Dr. Christine Mason
is an award-winning thought leader, researcher, author, trainer, internationally acclaimed speaker, host, and moderator of virtual educational forums on advancing compassionate school leadership, transformation, mindfulness, listening to youth, suicide prevention, and children’s mental health and well-being.
Christine is also an assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Yale University’s School of Medicine for the Program for Community Health and Recovery and a co-host of the podcast series Cultivating Resilience: A Whole Community Approach for Alleviating Trauma in Schools. She is currently leading initiatives to increase equity, reduce racism, and increase mind-body-spirit healing. With Dr. Martha Staeheli, she is championing students’ mental health through her efforts for teen-to-teen support for adolescent suicide prevention.
With over 40-years experience in education, Christine has presented keynotes and delivered workshops on childhood development, trauma, executive functioning, principal leadership, mindfulness, the future of education, her signature Heart Centered Learning ®, and student-driven instruction in the U.S., Finland, India, Puerto Rico, and Canada. She has also led local retreats on ending racism and spiritual healing.
Certified as a yoga instructor in 2001, Christine combines her understanding of ancient yogic wisdom and the most recent neuroscientific research with empowering insights into learning and healing in schools.
She was recognized in 2016 as a Pioneer in Children’s Well-Being by the Robert Wood Johnson and Ashoka Foundations. She is the developer of Heart Centered Learning® and S-CCATE (the School-Compassionate Culture Analytical Tool for Educators). She is also founder of The Coalition for the Future of Education.
Dr. Mason is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Educational Improvement, an organization dedicated to uplifting schools, supporting innovative school leadership, and alleviating childhood stress and trauma. Christine also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in Yale University’s School of Medicine’s Program for Recovery and Community Health and is Chief Advisor to the New England Childhood Trauma Learning Collaborative.
My Writing
I am blessed to work with amazing teams of co-authors as the lead author of five books since 2019.
My recent books include Cultivating Happiness, Resilience, & Well-Being Through Meditation, Mindfulness, & Movement: A Guide for Educators; Compassionate School Practices: Fostering Children’s Mental Health and Well-Being; Visioning Onward: A Guide for ALL Schools; and two books on Mindfulness — Mindfulness Practices: Cultivating Heart Centered Communities Where Children Focus and Flourish and a companion book that goes into more depth — Mindful Practices: The Five Cs of Heart Centered Learning.
My Insights
We need to listen deeply to children and youth, honor their preferences, and work with their strengths.
We are all on a journey, a quest, for meaning and purpose. As educators we can help students find meaning and purpose. As we do this, our lives are enriched.
Mentoring, coaching, and facilitating are invaluable.
We are all learners – whether we are teachers, psychologists, administrators, counselors, students, or families – we are learners.
Healing and self-care, both individual and collective, are needed. We must practice our own self-care. This takes discipline and the results can be profound.
Impactful professional development gives participants empowering, practical, engaging experiences.
Attend to the research, stay on top of the recent studies, and adapt for your individual circumstances.
What I Can Bring to You
If you want someone to help you problem solve…
If you are interested in stepping to the edge of educational reform . . .
If you want tools to help guide implementation of transformational change. . .
If you care about all children, about inclusiveness, equity, and justice . . .
If you are tired of the ordinary and are looking for the extraordinary, for exemplary practices . . .
If you are interested in helping heal mind, bodies, and spirits of staff and students . . . Then check out my work.
Christine lives in a suburb of Washington, DC, with her husband John Wilhelm. They have three children: Maria, Holly and Amber — and five grandsons: Eric, Niko, David, Jack, and Jason.