Matthew S. Bennett
Matt Bennett is a keynote speaker, author, and trainer who brings trauma-informed care, neurobiology, behavior change, and resilience to life for professional audiences. Through compelling stories, practical frameworks, and research-based insight, he helps people see their work — and the people they serve — through a more hopeful, effective, and transformational lens. His presentations are energetic, thought-provoking, and actionable, designed to inspire audiences while giving them tools they can use immediately.
Services
Keynote Address
Elevate your conference with Matt's inspiring energy. His customizable keynote addresses information and inspiration, helping you achieve your mission.
Workshops & Trainings
Matt offers tailored training, from 45-minute workshops to 4-day series. His engaging approach aligns with your goals, enhancing self-awareness through psychoeducational experiences on trauma and change.
Webinars
Distance learning is a great and cost-effective way to gain mastery over complex topics and build skills.
Coaching & Support
Support adult learning by utilizing coaching to supplement a training experience. Whether in-person or through a webinar format, coaching helps further integrate knowledge and master skills.
Pricing
Full-Day On-Site Sessions for Clients Outside the Denver Metro
For our national and regional clients, we’ve bundled our most effective services into a single-day intensive. This $4,500 minimum booking ensures your team receives up to 6 hours of dedicated, on-site expertise—perfect for retreats, leadership development, or full-staff training days. Please call or e-mail to find out about international rates.
Core Training Topics
Connecting Paradigms: A Trauma-Informed & Neurobiological
Framework for Motivational Interviewing Implementation
Connecting Paradigms offers an innovative approach to assist individuals healing from past and making essential life changes. Recent advances in brain science trauma research are reshaping mental health care, education, and social. The integrated model from Connecting Paradigms combines neurobiology, trauma, behavioral change, harm reduction, and Motivational Interviewing into a practical skill set for diverse settings and professions.
Trauma-Informed Care
Recent research on trauma and the brain offers new insights helping professionals. Understanding trauma's effect on brain development contextualizes harmful behaviors and guides relationship-building and healing. This training introduces the Trauma-Informed Paradigm, equipping learners with theoretical knowledge practical tools for immediate application. By using this approach, can reduce re-traumatization and help individuals regain control of their lives.
From Neurobiology to Heart Rate Variability: The foundations and future of Trauma-Informed Care
In the 1990s, two key events reshaped psychology, health care education, and social services: the ACE Study revealed the link between trauma and various health outcomes, while brain-scanning technology showed different brain functions in those with trauma. These developments fueled the trauma movement, enhancing our understanding of social issues. However, the costs of measuring nervous system health made assessing intervention effectiveness challenging. Now, affordable technology enables heart rate variability to advance the movement, helping quantify treatment impacts significantly. This training will delve into science of trauma and the role of heart rate variability in enhancing treatment outcomes.
Staff Resiliency & Wellness
Professionals in helping roles often face challenges similar to their traumatized clients, with trauma exposure and stressful work environments harming their emotional health. This training offers more than standard self-care programs by focusing on key health aspects that boost productivity and work quality for individuals and organizations. Grounded in neurobiology, psychology, and business research, it empowers direct professionals to enhance their effectiveness and service quality.
Trauma-Informed Leadership
Trauma-Informed Leadership trains leaders to enhance community and organizational excellence by improving staff well-being and achieving better outcomes. Participants will gain a new perspective and practical skills for supervision and program management. The interactive training encourages leaders to reflect on their roles through the Traumaformed Paradigm, offering transformative strategies for supporting healing and growth. Both aspiring and experienced leaders will gain fresh insights into their work.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing (MI is a collaborative communication style focused on fostering personal motivation and commitment to change through acceptance and compassion. It provides a framework for building relationships and structuring interactions with clients, guiding them through the stages of change. MI helps individuals move from contemplation to action by addressing cognitive dissonance which arises when their actions conflict with their values, ultimately motivating them to change.
Trauma-Sensitive Schools Series
Trauma, Behavior, and Academic Success
Our understanding of trauma and neurobiological development prompts schools to rethink educational strategies to help all students achieve their academic potential.
This training will show how trauma affects students' academic success, including its impact on cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning. Students with trauma often exhibit behaviors that hinder their educational success, affecting emotional regulation and understanding of cause and effect, which can lead to failure in traditional settings.
Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms and Schools
What is a trauma-sensitive school?
What defines a trauma-sensitive classroom?
This training will cover effective strategies to support students with trauma in achieving academic success. Schools play a crucial in recognizing trauma and connecting students and families to necessary resources for healing.
The trauma-sensitive school movement is growing, and this training will provide guidance to achieve this important goal.
Self-care, Leadership and School Culture
The current approach to teacher and staff wellness in education hinders the creation of trauma-sensitive schools.
Transitioning to such schools requires rethinking education and behavior management, alongside a cultural shift prioritizing staff well-being. Factors like stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma affect the staff's capacity to provide quality education.
This workshop introduces a practical model to improve staff well-being, incorporate trauma-sensitive principles, and enhance academic outcomes.
