Kristin Souers

For over three decades, Kristin Van Marter Souers, MA LMHC has dedicated herself to the improvement of people’s lives. As a licensed mental health counselor, Kristin is considered an expert in understanding the impact of trauma and stress on the human body. She has provided professional development to thousands of audiences, keynoted at several conferences, facilitated group learning, provided consultation and coaching to several systems, supervised internships, directed programs, has taught at several universities in both graduate and undergraduate programs, and has supported the learning and growth of countless educators, caregiving professionals, first responders, mental health and community providers, caregivers, families, and other individuals. Kristin is passionate about the work she does and thrives on working with others. As a resident of Washington State, these skills and experiences, as well as the unyielding support from her family and friends have furthered Kristin’s undying passion for pushing those she interacts with to face the world with empathy, kindness and understanding.\ As the lead author of both Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for creating a trauma-sensitive classroom environment (ASCD, 2016) and “Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners,” (December 2019), Kristin has worked extensively partnering with education professionals and leadership with the goal of improving our education systems and providing crucial support to our schools. Her goal is to support professionals in their work so that they, in turn, are able to provide a safe and caring learning environment for each and every student they serve ensuring that they are given every opportunity to grow and thrive. Author of the award-winning publication, Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for creating a trauma-sensitive classroom environment (ASCD, 2016) and “Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners,” (December 2019), she has written many articles, her most recent “The Right Mindset for Responding to Student Trauma” (ASCD, 2022). These publications have strengthened Kristin’s impact in education.