PRESENTATIONS & MEDIA

I am available to present at your treatment center, outpatient program, or community group. A typical presentation covers the following topics and can be customized to suit an individual organization’s needs:

• Introduction to mindfulness—definition, overview
• Benefits of mindfulness—hopeful research findings
• Importance of mindfulness and compassion in addiction recovery and relapse prevention
• Overview of cognitive-behavioral approaches and their benefits for relapse prevention
• Discussion of how to integrate mindfulness, CBT, and 12-step philosophies
• Demonstrate/facilitate a few exercises from the workbook Sober Starting Today.
• Case consultation (if desired)
• Q&A

In-service trainings or other offerings for clinical professionals may be scheduled for 60 to 90 minutes, a half-day, or a full-day residency.  Presentations for patient groups run 60 minutes. 

Daytime presentations are available within a 50-mile radius of Greater Boston. If travel beyond that range is necessary,  the sponsoring program could be asked to cover author’s hotel and travel expenses. Zoom presentations may be arranged.

You might be familiar with your Inner Critic. Most writers and artists are. It’s the voice that says you’re not good enough. Or compares yourself to others. Or expects nothing but perfection. Our instinct is to shove it aside or tell it to shut up. But, paradoxically, we can find more inner peace and free up creative energy by moving toward that voice, with curiosity and compassion. In this workshop, we’ll explore the roots and purpose of the Inner Critic and learn practical skills and strategies for managing it so that you can move happily forward in your writing and artistic life. (60 to 90 mins.)

This interactive presentation is geared to young adults or adults who want to learn about the world of personal journaling. We will take a brief spin across the centuries to review the history of journaling, then discuss "Why journal?" Next, we'll look at the process itself (what, when, where, how), and explore the psychological and physical benefits of starting and maintaining a journaling practice. Brief writing prompts can be included in the presentation, depending on group size and goals. (60 to 90 mins.)

This presentation includes a reading of Charlotte and the Quiet Place; overview of the research and discussion of the benefits of mindfulness for children; and demonstration of kid-friendly mindfulness exercises, including awareness of body, breath, sound, movement. (60 to 90 mins.)

Have you always wondered what’s involved in publishing a picture book? In this workshop, we will review the step-by-step process that led to the publication of Charlotte and the Quiet Place. Using a fun PowerPoint slideshow, I present the text from earliest scribbled notes to finished product, including side-by-side comparisons of the manuscript at different stages. Then we’ll look at the evolution of Sara Woolley’s illustrations, from initial sketches to final product, and discuss how the illustrations influenced the editorial process.  (75 to 90 mins.)

If you were to peer inside the mind of a writer or artist, you might see a  swirl of words and ideas, sounds and images, as well as doubts, fears,  and judgments. Sometimes that mental activity drives our creativity. Sometimes it interferes with or even cripples the process. Mindfulness—slowing down, paying attention, and tuning in to the present moment with acceptance and compassion—can help us bypass internal obstacles to creativity. The technique of freewriting in particular can bring fresh energy and insight to our work. Writing without stopping,  editing, or censoring lowers the volume on the inner critic and opens up new creative avenues for artists, teachers, therapists, businesspeople, and thought leaders. In this talk, which includes a PowerPoint presentation, we look at mindfulness and creativity in general, then focus on freewriting as a powerful mindfulness practice, even for nonwriters. Participants will have the opportunity to do one or two writing exercises to tap in to their own creative well. (90 mins.)

Do you have a hard time quieting your mind? Tuning out distractions? Thinking clearly and creatively? Mindfulness can help. Studies show that mindfulness—noticing what's happening in the present moment without judgment—leads to greater calm, clarity, and resilience, all powerful building blocks for creative work. In this workshop, I review the fundamentals of mindfulness, share the latest research, then offer a series of writings and mindfulness activities designed to open up those creative channels. You'll leave with practical skills and useful strategies for incorporating mindfulness into your writing life. (60 to 90 mins.)