We’ve all sat through some boring professional development before; but there’s nothing boring about the training you’ll get from Dr. MC, the guest on episode 103 of the De Facto Leaders podcast. Many people in “helping professions” like education and healthcare focus more on taking care of others instead of taking care of themselves; which is why I wanted to have Dr. MC on the show to talk about how school leaders can make self-care a part of K-12 culture. But not just for the students; for the staff. Dr. Theresa Melito-Conners, Ph.D. (Dr. MC) is the founder of Dr. MC’s Self-Care Cabaret, a suite of theatre-inspired self-care and professional development services for helping professionals. The Self-Care Cabaret encompasses workshops, a podcast, and educational curricula — focused on accessible, realistic strategies that equip and empower.Dr. MC first recognized the need for such strategies as a special education administrator. She realized individuals in people-first, service-oriented roles often struggle with prioritizing self-care and work-life balance, and lack resources. Curious, Dr. MC pursued her PhD in educational leadership from Lesley University, honing in on self-care and renewal for helping professionals. In addition to her doctorate and published research, she is a licensed K-12 counselor with a master’s of education in school counseling from Salem State University and a B.A. in theatre studies from Emerson College. Her true joy is bringing her scholarship, experience, and zest to audiences of all kinds nationwide.In this conversation Dr. MC shares:✅Common myths surrounding the “self-care” industry, and why it’s not just wine and bubble baths. ✅Why “not having time” for self-care is a myth, and how to keep yourself grounded even if you only have 5 minutes to spare. ✅How school leaders can make self-care a part of their building culture; for both the staff and leadership.You can connect with Dr. MC on her website here: https://drmcselfcare.com/You can listen to Dr. MC’s Self-Care Cabaret podcast here:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-mcs-self-care-cabaret/id1576736339You can connect with her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drmcselfcare/             You can connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dr-mc-s-self-care-cabaret/You can follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/DrMCselfcareIn this episode, I mentioned the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps pediatric clinicians be better leaders, make a bigger impact with their services, and lead their teams in providing executive functioning support for kids at the K-12 level. You can learn more about how to become a member here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership
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