Brené Brown, Ph.D., LCSW
Huffington Foundation-Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston
The Wholehearted Child: Guideposts for Helping Children Cultivate a Resilient and Hopeful Spirit
Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown, Ph.D. will explore strategies that parents and teachers can utilize to help children develop a spirit of hope, gratitude, connection, and perseverance. Brown explains that if wholeheartedness is a goal for our families, then above all else we should strive to raise children who: 1) Engage with the world from a place of worthiness; 2) Embrace their vulnerabilities and imperfections; 3) Feel a deep sense of love and compassion for themselves and others; 4) Value hard work, perseverance, and respect; 5) Carry a sense of authenticity and belonging with them, rather than searching for it in external places; 6) Have the courage to be imperfect, vulnerable, and creative; 7) Don’t fear feeling ashamed or unlovable if they are different or if they are struggling; 8) Move through our rapidly changing world with courage and a resilient spirit.
Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She is a nationally renowned speaker – her 2010 TEDxHouston talk is one of the 10 most popular TEDx talks, nearly six million views, and she was a featured national TED speaker in 2012. She is the author of The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t), both best sellers. Her presentations are noted for their wit, compassion, honesty and insight – there’s much to relate to in her appealing message, and her hopeful, optimistic, endorsing manner is a great spur to live “wholeheartedly” as you go out into the world.