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.
Upcoming Events
The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself
Nedra Glover Tawwab, LCSW
Licensed therapist and New York Times bestselling author
Natalie Y. Moore
Award-winning journalist and author and senior lecturer and director of audio programming at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
ON ZOOM
Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History
Helen Zoe Veit, Ph.D.
Associate professor of history at Michigan State University
John Waller, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the History of Medicine at Michigan State University
ON ZOOM
How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside
Daniel Pink
#1 New York Times bestselling author
ON ZOOM


