Greetings!
For the past 30+ years, my work as a clinical psychologist, researcher, author and consultant has converged on one fundamental mission:
Ensuring that today’s students – our children – have not just the technological tools they need as they inherit the AI future, but the tools of our humanity – the empathy, ethics, social and emotional intelligence and DEI competencies they need to survive and thrive in our ever-changing interconnected world.
Since the 2013 publication of her award-winning book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age (a Wall Street Journal Best Nonfiction Book of 2013, since published in Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, and Korean), Dr. Steiner-Adair has consulted internationally to help schools, parent organizations, governmental agencies, corporations and health professionals strengthen the psychological health and wellbeing of students, and minimize the neurological, psychological and social fallout tech poses at each stage of development, pre K-12.
Along with her work as a consultant, Catherine continues to deepen her 30+ year practice as a clinical psychologist working with individuals, couples and families. Her psychotherapy work has moved online since the pandemic.
Should schools ban smartphones in the classroom?
NPR – On Point Listen to Catherine talk on WBUR about, “How smartphones alter a student’s ability to focus, stay on task, absorb new information, or their self-control?” Read/Listen Now >>
“It’s tough to be a teenager. It’s especially tough for girls, who are more vulnerable to depression than boys. New research shows that’s getting even worse. As NPR’s Patti Neighmond reports, girls are now three times more likely than boys to suffer major depression.”
Catherine Steiner Adair, Scholar in Residence at the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute. Talking about teaching teachers a pedagogy of leadership.
A sample of national and international conferences spoken at:
“The Art and Craft of Teaching Kindergarten: ‘Neuro-Sculpturing’ with Play”Creating a Classroom with Purpose, Connection, Compassion, and Joy
The conference began its first day of programming with a keynote presentation titled “The Art and Craft of Teaching Kindergarten: ‘Neuro-Sculpturing’ with Play” by Catherine Steiner-Adair, Clinical Psychologist and Research Associate at Harvard Medical School. ““I think teachers care deeply about social justice. I think we see ourselves as shapers not only of these little sculptors, … Learn More >>
A Conversation on Raising Ethical Children (with Catherine Steiner-Adair and Howard Stevenson)
Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair and Dr. Howard Stevenson will share guidance on talking to kids about race and equipping them to be anti-racist, both for BIPOC children and white kids. They’ll discuss parenting around difference, whether disability, LGBTQ or racial identity, in order to empower children and hold space for them developing their own identity. This webinar will offer advice on raising kids to be allies, using mindfulness to better manage diversity conflicts, to make a difference in the world, to seek equity, while also of course staying safe and protecting both their mental health and energy but also their physical safety given how divisive the world is.
- National Association of Independent Schools
- The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
- Techonomy
- Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)
- Independent School Health Association (ISHAM)
- National Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS)
- Children and Screens
- The Camp Owners and Directors Association- CODACON
- American Camping Association (ACA)
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- School Administrator Management for Principals (SAMS)
- Parents League of New York
- 92nd St Y, NYC
- American Montessori Heads Retreat
- YPO Retreats
- Harvard Medical School Continuing Education Conferences
- The Central & Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA)
- The Association of American Schools of Central America, Colombia- Caribbean and Mexico (Tri Association)
- The School Superintendent’s Association (AASA)
- East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS)
- The Child Mind Institute, (CMI)
- Learning and the Brain
Children and Screens During COVID-19
On Schools and Smartphones
Consulting
As a school consultant, Dr. Steiner-Adair helps schools pre-K thru 12th grade strengthen their school culture and core curriculum through new programs and initiatives to support psychological wellbeing, social competence and leadership education of their students. Read More >>
Workshops & Training
Dr Steiner-Adair has been invited to present at schools and conferences throughout the United States, and in Europe, South America, Central America, the Middle East and Asia. Her audiences include students of all ages, educators and mental health professionals, non-profit organizations, industry and corporations, PTAs, YPOs and other leadership organizations, synagogues and clergy groups, camping and youth organizations, retreats and think tanks, and at organizational fundraising events. Read More >>
Talks & Presentations
Dr. Steiner-Adair speaks on a wide range of topics, including child development and parenting, health and well being, psychological risk and resilience, social and emotional intelligence and leadership education, gender equity, media literacy, healthy relationships on and offline and best practices for technology at school and home. Examples include… Read More >>
Testimonials
“Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair was a phenomenal lead speaker and presenter for our Social Emotional Learning conference at the Graded School in São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Steiner-Adair is a rare find— not only is she an expert in her field, grounded in current research and best practice, but she connects brilliantly with diverse audiences. She spoke on a range of issues, from how technology is changing family and school life, student anxiety, calming the college frenzy, video game and internet addiction, to relationships in the digital age. She tailored each presentation to her audience, whether Middle School students, High School students, parents or educators. Her talks captured the attention of her audiences, challenging all of us to reflect on our own work and actions. Her talks were the impetus for many consequent conversations – including improving our advisory programs and including social-emotional wellbeing in our strategic plan, to name a couple. Parents felt inspired to work together to implement her suggestions, and students banded together in different ways to be more mindful about how technology effects their daily lives at school and home. We can’t wait to have Dr. Stenier-Adair back in Brazil for follow up conversations. Her messages ring to the heart of our mission and values.”
In the News
Should schools ban their students from using cellphones?
By Meg OliverDecember 21, 2022 / 7:07 PM EST / CBS News"Nearly all American teenagers have access to a smartphone, but studies show that too much screen time can have a negative effect on a child's...
A generation of kids has used social media their whole lives. Here’s how it’s changing them.
By NICOLE KARLIS FEBRUARY 11, 2021 11:17PM (UTC) "In 2004, when Facebook was still known as "The Facebook," very few people could imagine that the social media platform would hold as much power and...
Four ways to help kids cope with the uncertainty of the new school year
Help them understand and manage their emotions. “The air is drenched with this amorphous kind of grief,” and loss can take many different shapes, says psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair, author of...
Taming The Tech Effect
We are at a pivotal moment in our society’s use of the internet, smartphones and social media. This is especially true in educational institutions… by Catherine Steiner-Adair Click here to...
Digital Sanity Summit March 30 – April 3, 2020
Do you want to take advantage of technology without being consumed by it? The Digital Sanity Summit 2020: Navigating Technology in the Modern World of Parenting was created just for you. The...
PREVENTING EATING DISORDERS
A HANDBOOK OF INTERVENTIONS AND SPECIAL CHALLENGES
-Ruth Striegel-Moore, Ph.D., Past President, Academy of Eating Disorders
“The strong connection between theory and research, the broad ranging and innovative examples of preventive intervention programs, and the specific recommendations for research and implementation, combine to make this a valuable resource for professionals and students.”
THE BIG DISCONNECT
PROTECTING CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
New York Times (Dwight Garner)
“I will never forget the experience of reading Ms. Steiner-Adair’s book. This is because it physically hurt to turn the pages. It was as if her palm were reaching up from the text to slap me across the face, the way Don Corleone slapped the singer Johnny Fontane in the first “Godfather” movie, telling him to be a man.
“Here’s why: Before she speaks about how to pry our kids away from their phones, tablets and laptops, Ms. Steiner-Adair looks parents quite sternly in the eye…Children, she declares, ‘are tired of being the ‘call waiting’ in their parents’ lives.’
“Her summary of what to say to your kids — it’s on Page 191 — is so good, so State of the Union-like, that I took a photo of it with my iPhone. ”
FULL OF OURSELVES
A WELLNESS PROGRAM TO ADVANCE GIRL
POWER, HEALTH, AND LEADERSHIP
Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia and Hunger Pains
“This well-reasoned, carefully researched, and creative approach to teaching girls lifelong wellness could change the world for the Ophelias of America. Its authors offer educators that most useful of gifts―practical, immediate help.”