Workshops
Powerful and Engaging Content
Vision & Goal
My professional goal is to provide quality services focused on today’s most pressing concerns for families, educators, mental health, social service & community professionals. Our world is rapidly changing and issues such as increased substance use, mental health issues, addictions, gun violence and unmanageable levels of stress are affecting the quality of life for all of us.
My personal vision is to inspire people to believe that together we can renew hope and trust in each other, break down barriers in compassionate & inclusive ways and create a world where open hearts and minds leads us to deeper acceptance, self awareness and healthier communities.
Keynote Presentations Workshops Consulting
- All workshops include lecture, experiential role-plays, group discussion, and skill building interwoven with humor and real-life stories that provide for an exciting, practical and creative professional development experience.
- Workshops & topics can be tailored to fit the needs of your community organization, parent group, or school.
- I offer personalized coaching sessions and group “talk outs” for children/teens, parents, educators, and community professionals.
- I offer short and long term consulting with your school, parent group, community organization on any of the topics listed or one that may be of specific interest.
- I offer parent/child group sessions & peer mediation to bridge the inevitable divide when children begin to grow and establish their identities.
- Each workshop can be tailored to suit your chosen topic, time constraints and budget.
- I offer the Myers Briggs Personality Type Assessment.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention & Behavior Improvement
Turning Crisis into Teachable Moments
This workshop will explore the factors that contribute to behaviors commonly referred to as “acting out”. Children as well as adults use behavior whether positive or negative in order to meet their needs. Participants will learn how to successfully intervene with confidence and compassion. Using our own personal history, personality styles and connections with our children as an intervention tool we can improve relationships with our children for optimal learning and mental health.
Social Media, Bullying, & Mental Heath
A 21st Century Dilemma
Our modern world of technology has created both positive and negative outcomes. Our children face challenges that go beyond their children’s maturational level. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube & Instagram have created easy opportunities for children to gossip, exclude others, bully, sexually act out and become victims of predatory behavior by others.
Topics include:
- How technology use has changed the way teens interact, date, and learn about their world
- The benefits and limitations of social media
- How technology use can influence high-risk behaviors
- How to keep your kids talking to you about what’s on their mind and what’s happening at school
- How to create and enforce reasonable limits
This session will give parents and educators the tools and shared support to effectively intervene and educate our children about social media and positive use of the Internet.
KIDS on the Fringe:
Mental Health, Guns, and School-A Deadly Mix
Our lives have become increasingly more challenging as our external world creates more demands. The current barrage of media images often portray behavior and attitudes that are contrary to what we are trying to teach our children such as aggression, lying, greed, manipulation and de-sensitization toward harming others. When pressured children and adults can develop mental health and behavioral issues that can lead to destructive behavior toward self and others both in the home and school environment, which in turn can cause situations of “crisis” including gun violence.
This workshop will examine the intersection of the home and school environment, adolescent mental health issues, gun violence and the inevitable fallout of these powerfully traumatizing events. The workshop will explore how adult professionals and parents can become catalysts through which youth can change destructive behavior patterns.
Wendy’s Personal Story of Addiction
A Life Recovered
As a woman with 25 years of recovery from alcohol and drug use I am uniquely qualified to speak to parents, teens, teaching & mental health professionals about the devastating consequences of substance abuse. By the age of 15 I was actively drinking due to peer pressure, sexual assault, self esteem issues, undiagnosed depression, & family issues. While my substance use started as the typical rite of passage in American culture I knew my use was not normal and was my reaction to crushing pressure over the challenges of my adolescence and adulthood. In this talk I tell my story of use, the negative consequences, and my journey to recovery. Addiction is a pervasive disease, which takes many forms and does not discriminate. Join me for an educational, powerful, engaging talk on how to help teens and adults to cope with life challenges without turning to destructive substances.
Substance Use & Abuse
Where the Road Divides
The American Psychiatric Association describes addiction as, “A complex condition, and a chronic brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence”. There are many reasons why children & adults experiment with drugs and alcohol such as peer pressure, self esteem issues, as a right of passage in American culture, self-medication of mental health disorders and a need to deal with the pressures of their lives. Supporting our youth to understand how substances impact their physical, emotional and mental development is critical as our communities deal with increasing overdoses, fatal car accidents, sexual promiscuity and a range of destructive behaviors.
This workshop will detail types of substances, symptoms of use, impact on development, current data and treatment options and practical supports & tools for those adults caring for young people who are in danger of substance use or are currently using alcohol and drugs.
Stress Reduction, Mindfulness & Meditation
Understanding Stress for Children and Adults
Hans Selye discovered and described the General Adaptation Syndrome commonly referred to as “stress”. It is the response of the body to demands placed upon it. What is it about our lives that cause us anxiety, irritation, joy, rage, relief, depression, boredom and hope? Can we embrace our stressors and use those challenges for personal growth or are we destined to go from one pressure filled crisis to the next? How do children differ in the way they manage the challenges of their lives? Can we really do anything about the high-speed connection required to keep up with modern life, the pressure to achieve and the constant media images that dictate everything from the clothes we buy, the car we drive, to the food we eat?
Topics include:
- What is stress? Is there such a thing as “good” stress?
- How human biology, personal history and personality impact our response to pressure
- How stress impacts our school, home and community experience
- Effective and creative ways to accept stress and use it as a path to growth
Mental Health Education 101
Understanding & Compassion
Research by the National Institute for Mental Health shows that most mental disorders follow a developmental course that typically starts early in life. Early identification is key to intervening in developing disorders. As a society we continue to stigmatize children and adults for mental health issues that develop due to genetics, mental, emotional and environmental factors. The way in which we interact with those who struggle can be a positive and compassionate means of support. This workshop will discuss a range of mental health disorders, causes, intervention and treatment supports.
The Adventure of Adolescence
Fasten Your Seatbelts for the Roller Coaster Ride of Change
Adolescence is a time of growth and change. Often for parents and educators, it is difficult to distinguish between typical adolescent behaviors and emotions and those that are cause for concern. This workshop provides an opportunity for parents of teens with a wide range of mental health challenges to gain objective insights about their child’s experience and how to better assist and support their teens as well as themselves.
Topics include:
- Physical, emotional and cognitive development of children into adolescence
- Common adolescent behaviors and emotions
- Family dynamics and interpersonal relationships
- Culture, peer pressure, acting out behavior and self-esteem
- Substance use and self-medicating behavior
- Intervention and mental health issues; diagnosis and treatment
- Common strategies for helping your teen succeed
Additional Topics Being Added, Check Back Soon.
Clients
