Dr. Robert Brooks is one of today’s leading speakers and authors on the themes of resiliency, motivation, school and work climate, and promoting positive family relationships. During the past 35 years, he has presented both nationally and internationally to thousands of parents, educators, and mental health and business professionals. Dr. Brooks is renowned for the warmth and humor he brings to everyday challenges in the classroom and beyond. His perspective is rooted in a strength-based therapeutic approach that relies on identifying and reinforcing “islands of competence.” In addition, Dr. Brooks focuses on the benefits of expressing gratitude and appreciation. His ultimate goal is to help children and adults adopt a more resilient, optimistic, and productive mindset and lifestyle.
Dr. Brooks is the author or co-author of 17 books, including: Raising Resilient Children; Raising a Self-Disciplined Child; Handbook of Resilience in Children; Understanding and Managing Children’s Classroom Behavior: Creating Sustainable, Resilient Classrooms; and The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life.
Dr. Robert Brooks received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Clark University in Massachusetts. He is presently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and also has a private practice where he works with children, adolescents, adults, and families with special learning and emotional needs. Dr. Brooks has received numerous awards throughout his career, including most recently, the 2018 Mental Health Humanitarian Award from William James College in Newton, MA for his work as a clinician, educator, and author. In 1997, Dr. Brooks completed a videotape and educational guide for PBS entitled “Look What You’ve Done! Stories of Hope and Resilience.” This program focused on the impact of resiliency in children with special needs and their everyday courage. Dr. Brooks continues in his work to stress the importance of discovering each child and adult’s “islands of competence” and to foster new skills by building upon those foundational strengths.
Participants will be able to describe mindset theories that are used in education and mental health, including those that focus on social-emotional factors and the relationships we develop with students; explain the lifelong impact that one adult can have on a student’s well-being and resilience; discuss the significance of empathy in understanding and responding effectively to students; and apply strategies for nurturing students’ intrinsic motivation, learning, self-discipline, caring, and resilience in classrooms and one-on-one sessions.
