendees or to your organization so that learning doesn’t end at the event.
KEYNOTES
What Our Kids Wish We Knew
Our kids face a lot of pressures and experience tremendous amounts of stress in today’s busy world. It is critical for parents and teachers to know their kids and what they are experiencing and learn how to support them before they start on a destructive path. In this keynote, I address:
- How to deal with today’s unique pressures our kids face every day
- Key messages our kids wished we knew and what to do about it
- What we can do to nurture and promote resilience in kids
The Importance Of Letting Our Kids Fail
As loving parents, we want to protect our kids from disappointment and failure. However, in protecting our kids, we not only take away important learning opportunities, we negatively affect their brain development and limit success. In this keynote, I address::
- Why failure is important for our kids (and when it isn’t)
- Tips on how to teach kids to face, and thrive from, failure
- How to get out of the way to allow our kids to fail
Screen time: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Many parents struggle with screen time. On the one
hand, they know they should limit screens. On the other, they realize that screens
are part of kids’ culture. How much is too much? In this keynote, participants
will learn:
- The effects of screen time on the developing brain
- The behavioural outcomes of too much screen time
- How and when technology can be beneficial
WORKSHOPS
Engaging the Disengaged Student
Students who are motivated to learn do the best academically and model prosocial behaviours in the classroom. Conversely, disengaged students not only perform poorly in school – they are often disrupting elements in the classroom. Unfortunately, the number of disengaged students has been on the rise year after year and has only multiplied since COVID-19. To date, almost a quarter of students are unmotivated and checked out.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn:
- Understand the multiple barriers to engagement and how to identify them
- How to identify the disengaged students who fly under the radar
- How to manage the behavioural manifestations of disengagement
- Build your capacity as an educator to promote and manage student engagement
- How to optimize whole class engagement from the first day of school to the end of the year
- How to adapt strategies to include in Individualized Learning Plans
Building confidence and resilience in kids
Confidence and resilience are critical to help kids not only manage difficult life experiences but also to also grow from those experiences and achieve ongoing success. Without them, kids can become overwhelmed with strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty. As a result, they stop taking risks, stop learning, and stop growing.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
- What is resilience and why it is important
- Key ingredients to resilience and confidence
- Practical strategies to build resilience and boost confidence
Emotion regulation and overcoming big feelings
Kids experience a range of emotions every day, from excitement and joy to disappointment and anxiety. When they don’t know how to manage those emotions, problem behaviours often result and can negatively affect their physical, psychological, academic, and social well-being. As adults, we play a critical role in helping our kids learn how to manage their emotions.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
- The role of emotions and how they show up
- The importance of emotion regulation and long-term success
- How emotion regulation develops and how our responses can affect development
- Practical strategies to help kids learn how to manage emotions effectively
Effective Behaviour Management
As important role models and teachers in our children’s lives, we play a vital role in helping them engage with their world safely and successfully. Unfortunately, kids do not come with a manual and many parents feel overwhelmed, unsure of how to address behaviours effectively.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
- How to meet kids where they are and help them get to where they need to go
- Practical strategies to prevent problem behaviours from happening
- How to teach your children how to make positive behavioural choices
- Effective strategies to address challenging behaviours that do show up
Self-regulation: The Keys to Success
Kids (and parents! and educators!) are under a lot more stress than ever before, which can make it hard to self-regulate effectively and manage day-to-day stressors, which can often manifest in problem behaviours or emotional outbursts. In this workshop, participants will learn
- All about self-regulation and the role of emotions
- How to best respond to kids’ stress
- Practical strategies to teach kids how to manage their stress, self-regulate, and promote prosocial behaviours
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (for Educators & Clinicians)
Under the radar: Kids struggling silently with ADHD and how to help them succeed
ADHD can be an asset. However, when it is missed, it can interfere with kids’ success at school, as well as with their social and emotional development. When left untreated, kids are vulnerable to developing low self-esteem and other lifelong risks. Identification and intervention are critical for successful functioning in life.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
- What ADHD is, and the importance of diagnosis
- How to identify the silently struggling kids
- How to optimize success for kids with ADHD
Identifying and managing Anxiety in kids
Anxiety is at epidemic levels among children and teens and, if not managed effectively, often leads to depression. However, anxiety is one of the most treatable conditions as long as you know what to look for and have the strategies and skills necessary to help kids.
These workshops will help participants:
- Understand the nature of anxiety
- Learn how anxiety shows up and hijacks learning
- How to help kids build the skills they need to tame their worry gremlins
- Learn how to create experiential learning opportunities for kids to overcome anxiety
- Maintain collaboration between parents and school personnel to promote student success
Effective Behaviour Management in the Classroom
Teachers play an important role in helping students engage with their learning environment safely and successfully. However, many teachers lack professional development support in improving classroom management. Behaviour problems tend to increase everyone’s stress levels and limits learning. There are practical, straightforward approaches you can implement in your class to promote prosocial behaviour and academic engagement.
In this workshop, teachers will learn:
- About brain development and how to meet kids at their developmental level
- How behaviour is affected by the environment
- Practical strategies to prevent problem behaviours from happening
- Effective strategies to address and reduce challenging behaviours that do show up
- How to teach students to make positive behavioural choices
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP CONSULTATION
I offer small group and individual consultation for mental health
professionals and school districts (including school counsellors,
psychologists, nurses, and special education staff.)
Most often these are done through video conferencing. Consultation can
be ongoing or single meeting.
Please contact me for rates and scheduling.
Speaking Inquiry
Please fill out the form below and include any relevant details about your event. I’d love to make sure there is a great fit and that we can deliver an amazing experience for you.
You can expect to hear back within 72 hours.
