Education Curriculum about Bullying

5 Tips for Teachers to Make Classrooms Bully Free, New Educational Curriculum Released

Each day in America, it is estimated that 160,000 students stay home from school to avoid being bullied. If you take a look at the media headlines in any given week, it's easy to see that bullying is a growing problem in our schools. The good news is that it is a problem that many teachers can help tackle by creating a bully-free classroom, something that is easier to do than one might think.

"We all know that bullying is a major concern in our schools," explains Peter J. Goodman, author of the book "We're All Different But We're All Kitty Cats." "But there are things teachers can do to help address this problem and prevent it from happening." 

Goodman has now bundled his popular book with an educational curriculum package, which helps children identify and work through their emotions and feelings. The combined tools use cats as characters to help teach children about bullying and accepting others even if they have differences. The curriculum, titled "Bully Free Students Make Bully Free Classrooms," focuses on such lessons as what bullying is and feelings and bullying, helping children to identify feelings and how to make the right decisions when they do.

"Being able to integrate a bullying curriculum into the classroom is an effective way to help tackle this problem," says Julia Anderson, Ed.D, a primary school teacher at Arlington Public Schools. "The subject needs to be there at every level during the elementary school years so that the foundation has been laid."

Using a fun, interesting, and educational curriculum such as "Bully Free Students Make Bully Free Classrooms," which has been designed for pre-K through grade 3 students, is just one way that teachers can help create a bully-free classroom. Other tips for doing so include:
Teaching kids to be upstanders, rather than bystanders. Children typically bully others because they believe they are in a power position to do so. But if peers stand up for the child being bullied, the power is taken away from the bully.

Place an emphasis on teaching kindness. Show kids ways that they can be kind to one another, and recognize it when they do, complimenting them on it.

Pair up kids who need a buddy. There are, at times, new kids or those who have a harder time in social situations. Teachers can help with this situation by pairing the child up with someone who has a stronger social personality, so they can stay together during particular activities.
Work with students to brainstorm a list of classroom rules regarding kindness, tolerance, and bullying. Include ways that they can handle conflict resolution, as well, so that they know what to do if situations arise.

"When you combine several of these factors, you will have a much greater chance of creating a bully-free classroom," added Goodman. "Children learn when they have fun, when the information is repeated, and when they can actively play a role."

"Teachers have to be more proactive in this area so that we can create a safer classroom," explains Karen Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with parents and families. "Addressing the issue now and creating a bully-free classroom can save a lot of problems from occurring later on. Plus, the kids learn skills they can use for a lifetime."
The Kitty Cats book and curriculum has been written for children in pre-kindergarten through the third grade. The earlier children learn about the importance of preventing bullying, the better. To learn more about the book series, the curriculum bundle, or to purchase the volume that addresses bullying, visit www.kittycatsbook.com.

About dreamBIG Press

dreamBIG Press is a publishing house that has created a series of children's books titled We're All Different But We're All Kitty Cats. The books are designed for elementary-school-aged children, to tackle common issues that they may encounter such as bullying, childhood fears, confidence, being different, and making friends. Through the use of a cast of cats, the author helps children better understand those issues, and learn how to deal with them. The company was started by Peter J. Goodman, a multimedia children's author and president of Gut Instinct Creative, an award-winning marketing communications company. For more information about dreamBIG Press or the book series, visit the site at: www.kittycatsbook.com or our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/kittycatsbook.

SHORTS

Living a full life with epilepsy

Marcelo Lancman, M.D., offers his knowledge and experience with epilepsy in What You Need to Know if Epilepsy Has Touched Your Life: A Guide in Plain English (ISBN 1475105312). Written for those living with epilepsy as well as their family members, friends and caregivers, Lancman's work acts as a guide and resource for this common brain disorder.

Sleeping Bootie

A baby bootie that could help prevent sudden infant death syndrome won Jacob Colvin the title of BYU Student Innovator of the Year. The boot monitors a sleeping infant's heart rate and blood oxygen. See the boot in this video.

Study explores "midlevel providers" for dental care

In 2013, millions of Americans won't have access to regular dental care. Some countries use nondentists, generally called "midlevel providers," to drill, fill and extract teeth for underserved populations.  But is this a solution for the U.S.?
A new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association evaluates how nondentist midlevel providers affect the population's oral health and the rate of cavities, and whether they're cost- effective in delivering care.  
Click here to access a multimedia website with audio and HD video bites and links to other resources. 

GLUTEN-FREE BAKING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Reviewed by Angelene Heileson

The holidays may be over but this book makes gluten-free dessert cooking easy anytime.

I made spritz cookies during the holidays and they were a family favorite.  I also cooked spritz cookies with regular white wheat flour.  The gluten-free cookies were not as sweet so I added chocolate decoration.  Everyone in the family and my guests enjoyed the gluten-free cookies better than the flour ones.

On another occasion I baked the gluten-free scones.  They were a nice addition to a great chili-cheese soup that my family loves. Baking the scones was easy and a lot less calories than deep-fried.

Preparing gluten-free meals for part of the family makes cooking challenging at best. Making desserts that everyone likes is even more difficult.  Jeanne Sauvage's Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays has made dessert preparation just that much easier.

The book has 60 recipes for traditional festive treats, including favorites like apple pie, plum pudding, rugelach, bûche de Noël—even a gingerbread house.  It also includes a complete list of sources for finding gluten-free ingredients including flours (brown rice, tapioca, and more) and xantham gum and tips on how wheat-free ingredients work.  Jeanne adds her own all-purpose flour mixture, which she personally developed for gluten-free baking. 

Jeanne Sauvage writes a popular blog "The Art of Gluten-Free Baking" which she started after discovering her child was gluten intolerant. She lives in Seattle.  The photography in the book is done by Seattle-based food photographer Clare Barboza.  Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays is published by Chronicle Books <chroniclebooks.com>. 

TOP 100 STEP-BY-STEP NAPKIN FOLDS

By: Denise Vivaldo

A gorgeous table begins with beautiful napkin folds.

Knowing how to execute a perfect napkin fold is not a skill everyone has, but it’s one you can easily and quickly teach yourself — with Denise’s help, of course! Napkin folds immediately bring a touch of elegance, whimsy or retro style to your table. And they take your table setting to the next level with no added expense — you’re just learning dozens of clever new ways to present the napkins you have.

The 100 folds are divided into easy, intermediate and advanced sections, so you’ll know which ones to start with and how to work your way up. Simpler is often better, and the most formal folds, in fact, tend to be relatively easy. And when you’re using napkins with an elaborate pattern or design, a simple fold may show it off best. The concealed wire-o hardcover format means the book lies flat when open, making following instructions a breeze.

Like a handwritten thank-you note, napkin folds might be less common than they once were, but they’re always noticed, always appreciated and always in style.

About the author: Denise ViValdo is a seasoned food professional who has catered more than 10,000 parties. she’s the founder of Food Fanatics, a recipe development, food styling and catering firm. she’s catered everything from the academy awards governor’s ball to Hollywood wrap parties.

Dear Teen Me: Young Authors Tell About Accepting And Living With Illness

Seizures
(An excerpt from Dear Teen Me)
By Carrie Jones

Dear Teen Me,
Okay, a lot of people write about their health problems. And I get that. I mean, a lot of people like to talk about their broken bones and gastrointestinal issues, and whatever. That's fine. During flu season, people will go into graphic details about how they puked every two minutes. They'll even revel in details about the consistency of their vomit—and trust me, whether it was acidic or chunky, it was definitely gross.
You've never been one of those people, though. It's not that you think sickness shows some kind of bodily or spiritual weakness or something like that. You just think it's boring. And as far as you're concerned, there's nothing worse than being boring.
So when you were super little and broke your ankle playing tag at Debbie Muir's house, you didn't talk about it. And when you were in second grade and you broke your front tooth, you didn't talk about that either. You even kept your chronic bronchitis a secret.
And now?
I guess the older you—that is to say, me—is sticking to the plan. Because writing isn't talking, technically speaking. But I still feel this weird sort of apprehension, of nervousness. A little voice inside my head keeps telling me, "Sickness is boring. Tell a joke, Carrie. Tell a joke."
But seizure jokes are terrible, evil things. These are from Epilepsy.com:

• Do you know what to do if someone has a seizure in a swimming pool?
  • Throw in the laundry

• What's blue and doesn't fit?
  • A dead epileptic

There are some that are even worse, but I'm not going to include them here because I'm nice like that. So, you're probably wondering why I'm even telling you seizure jokes.
Well, in about a month, a boy is going to do something horrible to you. The incident and its aftermath will haunt you for a really long time, and it will affect your life in ways that you'll never expect. One of those unfortunate, life-changing consequences includes a case of mono—but, worse still, the virus that causes mono is going to act a little funny in your case. It's going to attack your brain. And it's going to give you seizures.
DO NOT FREAK OUT!!! Things I know:

1. You're about to go to college
2. You don't have time for this
3. You don't even like to talk about being sick—because being sick is boring

And I'd like to be able to tell you that it's going to be okay. I wish that this letter could actually somehow reach back in time and grab hold of you there—so that you could avoid that party, so that you could escape being hurt by that boy, and so that you wouldn't have to suffer through seizures every day of your freshman year. But I can't tell you that. Things don't work that way.
So, um, the points here are:

1. You're about to experience something truly awful. Even though you don't drink, a certain very cruel, very callous guy is drinking—and there's nothing I can do now to stop that thing from happening.
2. One of the lasting effects of this horrible experience is a virus that winds up giving you seizures.
3. Do not give up.

Seriously. That's the point. DO NOT GIVE UP. You're going to have seizures. You are actually going to develop a rash as a result of those seizures. The rash is pretty gross. Pack a lot of tights and pants to hide it. The seizures will start with your hand jerking. Then you'll pass out.
Here's the thing: Your sickness isn't important. It's not going to define who you are. You have to be the one to do that.
Your first seizure will happen at home. You and Joe are hanging on the floor, watching Amazon Women on the Moon—this spoof movie that makes fun of other movies and shows. It's sort of a bunch of weird skits that feature things like a hero guy fighting against giant spiders, and a first lady who used to be a hooker. Stuff like that.
You aren't feeling great. You think it's the stress. A half-eaten tray of nachos rests on the heavy wooden coffee table in front of you. About four cans of Pepsi linger around the nachos, flip tops open, and almost drained.
You scratch at the weird rash down by your ankle. It's a bizarre array of red dots and circles. It isn't bright; just sort of looks like faded markers. You hate it because it makes you imperfect. You also hate the idea of leaving Joe, even though you're super psyched about the future right now, and about getting out of the split-level house with the ugly brown couch. You're ready to leave the entire town of Bedford, New Hampshire, behind—because it seems to be nothing but rich people (except, that is, for you).
And because it's one of the weaker scenes in the movie, and because, even though something awful happened at that party, you and Joe are hormonal monsters, you start to make out. Kissing Joe is like kissing sunlight. It energizes you, makes you all shaky inside, like you're dopes up on a caffeine IV or something crazy like that. When you kiss him, you can smell him, and he smells clean… everything is right in the world until IT happens. You're inhaling that smell when he breaks away and says, "Your lips are kind of dry."
"Oh!" You grab for your Pepsi. "Sorry!"
You remember taking a sip…holding the can…hand shaking in this weird, rhythmical way…Joe grabbing the can, his eyes all soft and concerned… his voice sounding far away. "You okay?"
That's all you remember.
Bruce Link wrote, "Stigma exists when a person is identified by a label that sets that person apart and links that person to undesirable stereotypes that result in unfair treatment and discrimination."
The first step comes when people realize that others are different from themselves. They give those differences "labels." Next, culture determines that those people with certain characteristics are representative of everyone else who shares those characteristics, and a "negative stereotype" develops, which creates an "us vs. them" mentality. Finally, those who have been labeled begin to find themselves discriminated against.
There's a massive history of people feeling ashamed of their epilepsy. Epilepsy was hidden. Epilepsy was a secret. Epilepsy was something to fear. Epilepsy was and is a stigma.
But you have it, Carrie. You have it, and it will be okay.
Remember, we define ourselves. Define yourself as awesome.

Carrie Jones is the internationally (and New York Times) bestselling author of the Need series and other books. For more information about Carrie, please visit CarrieJonesBooks.com
For more information about Dear Teen Me, please visit ZestBooks.net

 The Ultimate Superfood Powers Heart-Healthy New Year Resolutions

Flax Chia Blend Fuels Wholesome Breakfasts, Lunches & Dinners

to Aid in Weight Loss and Disease Prevention

For the estimated one-third of Americans who will make New Year's resolutions to eat better and lose weight in the upcoming months, they might consider flax seeds combined with chia seeds to help them achieve their goals. 

The combination of organic milled flax and chia together offers a food that is almost unrivaled in its fiber and healthy fat content and is a great component for helping New Year resolutioners lose and maintain their weight. Many dieters have found that organic milled flax and chia seeds have been a key to keeping them feeling satisfied.   

Nutritionist, Deborah Orlick Levy, MS, RD, encourages her patients to incorporate flax into their daily nutrition plans and explains, "Flax is one of the best sources of Omega 3 healthy fat that can help speed the process of losing weight while also helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is also beneficial in alleviating symptoms of hypertension, joint pain, and an array of other ailments. I often tell people that you can spend your money on healthy eating now or you can spend your money at the doctor's office later in life."

Carrington Farms offers a flax-chia combination that combines organic milled flax seeds with chia seeds resulting in a nutritious blend with a wealth of health benefits. Chia seeds, low in carbs and gluten free, are packed with Omega 3's, vitamins, antioxidants, protein, fiber, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. Organic milled flax seeds are also loaded with Omega 3's, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals, but have the added benefit of hormone balancing phytoestrogens called lignans, all of which help promote a healthy lifestyle. Together, the perfect balance of the combined blend provides an excellent source of energy and nutrients for lasting heart health and boosted metabolism resulting in the ultimate "Superfood".

Healthy eating this New Year will begin in the kitchen and the Flax Chia blend offers the convenience of nutrition that can easily and tastily be incorporated into the daily meal prep routine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With a delicious and subtle nutty flavor, it can be sprinkled over cereals, oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast or used as a tasty topping for salads or casseroles for lunch and dinner. It can even be used in place of eggs in recipes such as meatloaf and hamburgers, or as a coating on kid-friendly chicken nuggets. 

About Carrington Farms

For over a decade, Carrington Farms has been providing health-conscious consumers with healthy yet delicious products. The company is committed to offering the freshest and best-tasting organic flax seed that nature has grown. To that end, each batch of flax seed that goes into the Carrington product line is stringently tested and guaranteed to be both 100 % organic and non-genetically modified. This rigorous quality assurance process ensures an end product that is the highest-quality, cleanest seed available. Carrington's focus on a healthy lifestyle is summed up by its slogan: "Healthy Foods for a Healthy Soul." For additional information on the company, please visit http://www.carringtonfarms.com/.

Health-Based New Year's Resolutions Work Better with Sleep

As the New Year approaches, Americans are ready to make their resolutions for a healthier, happier, more prosperous 2013. Statistically speaking, nearly half of the country will make a New Year's Resolution. Losing weight tops the list of most common resolutions, but a more general "stay fit and healthy" is the fifth most popular goal people set for January 1.

With health and weight-related goals, much of the focus falls on food and exercise. Maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly are essential to reducing body fat, improving organ function, and boosting overall health. However, getting enough quality sleep can help improve health and weight loss efforts.

Research has shown that people who get the proper amount of sleep each night (typically eight hours for an adult) have an easier time sticking to an exercise regimen and making healthier food choices. Better sleep has also been linked to better mental health and, for children, better behavior in school.

"Barriers to sleep include lifestyle choices, caffeine consumption, and even the bed itself," says Mark Wells of Sleep City and Sleepcity.com. 

Simple New Year's Resolution: Wake Up and Achieve Your Goals

December 31, 2012- (Sparta, NJ) - One business woman from New Jersey has the simple answer for everyone who struggles with New Year's resolutions: wake up and seize the day.  Cathy Beggan, founder of Rise-N-Shine, LLC, early morning specialist and creator of Wake Up On Time, suggests five ways to wake up early to reach your goals for a positive and more productive 2013. 

 "A study from the University of Toronto suggests that early morning risers are happier than their late night counter- parts and have a more positive and motivated outlook," said Beggan.  "Committing to a resolution to wake up early and be more productive is important because it provides motivation which is a critical step in achieving your goals." 

 Beggan suggests the following five ways to wake up early, feeling refreshed, motivated and committed to making 2013 a more successful and productive new year.

1. Prepare yourself the night before.  Facilitate the transition to morning person by getting some of the everyday task out of the way the night before.
2. Think positive thoughts.  The night before, write down one positive thought, memory, goal or affirmation and read it when you wake up; Carpe Diem.
3. Keep your body hydrated.  Drink water before bed and when you rise in the morning.  The body becomes dehydrated during sleep and lack of water causes many fatigue symptoms in the morning.
4. Get enough sleep and try to be consistent.  Everyone's sleep allowance is different, so judge accordingly, but it's more important to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
5. Keep your body alive and well with all-natural vitamins, herbs and amino acids.  They boost energy levels and immune systems, while elevating moods and enhancing metabolism. The body does most of its regeneration during sleep at night.      

30 Ways to Better Days:
How to Rally After You've Been Dumped

By Caird Urquhart

POWERFUL SELF-HELP BOOK EMPOWERS WOMEN TO FIND HAPPINESS AFTER HEARTBREAK

            Everyone has been there.  The heart ache and heart break of being dumped; the difficulty of getting out of bed each morning just wanting to stay in bed in fetal position crying; feeling helpless and alone; spending hours upon hours at the gym and not eating.

            Business and life coach Caird Urquhart shares a very personal self-help guide teaching women how to use that grief, become proactive and bounce back to reality with 30 Ways to Better Days: How to Rally After You've Been Dumped.

            Throughout the book, Caird shares the brutally honest truth of how to navigate through the gut-wrenching days of a breakup and apply little yet essential changes for daily growth.  The book is in essence a tool -- even a best friend -- to let go of the anger and become optimistic about life and the endless possibilities in the world.  It promises to raise self-esteem so one can overcome their fears and reach goals.

            Speaking to everyone who has ever gone through a break up where they think they'll never find someone again, 30 Ways to Better Days: How to Rally After You've Been Dumped covers such topics as:

• Choosing to take control of the situation and not become a victim of it
• How to change dating patterns to avoid heartbreak
• Why grieving a breakup is important, and how to grieve
• Embracing change and leading to a better life
• Why befriending an old boyfriend can actually be a good thing
• How a gay male friend is an invaluable friend to have

      Using the book as a tool to recover from her own heartbreak, Caird pours her heart and soul into this book, sharing her own personal experiences.

"It takes living through each season, each holiday, each 'What were we doing at this time last year?' to really clear your mind," says Caird.  "My book moves the reader out of feeling badly about their situation and into taking action to reclaim their lives."

About Caird Urquhart:

30 Ways to Better Days...How to Rally After You've Been Dumped is a self-help book aimed at women who have just gone through a relationship breakup. The chapters in the book are short and sweet and was written as an easy to read, no nonsense handbook with the intention of helping women of all ages lift their self-esteem and become empowered to move on.

With 18 years of experience in the film and television industry as a producer, casting director and actor, Caird became a personal and business coach.  After graduating from The Coaches Training Institute and being accredited by the International Coaches Federation, she founded New Road Coaching Inc. in October of 2005.

Since then, Newroad has been working with entrepreneurs, executives, athletes and entertainers to help them achieve the big picture possibilities of their lives.  Her hope as a coach is to be able to share the true magic of the entertainment industry; that dreams can become reality.

Caird lives in Toronto, Canada where she is the proud Aunt to ten nieces and nephews.  She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in Psychology and Physical Education from Wilfred Laurier University. And is a member of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise, Canadian Association of Women Executive and Entrepreneurs, Company of Women, Women in Film and Television, The Economic Club and The Empire Club of Canada.

30 Ways to Better Days...How to Rally After You've Been Dumped is available now at: www.newroadcoaching.com.

The Happiness Handbook – New Twist on Happiness

NASA engineer, author, rocker, serial entrepreneur & happy woman launches eye-opening book

San Francisco, CA (December 31, 2012) – Author Jenn Flaa isn't your average successful woman entrepreneur – she's a satellite engineer who began her career working at NASA testing space flight hardware and software.  She then started a few successful businesses and earned clients like eBay, Dell, Microsoft and the US Air Force.  If that isn't unique enough, Jenn is also the lead vocalist for the rock band, Urban Fiction.  So what qualifies Jenn to write a book about happiness?  Well, she's happy for starters. 
"I wasn't always happy," says Jenn.  "I've been knocked around by life just like everyone else.  But when I realized that the true key to happiness is so easy, I gradually became happier.  It's not an overnight process, but it's simpler than most people realize." 
The Happiness Handbook, a definitive guide to finding true joy and living your extraordinary life, is a short, casual read packed with universally relevant action steps.  Readers learn key steps from author breakout Jenn Flaa's multi-year journey. She began her transformation as a chubby, miserable divorcee, owner of a struggling high tech company, and singer that hadn't sung in a decade. She is now a successful author, entrepreneur and rocker chick who is living large as the CEO of two thriving companies, singing lead in a rock band and is blissfully happy in a fulfilling relationship.
The Happiness Handbook offers readers an engaging approach to the age-old challenge of communication in relationships, guiding them through a fun process to identify, articulate and receive what makes them happy – and most importantly – teaching them the happy dance!
Flaa's premise that none of us come with a user's manual is illustrative of the author's humorous voice – providing readers with the ultimate insider's guide to finding happiness – whether they are single or in a relationship.  A key theme throughout the book: men are hardwired to make their women happy.  So why are so many relationships struggling?  Women aren't being clear enough! 
"Everybody, no matter what their belief system, wants exactly the same thing for their loved ones -- to be healthy and happy," states Flaa.  "So isn't it our responsibility to be proactive in the process?  If we are happy, then our loved ones are happy.  It's a perfect circle but YOU have to start it."
Ironically, it was Jenn's male friends that urged her to write this book. She had noticed an underlying theme in her previous relationships – she wasn't being clear about what made her happy and when something did make her happy, she was guilty of not enthusiastically receiving it.  She course corrected and the new concepts worked well - not only with boyfriends, but in all her relationships.  Her friends wanted it all in writing so they could have the same chance at happiness in their relationships. And so The Happiness Handbook was born.
About Jenn Flaa
Born and raised in the sweeping vistas of Minnesota's cornfields, Jenn Flaa's early interests were steeped in the arts.  She took a detour in college into technology and began her career doing software testing at NASA in Maryland.  After an eye-opening business trip to California, she realized she belonged in Marin County and relocated.  Then she did a couple of stints at high-tech start-ups before she established her own companies, Vettanna (high-tech staffing and strategic communications) and Vettanna ToGo (on camera training).  After her divorce, Jenn's creative voice re-emerged and she jumped back wholeheartedly into the arts, rocking out as the lead singer in her band Urban Fiction.  Jenn currently resides in Marin, is blissfully in love, very happy and ironically, working on another space project.
The Happiness Handbook is available on amazon.com. More at www.happiness-handbook.com.

Ballerina opens up about body image and the dangerous ballet 'Ideal'

In her debut book The Healing Dance, former National Ballet of Canada company dancer, three-time DORA award-winning choreographer and certified psychotherapist Kathleen Rea pulls back the stage curtain and reveals a history of anorexia, bulimia and self-harm that plagues so many professional ballerinas, who introduce potentially life-threatening 'ideals' to young minds who look up to them as the epitome of elegance, beauty and control.

Says Rea: "The strict rules of ballet instantly resonated with me as a child because they provided a set of ideals to reach for—a magical recipe that promised to make everything right. But my world of perfect pliés and pretty pirouettes quickly collapsed. Starvation was not only accepted -- but encouraged -- by my employers."

In The Healing Dance Rea discusses:

• The harrowing, self-sacrificial world of professional ballet - and why parents may need to be more careful about what influences they unwittingly introduce their children to
• Her path to recovery - including being fired by the National Ballet of Canada and being called an 'embarrassment' to her country for going on stage with a bigger-but-still-medically-malnourished BMI
• Young women and the body image issue, and how we can begin to help them escape its clutches
• What signs to watch for if you suspect a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, and what steps you can take to help them on the road to recovery
• What expressive arts therapy is, and what brought her to the pursuit and mastery of it

About the Author:

Kathleen Rea is a former National Ballet of Canada company dancer, Dora award-winning choreographer and certified psychotherapist. She holds a diploma in expressive art therapy from ISIS-Canada, a certificate in psychology from Ryerson University and a master's degree in expressive arts therapy with a minor in psychology from the European Graduate School. A practicing therapist for the past twelve years, she is also a therapeutic performance facilitator, helping people express their life stories through multidisciplinary performance.

Kathleen has taught dance therapy, dance improvisation, and contact dance at York University, George Brown College, and Niagara College, and choreographed over forty works for her company, REAson d'etre dance productions, and other organizations. Her award winning dance film, Lapinthrope, aired on Bravo Television and screened at numerous international festivals. Her production Long Live was nominated for three Dora Mavor Moore awards, including outstanding choreography. In 2010, Kathleen was co-winner of the K. M. Hunter Dance Award

The Healing Dance is available in all major online retailers and select major and independent bookstores across North America.

Websites: www.reasondetre.com  / www.flowintolife.com  / www.the-healing-dance.com