My Speaking

I’ve given more than 500 talks to many different kinds of groups and organizations over the years in dozens of cities across the country. My talks are almost always positive and practical and I love to share great ideas about how children, teens, young adults, parents, and professionals can succeed and thrive.  Here are some of my most popular talks:

 

Talks for Professionals

 

Therapy with Young Men – Young adult guys can be difficult to engage in therapy, but work with them can be incredibly rewarding. I give practical advice on how to build rapport, lower resistance, and incorporate practical tools that help young men move forward in life. (Can be a keynote, breakout, half-day, or full day presentation).

 

Therapy with Resistant Teens: A Motivational Approach – Therapists know resistant teens are among the most frustrating population to help, yet the need is so high. In this training, I share a model of principles from motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy that has a proven track-record of engaging resistant teenage clients. (Can be a keynote, breakout, half-day, or full day presentation).

 

Build Your Dream Practice – I co-founded Southeast Psych 17 years ago and it has grown into one of the largest, most innovative psychology practices in the country with nearly 50 therapists in four locations and a media division. The practice has become so successful that a publisher invited me and my co-founder, Dr. Frank Gaskill, to write, “How We Built Our Dream Practice.” This presentation shares the principles of what has helped our business thrive and is an inspirational message for anyone who is in private practice or is dreaming of starting one. (Can be a keynote, breakout, half-day, or full day presentation).

 

Understanding Millennials & The Next Generation – My first two books and my parenting book were really focused on understanding generational differences. This theme has been a part of my professional life for more than twenty-five years. Understanding the Millennials, as well as the generation that is following them, is vital to effective clinical practice with younger clients. In this presentation, I will explain the traits of these younger generations, the key differences between them and older generations, and the implications for clinical practice. (Can be a keynote, breakout, or half-day presentation).

 

Applied Positive Psychology: Practical Tools for Clinical Practice – I love the revolution of Positive Psychology and how it has changed how we think about people. Rather than only focusing on what is wrong with people (diagnoses, pathology, and so on), we now focus on what is right with them, what helps them thrive, and how we can learn from those who do well in life. Only recently have we learned to apply this to clinical practice in a well-integrated way. This presentation offers practical ways to integrate the principles of positive psychology into therapy. (Can be a keynote or breakout presentation).

 

 

Talks for Parents

 

Raising Resilient Kids – How do you help your kid become more resilient? This incredibly practical talk shows parents how they can promote resiliency in their children and teens, giving them the ability to bounce back after adversity, overcome obstacles, and persevere in the face of hardship. (1 hour)

 

A Parent’s Guide to Social Media – What’s a parent to do with social media evolving so quickly and playing such a big role in the lives of our kids? This talk provides some guiding principles that parents can use to understand the role of social media in their teen’s life and to make wise decisions about it. (1 hour)

 

The Truth About Teens – Are teens getting worse? Are they more violent? More disrespectful? Rather than being influenced by media portrayals and online stories, it’s important to be guided by the facts. Find out the real truth about teens, both the good news and bad news. I update this talk with the latest research nearly every time I give it to ensure the facts are up-to-date and accurate. (1 hour)

 

Eight Traits of Great Parents – What separates outstanding parents from the others? Based on a study of excellent parents, this talk shares eight traits that nearly all of them possess. Find out what you can learn from them and incorporate into your own parenting. (1 hour)

 

The Journey of Adoption – As an adoptive parent of four children (who are now young adults) and as the therapist of dozens of adopted children, teens, and young adults over the past twenty-five years, I have a unique perspective on the incredible experience of adoption. This talk weaves my personal experience, the powerful stories of others, and new research into an inspiring and practical discussion of the adoption journey. (1 hour or 1.5 hours)

 

 

I’ve given hundreds of talks and presentations over the past 25 years to many different kinds of groups and organizations. Here are just two dozen of the of organizations or conferences that have invited me to speak:

 

• Adolescent & Emerging Adult Conference – Washington, D.C.
• Alexander Youth Network – Charlotte, NC
• American Psychological Association – Boston, MA
• Association of Children’s Residential Centers – Newport Beach, CA
• Ben Franklin Institute – Phoenix, AZ
• Charlotte Country Day School – Charlotte, NC
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools – Charlotte, NC
• Christ School – Asheville, NC
• Council for Children’s Rights – Charlotte, NC
• Curry Ingram Academy – Franklin, TN
• Devereux Foundation – Devon, PA
• Father Ryan High School – Nashville, TN
• Kennedy Medical Center – Monrovia, Liberia
• Montgomery Bell Academy – Nashville, TN
• Nashville Psychotherapy Institute – Nashville, TN
• North Carolina Psychological Association – Chapel Hill, NC
• Providence Day School – Charlotte, NC
• The Rankin Center at Fletcher School – Charlotte, NC
• Secret Harbor School – Seattle, WA
• South Carolina Association of School Psychologists – Myrtle Beach, SC
• Southern Oregon Adolescent Study and Treatment Center – Grants Pass, OR
• Southwestern School for Behavioral Health Studies – Tucson, AZ
• Summit for Clinical Excellence – Denver, CO
• Thompson Youth and Family Focus – Matthews, NC

 

 

I’ve also had the great pleasure speaking or serving as a panelist at a few Pop Culture Conventions, such as:

• Comic-Con in San Diego
• HeroesCon
• AspieCon
• Wizard World

 

These conferences are fun and use popular culture ideas, like Superheroes, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, or Star Wars to talk about important psychological ideas, like attachment, trauma, and the search for meaning.

 

If you would like to book me for a talk or conference, click here [daverhaagen@gmail.com] to contact me directly about rates and availability.