Tina’s Most-RECENT Programs

Returning to school: Meeting the Needs of the moment

As we emerge from the COVID-19 shutdown, Dr. Bryson is available to offer a parent-ed or professional-development presentation focused on the unique current moment; or, if you’d like her to discuss any of the topics on this page, she can cover those subjects in light of the many challenges parents and educators are facing as we reflect on the uncharted waters of the 2021-2022 school year (and subsequent years).

In addition, Dr. Bryson is offering a new service where she provides schools with a monthly, three-to-five-minute video (see examples here and here), which can be shared with parents and teachers. Many schools have been excited by this idea, since it lets them reach overwhelmed parents who need extra ongoing support this year or are too overwhelmed to attend a parent-ed event.  Others have chosen to schedule a 60- to 90-minute event with Dr. Bryson, then use the monthly videos as ongoing education/reminders of the concepts she introduced during her appearance with the larger group.

For prices on an individual event, the ongoing monthly videos, or a bundled package, give us your information (by clicking here), and we’ll be back in touch as soon as we can.

Parenting and Pivoting In a Pandemic

After the unprecedented events in 2020, there has never been a more important time to consider what kids and teens need to thrive. Right now, as we all emerge from quarantine but still aren’t sure exactly how safe we all are, many students are feeling anxious, sad, chaotic, disappointed, angry, or withdrawn. Others seem fine or might even seem to be doing better. Regardless, the months of distance learning, restricted social life, and absence of scheduled activities have left parents worrying about our kids' mental health, their long-term development, and their future. How do we navigate these uncertain times to minimize the damage and to maximize optimal development? Is there anything we can do to create a buffer that protects our kids? And what if we as parents don’t feel like we have the capacity to parent well right now?

The good news is that over 50 years of cross-cultural research has proven pretty clearly what kids need most, both in "normal" times and when the world seems like it's been turned upside down. In her book THE POWER OF SHOWING UP (co-authored with Dan Siegel), Dr. Bryson shares the latest brain and attachment research, which clearly demonstrates how best to make a difference in the lives of children we care about—we simply need to show up.

In this presentation, Dr. Bryson will discuss what showing up means, sharing stories and simple strategies for honoring the Four S’s (helping kids feel secure, seen, soothed, and safe). She'll discuss practical advice for supporting anxious kids, hitting the reset button on parenting, and creating a safe harbor at home for children of all ages. Using her trademark warmth and humor, she'll lead us in an exploration of how our whole community can thrive, while also preparing ourselves for whatever comes next.

TEACHING Post-Quarantine

The purpose of this professional-development session is to cultivate wellness and care for faculty and school staff. Dr. Bryson will focus on what the science says regarding tending to our own mental health and wellness, and caring for one another when we’re in such chronic states of high stress. This seminar covers the research behind why social and emotional health is important for educators, as well as simple, practical strategies for stressing those priorities every day, both within and outside of school. As part of this session, Dr. Bryson will share with teachers and administrators activity cards that can help them maintain the daily practice.

Q&A Chat with tina

Either virtually or in person, Tina can show up for parents and/or educators, answering their questions and teaching practical strategies. The goal here would be to provide, instead of a more formal presentation, more of a back-and-forth interaction where she connects with your community to support them as they face the unique challenges of this unique historical moment. This Q&A can be combined with a more formal presentation if preferred, and it can be offered either in person or virtually.

Tina’s Most-Requested Programs

Dr. Bryson’s specialty is the developing brain, but she has spoken and taught on virtually every possible topic related to raising and educating children who thrive. Here are a few of her most popular topics. To get a sense of her personality and communication style, please check out her media page.

the power of showing up

Parents worry. It’s what we do. We worry about our kids and their safety; about the times we let our kids down; if we’re giving them too little or too much attention; and how to manage in a world filled with digital distractions and endless commitments on our time. Reassuringly, the latest brain and attachment research is clear on how best to make a difference in our child’s life over the long run: we simply need to show up.

In this presentation based on her latest book (co-authored with Dan Siegel), Dr. Bryson will share how when a caregiver predictably (not perfectly) cares for a child, that child will enjoy the very best outcomes, even in the face of significant adversity. To help our kids succeed and feel at home in the world, ourchildren need to feel what Siegel and Bryson call in their latest book, the Four S’s: 

1.   Safe—they feel protected and sheltered from harm;

2.   Seen—they know you care about them and pay attention to them by focusing on their inner experience of feelings, thoughts, and meaning in their lives; 

3.   Soothed—they know you’ll be there for them when they’re hurting; and 

4.   Secure—they trust you to predictably help them feel “at home” in the world, then learn to help themselves feel safe, seen, and soothed. 

Offering plenty of warmth and humor, Dr. Bryson will share stories and simple strategies for honoring the Four S’s effectively in all kinds of situations—when our kids are struggling or when they are enjoying success; when we are consoling, disciplining, or arguing with them; and even when we're apologizing for the times we don’t show up for them. No parent is perfect, but all of us can show up for our kids.  Impactful parenting begins right where you are, right now.

The Yes Brain

When facing challenges, unpleasant tasks, and contentious issues such as homework, screen time, food choices, and bedtime, children often act out or shut down, responding with reactivity instead of receptivity. This is a No Brain response. But our kids can be taught to approach life with openness and curiosity. Parents can foster their children’s ability to say yes to the world and welcome all that life has to offer, even during difficult times. This is what it means to cultivate a Yes Brain, and it leads to the characteristics we want to nurture in them:  emotional regulation, resilience, personal insight, and empathy.  In this presentation based on her new book (co-authored with Dan Siegel), Dr. Tina Payne Bryson discusses ways to encourage in our kids this positive, engaged approach to life.  Using her trademark warmth and humor, she will discuss specific strategies for creating Yes Brain opportunities that allow your kids to thrive—both now and as they grow into adulthood.

The Yes Brain for Professionals and Business/Industry Leaders

All of us, without exception, deal with difficult situations in our professional and personal lives. We can’t change that. But the latest neurobiological research is affirming that what we can alter is how we respond to those circumstances. When we automatically respond to challenges with fear, defensiveness, and/or reactivity, this is a “No Brain” response. A No Brain makes it nearly impossible to listen, make good decisions, or connect with a colleague or family member. A focus on survival and self-defense kicks into gear, leaving us feeling guarded and shut down when it comes to interacting with the world and learning new lessons. Our nervous system initiates a fight-flight-freeze-or-faint response, and when these reactive responses to threat become engaged, they can prevent us from being open and keep us from offering flexible responses and finding success.

Instead, we can learn to offer a “Yes Brain” response, where we’re receptive, approaching life with openness, creativity, and curiosity. The Yes Brain emerges from different circuits in the brain that become activated and lead to receptivity rather than reactivity. Scientists use the term “social engagement system” to refer to the set of neural circuits that help us connect openly with others—and even our own inner experience. As a result of receptivity and an active social engagement system, we feel much more capable of addressing challenges in a strong, clear, and flexible way. In this Yes Brain state, we open ourselves to a sense of equanimity and harmony, allowing us to absorb, assimilate, and learn from new information, leading to more effective and constructive responses to the problems we face in our professional and personal lives.

In this presentation based on her book The Yes Brain (co-authored with Dan Siegel), Dr. Tina Payne Bryson discusses ways to cultivate a healthy, innovative, engaged approach to life. Using her trademark warmth and humor, she will discuss specific strategies for creating Yes Brain opportunities that allow us to thrive in our lives. 

The Whole-Brain Child

Your toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of a store. Your preschooler refuses to get dressed. Your fifth-grader sulks on the bench instead of playing on the field. Do children conspire to make their parents’ lives endlessly challenging? No – it’s just their developing brain calling the shots! In this workshop, Tina Payne Bryson demystifies the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining in a clear and practical way the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. Dr. Bryson uses stories and humor to introduce parents to twelve Whole-Brain strategies, including:

• Engage, Don’t Enrage: Keep your child thinking and listening, instead of purely reacting

• Name It to Tame It: Corral raging right-brain behavior through storytelling, appealing to the left brain’s affinity for words and reasoning to calm emotional storms and bodily tension

• Move It or Lose It: Use physical activities to shift your child’s emotional state

• Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By: Guide your children when they are stuck on a negative emotion, and help them understand that feelings come and go

• Connect Through Conflict: Use discord to encourage empathy and greater social success

By applying these immediately practical strategies to everyday parenting, you can turn outbursts, arguments, and fears into opportunities to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. The result? Kids who are happier, healthier, and more fully themselves.

The Whole-Brain Child in the Classroom

In their New York Times bestseller THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD, Tina and Dan Siegel introduce parents and other caregivers to practical strategies based on cutting-edge brain science.  A central principle of the book is that the strategies can help parents not only survive difficult moments with their kids, but actually use those very moments to help their children thrive. In her “The Whole-Brain Child in the Classroom” workshop, Dr. Bryson takes this central concept and applies it to teacher-student interactions.  Displaying her trademark warmth and humor, Tina uses video, stories, and lots of personal experience to help her audience think more deeply about who they want to be as individuals, and how they want to interact with the young minds they’re nurturing.  As a result, educators can increase children's emotional regulation, resilience, personal insight, and empathy. 

In this presentation the latest scientific research–with a special emphasis on neuroplasticity and the changing brain–is presented in a way that’s clear, interesting, and immediately practical.  One primary focus of this workshop is the importance of creating a culture within a classroom–and, even better, within an entire school–where students, parents, teachers, and administrators all recognize the crucial role of relationships in learning and brain development. 

No-Drama Discipline

Based on the ideas from Tina’s New York Times bestseller No-Drama Discipline (with Dan Siegel), this workshop highlights the fascinating link between a child’s neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehavior, providing an effective, compassionate roadmap for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears—without causing a scene.

Defining the true meaning of the “D” word (to instruct, not to shout or reprimand), Dr. Bryson explains how to reach your child, redirect emotions, and turn a meltdown into a teachable moment. By doing so, the cycle of negative behavior (and punishment) is essentially brought to a halt, as problem solving becomes a win/win situation.

This workshop will focus on providing

• strategies that help parents identify their own discipline philosophy—and master the best methods to communicate the lessons they are trying to impart;

• facts on child brain development—and what kind of discipline is most appropriate and constructive at all ages and stages;

• the way to calmly connect and communicate love for a child—no matter how extreme the behavior–while still setting clear and consistent limits;

• tips for navigating your children through the storm to achieve insight, empathy, and repair;

• a discussion of common discipline mistakes even the best parents make—and how to stay focused on the principles of whole-brain parenting and discipline techniques.

Complete with candid parenting stories and a great deal of compassion and humor, this presentation shows you how to work with your child’s developing mind, peacefully resolve conflicts, and inspire happiness and strengthen resilience for everyone in the family.  There will plenty of time for questions and discussion regarding specific challenges you face.

The Whole-Brain Approach for Clinicians 

In this presentation based her two New York Times bestsellers, Dr. Bryson presents the latest scientific research—with a special emphasis on neuroplasticity and the changing brain—in a way that’s clear, interesting, and immediately practical.  The focus is on better understanding the role of experience and focused attention on the ever-developing brain.

Using stories, case examples, power point, videos, and humor, Dr. Bryson encourages clinicians to keep their own developing brains in mind as they nurture their clients’ growing minds.  She provides creative examples of how she uses brain science in her own practice to help children and adolescents see things differently and acquire new tools to develop resilience and feel hope about achieving lasting change in their lives.  At the end of the presentation, clinicians will have a new framework for understanding their clients and their own work, along with several specific Whole-Brain strategies to help young people move from reactivity to resilience.

The Intentional Summer

Summertime. The choices are endless, the time so short. How can we evaluate the many options for our children? Day camps, family vacations, summer school, sports programs, sleepaway camps, and on and on! How do we choose activities? How do we preserve “down-time” in summer? How do we give our children experiences that are both fun and meaningful?

If you’re like most of us, you don’t think much about summer activities until you overhear other parents discussing their children’s plans for the summer. Then you panic, immediately rushing to fill your children’s downtime with the first several activities you hear or read about. Or you sign them up for all the things their friends are doing. Then you spend your summer carting your kids around from park to pool to program, leaving everyone in the family feeling frantic and exhausted.

This workshop, which Dr. Bryson leads with Michael Thompson, the Founder of Lantern Camps, encourages parents to approach summer from a different perspective.  Bryson and Thompson suggest that you give your family the gift of the Intentional Summer. Resist the urge to do it all, to simply fill up every free second. They’ll show parents how to develop a framework and a set of principles that can guide you towards making decisions that allow your kids and your whole family to love summer. The Intentional Summer is about choosing happiness for your whole family by making thoughtful decisions about what is most important for your children’s optimal development. 

No-Drama Discipline and the Teenager

Based on the ideas from Dr. Bryson’s New York Times bestseller No-Drama Discipline (with Dan Siegel), this workshop focuses on how to nurture your adolescent’s academic and emotional health.  Dr. Bryson highlights the fascinating link between a teenager’s neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehavior, providing an effective, compassionate roadmap for dealing with the inevitable difficulties and conflict that arise during this crucial time of life.  Complete with candid parenting stories and a great deal of compassion and humor, this presentation shows you how to work with your child’s developing mind, peacefully resolve conflicts, and inspire happiness and strengthen resilience for everyone in the family.

The Whole-Brain Teen:  A Conversation with Teenagers

Stressed.  Disappointed.  Conflicted.  Confused.  When teenagers get stuck in negative emotions like these, a little brain science can help.  

Dr. Bryson will introduce teens to a few key basics about their brains, including

• how their brain is changing

• how emotion affects their choices

• how they can access their power to choose how they respond to both their internal world and their external circumstances

• how they can make decisions that help sculpt their adult brain.  

Students will walk away with practical ways to apply their new understanding of the brain to help them balance their emotions, make good choices, and enjoy better relationships.

Parenting with the Brain in Mind

What if parents had a simple and practical way to use the latest scientific research to be better parents and help their children be happier, healthier, and more successful? Parenting with the Brain in Mind introduces parents and teachers to essential and groundbreaking science in an accessible, interesting, and practical way, so they can then apply that knowledge in their breakfast-table, grocery-store, temper-tantrum, everyday care-giving world.  Drawing on cutting-edge science, this presentation will use stories and humor to teach practical information about a child’s brain and offer a new perspective on some of the most pressing concerns, along with some tools and strategies for addressing them:

• How can I help them better handle their emotions at home and in school?

• How can I discipline in a way that’s more effective and loving?

• How can a new approach to dealing with tantrums help their brain develop?

• How can I communicate more effectively with my children when they’re irrational?

The “Brain-in-Mind” perspective, along with the many practical tools that result from it, can empower parents to raise kids who are happy, healthy, balanced, and more fully themselves.

Teaching the Developing Brain

In this invigorating in-service workshop, Dr. Bryson applies her “Parenting with the Brain in Mind” insights to the classroom.  The focus is on better understanding the role of experience and focused attention on the ever-developing brain.  Using stories, examples, and a lot of humor, Tina encourages teachers to keep their own developing brains in mind as they nurture their students’ growing minds, as well as to apply their new knowledge to classroom management and their teaching styles.

The Teen Brain

Understanding the radical changes happening in the brain during the teen years can explain teen behavior, help you understand and connect with your teen, and parent or teach your teens more effectively.

Adult Attachment: My Story, My Brain, My Relationships

In this workshop Dr. Bryson discusses how relationships have shaped our brain, and how we can break free of bad relational patterns with our children and others we love.

The best predictor of how well children turn out is that their parents have made sense of their own history and life story.  We each have mental models of how relationships are supposed to work.  These models are based on past relationships and determine how we function in current relationships with our significant others, family, friends, and children.  In this workshop, we’ll explore what adult attachment is, what it has to do with our relationships, and the way we tell our story.  We’ll also look at how attachment experiences have impacted the way our brains work.  By understanding our experiences through the lens of our attachment style and the attachment styles of other people in our lives, we can gain insight into who we are, how our relationships work, and how to change from the inside out.