Formidable, disabling, destructive. The word depression conjures up many negative descriptors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 15 million American adults experience depression any given year and suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals age 15 to 29. Clearly depression does not discriminate, impacting men and women, children and adults, the rich and the poor, and Christians and non-Christians alike. But, if depression is so common, why is stigma so entrenched in our current religious climate?

In her eye-opening address, Dr. Leesha deconstructs the myths and mistruths about depression that abound in the Christian culture, lies that keep believers from getting the help they need to overcome this devastating, but very treatable, illness.

The audience will learn:

• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of clinical depression, known as Major Depressive Disorder in the medical community
• Facts that squelch the erroneous belief that depression is not real disease
• Explore scriptures that speak of depression for men in the Bible like Job, Elijah, and King Solomon, all who were facing incredible challenges in their personal lives
• Understand how Jesus AND mental health treatment work together to bring hope and healing to those dealing with depression

Mom + Kid(s) = Mommy Guilt

Parenting is simultaneously one of the hardest and the most rewarding responsibilities we will ever do as women. How do you spell parenting? W-O-R-K

With motherhood comes mommy guilt, the nagging sense of inadequacy and constant fear of failing as a parent. It’s feeling like a bad mom because you DID or DIDN’T _____________ (fill in the blank). We mommas often find it difficult to acknowledge this truth out of fear of harsh criticism. But, if we are honest with ourselves and each other, we can admit that parenting is freakin’ hard and frankly no fun at all sometimes.

As a wife, mother of 3 young children, busy physician, author, and budding entrepreneur, Dr. Leesha is all too familiar with mommy guilt. In her honest, funny, and uplifting talk, she keeps it real while teaching moms how to ditch the mommy guilt.

Moms will learn:

• How mindset shapes moms’ parenting perspective
• Self-care is not selfish and critical to happy and healthy parenting
• Integral members moms need to build their rock star mommy tribe
• How to let go of parenting mistruths
• Strategies to strengthen moms’ resilience

Every child is unique, bringing his or her own personality, likes and dislikes, and temperament; and they grow, learn, and evolve over time. Each age our children enter heralds a different developmental age. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Leesha is intimately familiar with these developmental stages and the multitude of developmental theories that inform these benchmarks. Such theories are enormously helpful for parents, teachers and educators, coaches, and other groups who work with young people to strategically tailor their expectations to match a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical stages of development.

This presentation is for those organizations who seek to inspire children, mold and shape them, encourage and nurture them, and challenge them to be the best version of themselves but from a developmental framework.

During this talk, the attendees glean:

• The primary theories for cognitive, social, emotional, and moral development from infancy to late adolescence
• How to use developmental theory to design programmatic elements
• How to recognize when there is a mismatch between a child’s age and developmental stage