From left, Clinical Psychologist Christopher Willard, Clinical Psychologist Roberto Olivardia and Developmental Pediatrician Mark Bertin, presented about emotional regulation during MPY’s seminar, “Practical Strategies for Self-Regulation.” (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
WAKEFIELD – Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) presented a hybrid professional development seminar, “Practical Strategies for Self-Regulation,” on March 23 via Zoom and at Minuteman High School in Lexington.
Over 100 educators attended the conference in-person, and 465 additional participants attended virtually.
Developmental Pediatrician Mark Bertin, M.D., Clinical Psychologist Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., and Clinical Psychologist Christopher Willard, Psy.D., led attendees through an in-depth exploration of emotion and emotional regulation. Participants learned how disorders shape emotional experience and how to identify disorder-specific emotional patterns, understand their influence on students’ daily functions and how to incorporate mindfulness into the classroom to support self-regulation.
Bertin is a published author and faculty member at NY Medical College and the Windward Teacher Training Institute. He serves on the Board of Directors for APSARD and the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, and is on the advisory boards of Common Sense Media and Reach Out and Read.
Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and clinical associate at McLean Hospital, and a lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice, is a published author and sits on the Professional Advisory Boards for Children and Adults with ADHD, the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude Magazine and is a Featured Expert for Understood.
Willard teaches at Harvard Medical School and works part-time in a private practice. He is the author of 20 books, has spoken in thirty countries, has presented at two TEDx events and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, cnn.com and elsewhere.
Participants praised the seminar for the mindfulness strategies it provided and the perspectives the three speakers shared.
“Today I attended the ‘Practical Strategies for Self-Regulation’ conference with MPY. The speakers were great – well informed and engaging,” said Amanda Lehman, Brookline High School Connections Lead Teacher. “Their talks highlighted individuals’ experiences with different conditions and shared concrete strategies for supporting students. I plan to introduce mindfulness activities with my students after learning various ideas today. I also have a deeper understanding of how ADHD and other conditions impact emotional regulation.”
“Today’s conference focused on practical strategies for self-regulation. All three speakers brought unique and valuable perspectives into this topic,” said Alena Jewett, Assistant Principal of Woburn Street School. “I learned about mindfulness practices, and attendees were given many examples to use in their classrooms. The theme of naming feelings, identifying emotions, and validating emotions supports learners in becoming more self-aware. When students are regulated, they feel calm in their bodies and brains, which makes them feel safe enough to learn. This conference was very impactful, and all educators and parents should understand how to support emotional regulation for themselves and their students.”
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 190 webinars and over a dozen conferences and seminars.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
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Teachers, support staff and school administrators listen to a presentation during Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s seminar, “Practical Strategies for Self-Regulation.” (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
