the library

The Latest! And available now!

SIX PART SEMINAR SERIES FOR THE "RETURN TO WORK" WORLD

These 6 sessions are available individually, but are more powerful when experienced as a bundle! This series takes a look inward, a look across the room at our work communities, and asks attendees some difficult, but potentially transformative questions.

I.

“Now What?! Navigating the Post COVID Workplace”

“I love change!” is perhaps the only sentence I can say for certain, has never been said to me or my team. In fact, unwanted change is probably on our Top Ten list of reasons people seek us out. This seminar will explore and explain change tolerance, change resistance, and what makes a person thrive after change. Changing our own behavior, let alone the behavior of a COMMUNITY, is one of our greatest challenges as humans. Leaders are often charged with "changing a culture" of an organization and they are not exempted from our human tendency to resist change! Attendees will leave with cognitive strategies to use in their personal and professional lives as they collaborate to create a transparent culture.

II. & III.

House Rules: Workplace Culture in the 21st Century

We may all be familiar with the term “organizational culture”, but do we have a shared understanding of what it means? Do we agree on what it looks like in action? This two part series will explore this critical construct. Organizational culture is the personality of the company, and who better than a clinical psychologist with a specialty in personality disorders to help you get it right! We will cover the 5 components of culture: the WHY, the HOW, the HOST, the STORY, the SPACE.

We think in language, we transact in behavior, and language is a form of behavior! These two sessions create some shared narratives for teams.

IV.

Self-Awareness 101: The Most Valuable and Most Difficult Skill on the Planet

Did you know that the number 1 barrier to self- awareness is introspection? Come learn what holds second and third place. I have to be honest…this is one of my favorite topics, and is one of the BOLDEST journeys I have the honor of watching people make. Some research suggests that 

15% of leaders are actually self aware, and it is ground zero for leading in the 21stCentury—which is a bit of a problem.  My goal is for attendees to leave our time together thinking about something in a new way, and committing to behaving forward.

V.

Primary Pain Points and Your Professional Life

This seminar will cover 7 Primary Pain Points that people experience in their personal lives, and I believe manifest in their professional lives. They show up in how they lead, how they experience being lead, and how they relate to each other on teams. This seminar was birthed over the last year and represents a confluence of events; people’s mental health became so much more acceptable to talk about at work, people’s mental health was…well, it was not good. I also had many clients reach out who HAD executive coaches and were told they were at the limit of what they could do, that they needed a therapist to take it to the finish line. Enter me: an executive therapist. I have some wisdoms to share from this last year. When people show up to work, they bring their whole self with them. When people are hurting, they are their worst selves to each other. It is a tough needle to thread-to talk about something REAL, and be vulnerable with boundaries, but I think it can be transformative when done right. 

VI.

“Now What?! Living Your Core Cultural Competencies”

“During these challenging times…”

Are you as weary of this opening commercial tag line as I am?! Literally—just heard it as I was typing this sentence listening to the the radio! I have ruthless optimism it will be something we remember as an artifact of our history, not as an ongoing statement of our present. This closing seminar will seek to connect the content from the previous year into a personal action plan for each employee as they seek to live into the their self identified core values. 

These sessions are 45-75 minutes of content with an allowance for 15-30 minutes of Q/A, discussion or participation depending on audience size and the goals of the hiring organization. At this point, I have also given dozens (and dozens) of webinars virtually, sometimes with slides, sometimes without! Some of the most impactful engagements (based on feedback) have been more like a private coaching session for attendees.

Emotional Safety: The 21st Century Workplace Culture Requirement (If you want to succeed and retain employees!)

I have had dozens of companies ask for webinars about "mental health". I have had dozens of clients complain about their companies attempt to support their "mental health". Myself and our team are on the front lines of what this ACTUALLY COULD LOOK LIKE. If you are open and willing to hear it, we would like to share with you.

Ideal Audience: Anyone that works. Seriously.

Live and Lead with G.R.I.T.

Pluck. Moxy. Determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. “Grit” is a term used by educational czars, cross fit instructors and business leaders in reference to personal gains, athletic prowess, market acumen and physical feats the boggle the mind. Science indicates that the power of perception may trump raw physical and intellectual ability. In other words-all those burpees mean nothing if your head is not right! The truth is, mental toughness is the OUTCOME of a set of practices available to anyone.

Gratitude. Responsibility. Intention. Toughness.

G.R.I.T represents FOUR CORE FACTORS that Dr. Melissa has researched, observed, trained, taught and practiced herself. Learn what these FOUR CORE FACTORS look like in yourself and others (you may be surprised) and leave with action items to try and achieve your goals with G.R.I.T.

Ideal Audience: This keynote has been well received in a broad range of contexts with thousands of diverse attendees. 

Imposter Syndrome 2.0

Have you ever found yourself focusing on what you screwed up, rather than what you accomplished? Have you ever felt that somehow you landed where you are by some sort of error? Have you ever sat in a meeting and thought "I am not sure I belong here."?

Imposter Syndrome as a concept was birthed in the late 70s in reference to women who had achieved great success but somehow were unable to internalize and "own" it. We are well into the start of the 21st century and the term has experienced a sort of re-emergence. Just as many men talk about this now as women! Social media, virtual work contexts, collaboration on projects without any in-person communication, cultural shifts around values and the anxious brain can lead to "Imposter Syndrome 2.0". Fortunately, it can be tackled and conquered. Come learn how to do this for yourself, and for others.

Queen Bee Syndrome 2.0

Every female executive I have EVER coached can share a story of a female colleague actively working to sabotage her. We think we know what this is about…but do we? Men actively work against each other and we do not have a “syndrome” for it?!

Still. There is something unique about the experience for women that deserves its own examination. Come learn with QBS is, what it is NOT, and how to manage yourself and others through the experience.

Self-Care is Not a Pedicure

“Boundaries” are an oft mentioned term in psychology circles and it has entered the pop cultural lexicon, but do you know what they REALLY are? Do you identify and deploy your boundaries strategically? BOUNDARIES are the real self-care. This facetiously titled keynote tackles tough topics with humor and challenges attendees to flex new mental muscles and take risks in relationships in productive ways. Learn definitions, tactics and how to cultivate a mind set to effortlessly and instinctually set healthy boundaries.

Ideal Audience: This 60 minute keynote is relevant for any gathering with a focus on growth, prosperity, and wellness in personal or professional arenas.

NEXT GENERATION Emotional Intelligence: What it IS, what it is NOT and why not knowing the difference WILL cost you.

Awareness of one’s own emotions and ability to recognize emotions in others is only the beginning-They are necessary but not sufficient capacities! I have spent thousands of hours with individuals and couples in therapy and no relationship has ever imploded because of emotions. Similarly, I have never seen anyone get fired because of their feelings. Relationships implode and people get fired because of BEHAVIORS. This session focuses on the history of the concept of intelligence, the neuroanatomy of emotions, and the critical skills required to effectively and efficiently live life, in spite of, and in celebration of, our emotional selves.

Ideal Audience: This 60 minute keynote can function as a seminar/workshop for teams and can be customized to be highly interactive and participatory. This topic has broad appeal and applicability. 

Work/Life Balance, The Loch Ness and Other Modern Myths

This keynote examines the concept of “work-life balance”, the role of for-profit enterprise in employee self-care and the shifting roles/identities for 21st Century family life. Terms like “time management”, “being stressed out” and others are challenged! 

Ideal Audience: This session has been successful with employee organizations that focus on employee growth and development.

Navigating Transitions

Change: To make different over time. Not so scary, right? The resistance to change is a shared human phenomena, but exactly WHY and HOW it operates is deconstructed to give participants a way to frame a “change experience” more accurately leading to more productive behaviors.

Ideal Audience: Any team moving through a procedural or organizational change experience.

Frustration Tolerance, Emotional Dexterity and Cognitive Flexibility: THE Leadership Skills of the 21st Century

Communicate. Persuade. Inspire. Produce. Motivate. Lead. If you are a leader that wants to grow personally and professionally, you have been marinating in books and blogs saturated with those terms. Living into those action verbs is a noble goal! An unintended consequence can be subtle-but transformative…We start to believe we ARE our outcomes, making us vulnerable to “I am a failure” instead of “I failed”-two very different (at least in terms of psychological impact) statements. The irony is people will take LESS risk interpersonally out of fear of failure! This keynote focuses on the deeper issues of identity, self-concept, and meaning-making. Almost an “ironic anti-motivational talk”, this session will walk attendees through the critical importance of playing without purpose, active recovery, being curious, and practicing mindfulness at red-lights (yes, it’s possible). Cognitive flexibility is the result of a set of practices attendees will leave equipped to practice and deploy in their every day lives.

Ideal Audience: This 60 minute keynote has broad appeal for professionals in high demand positions. 

SEMINARS

These sessions include 45 minutes of informational content with up to 15 minutes of guided discussion or participation, depending on number of attendees. Dr. Melissa has over two decades of experience providing seminars for very diverse populations: high school students, parents of college students, non-profit employees, sales teams, health care providers, attorneys, police academy cadets, retired military, senior leaders in organizations and employees at distribution centers to name a few! Some of these topics are more CLINICAL in nature but are included here.

Presentation Topics Include:

Sexual Harassment Inoculation for the 21st Century

Assertiveness Training for Real Life

Communication in the Workplace

Boundary Setting: Advanced Tactics

Anxiety in the Adolescent: Strategies for Parents and Teens

Change Resisters and Chaos Thrivers

Personal Parasites and Emotional Vampires

Just Because you Can, Does Not Mean You Should: The common intimate relationship trap for helping professionals

Mental Toughness: What it ACTUALLY is and how to have it

Work Wont Love You Back: Or Can it?

Eating Disorders

Women’s Health Across the Lifespan

Grief Recovery

LGBTQ Training

Diversity and Inclusion 

Understanding Implicit Bias

Career Choice and Life Planning

Stress Management

Study Skills and Adjustment to College “Freedom".