The Ontario Conference on Children and Adolescents: Overcoming Behavioural, Emotional & Learning Challenges

George McCloskey, Ph.D.

George McCloskey, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director of School Psychology Research in the Psychology Department of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and holds Diplomate status with the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology. He frequently presents at international and national meetings on cognitive and neuropsychological assessment and intervention topics. Dr. McCloskey is the lead author of the books Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties and Essentials of Executive Functions Assessment and his most recent writing on interventions for executive function and executive skills difficulties appears in Chapter 10 of the book Essentials of Planning, Selecting, and Tailoring Interventions for Unique Learners. He also is the author of the McCloskey Executive Functions Scales (MEFS) that are currently in standardization

Testimonials

“Loved the workshop. George was very knowledgeable and inspiring. He kept my focus and attention the entire day. Packed full of hands on strategies. I would recommend to anyone working with people to find their goals”
– Toronto, ON | May 1, 2019

“Dr. McCloskey was incredibly knowledgeable and excellent instructor”
– Toronto, ON | May 1, 2019

Lynn Lyons, MSW, RSW

Lynn Lyons, MSW, RSW, is an internationally recognized psychotherapist, author, and speaker with a special interest in interrupting the generational patterns of anxiety in families. Her skill-based approach to anxiety focuses on the need to teach families about HOW anxiety works and what families can do to pull members out of the powerful “anxiety cult” that demands obedience to its need for certainty and comfort. Lynn’s approach uses humor, playful connection, and a constant focus on DOING, an umbrella strategy she has taught to thousands of professionals and families.

Lynn is the co-author with Reid Wilson of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents and the companion book for kids Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. She is the author of Using Hypnosis with Children: Creating and Delivering Effective Interventions and has two DVD programs for parents and children.

 She maintains a private practice in Concord, New Hampshire where she sees families whenever she’s not on the road teaching. 

Testimonials

“As a mental health therapist and social worker, Lynn Lyons is the reason I attended. She was incredible. Beyond being a captivating presenter, I left with practical and tangible tools to integrate into my practice. More importantly, she changed my approach.”
– Lisa Greig | Saskatoon, SK | May 11, 2017

 

“Lynn is an excellent speaker and did a wonderful job of clarifying anxiety and worry. The way she personifies anxiety and worry makes so much sense, and I’m hopeful I can use this new lens in my classes and life.”
– Kerry Aiken | Saskatoon, SK | May 11, 2017

 

“Lynn Lyons is by far the best speaker I’ve ever seen/head on any topic related to mental health ever! Her info/materials are practical and useable immediately. Her research is exceptional, accurate + current. Her views + logic make complete sense for me both as an educator and a parent. She made me realized that I was doing everything wrong when dealing with students + my children with anxiety and it felt great. I feel prepared, happy + confident to help anxious students feel better about themselves, school and life.”
– Cary Gillman | Ontario, ON | May 4, 2017

“Lynn Lyons was amazing! She was very inspirational and funny! Very knowledgeable and millions of strategies/ideas to try.”
– Ontario, ON | May 4, 2017

 

“Lynn Lyons was an engaging and informative speaker – I loved listening to her speak! She made me really think about how I deal with my own anxiety and the anxiety in my students. She gave me new strategies to bring back to my classroom.”
– Alethea Doucet | Ontario, ON | May 4, 2017

“Very helpful insights and practical/applicable info! Thanks.”
– Saskatoon, SK | November 17, 2015

 

“Impressive Speaker. Informative. Real. Down to Earth. All ideas were so logical, and while probably really hard to do, doable! Thoroughly enjoyed this and learned so much both as an educator and as a parent, and as a spouse!”
– Maureen | Saskatoon, SK | November 17, 2015

 

“Very relevant and timely material to my practice. It is nice to have a professional/scholarly refresher on a subject that is becoming increasingly common. The co-presenters are excellent together and their deep knowledge and experience shows clearly.”
– Jarred M | Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“This workshop will be helpful to me both as a teacher and a parent. There are numerous strategies that I will implement in my classroom as well as my home to empower my own children. I even believe this will help me deal with anxiety issues that I have been experiencing in adult years.”
– Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“What a refreshing look at dealing with anxiety. Very practical and useful steps to implement right away. Wilson and Lyons’ humour made looking at a tough topic easy to see and understand.”
– Kelowna, BC | April 14, 2014

 

“Awesome and hilarious. Learned so much – so applicable! Made me realize how enabling I am – but how to change that!”
– Anna | Saskatoon, SK | November 17, 2015

 

“Loved, loved, loved your presentation! I have really enjoyed the relevant stories and humour. I know I will be using these practical strategies tomorrow!”
– Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“Thank you for making a very sensitive topic one that we can use humour and laugh about. It really helped me understand anxiety with a different eye.”
– Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“Awesome presentation! Simple, clear and effective tools for practitioners and parents… perfect!”
– Ursula H (District Support Services) | Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“The presenters were truly experts in their field. I walked away from the workshop with a whole new appreciation for the child with anxiety, and the healthcare professionals and teachers working with these children.”
– Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“I liked two people with different styles, strengths and stories. The variation kept me more alert and attentive. Very good presentation.”
– Nancy Meyer, Ph.D. (Private Practice) | Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“I was interested in this workshop because of the dual approach: providing strategies to work with children and parents. You delivered. Thank you.”
– Kelowna, BC | April 14, 2014

 

“It validated my current practices. I found this workshop informative and very useful in giving me some new tools when dealing with children with anxiety. The speakers were knowledgeable and entertaining. I feel empowered and energized. Thank you!”
– Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“Great blend of expertise and humour. The timing and pace of the session maintained attention and interest. I would recommend the workshop and presenters to colleagues.”
– Gary Choo (Educator) | Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“This was so inspiring and made me reflect both on my practice and my personal life.”
– Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“This workshop will be helpful to me both as a teacher and a parent. There are numerous strategies that I will implement in my classroom as well as my home to empower my own children. I even believe this will help me deal with anxiety issues that I have been experiencing in adult years.”
– Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“Refreshing, engaging and highly useful. Loved the stories, analogies and sense of humour!”
– Rhonda Laforge (Intensive Behaviour Teacher) | Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“This workshop was exactly what I needed to support my clients. Great examples and strategies that are ready to use.”
– Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014

 

“Loved it! The best workshop on anxiety I have attended (and I’ve been to A LOT!). Practical. Changed how I think about anxiety.”
– Burnaby, BC | April 15, 2014

 

“Very thought-provoking. Appreciated the roleplaying so that I could see/hear how I might speak with a student. Loved the humour, and recognized your real-life experience and passion.”
– Victoria, BC | April 16, 2014 

Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP

Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN is dually trained as both a nationally certified school psychologist and board certified pediatric neuropsychologist.  He has more than 20 years of experience working directly in public education, and is currently in private practice assessing children in Frederick, Maryland.  Dr. Feifer has earned numerous distinctions throughout his career including being awarded the Maryland School Psychologist of the Year, the National School Psychologist of the Year, and recently the Legends of School Psychology award.  He remains a popular speaker at many state, national, and international conferences, and has authored eight books on learning and emotional disorders in children.  Lastly, Dr. Feifer has also authored three tests on diagnosing learning disabilities in children, all of which are published by PAR.

Testimonials

 “I love the speaker. He knows how to engage the audience and keep us focused. Interesting and applicable info and stories, very organized and will timed presentation.”
– Richmond, BC | December 2, 2019

“This professional learning workshop was very targeted and well organized. The presenter was well prepared and very knowledgeable. He explicitly connected the neuropsychology and the intervention piece. A very worthwhile and informative session.”
– Calgary, AB | November 1 – 2, 2018

“Very good presentation. Thorough scientific content. Very clear about information. Afternoon presentation, very clear, excellent content. This is a deeply competent, expert + well informed.”
– Langley, BC | November 20 – 22, 2017

“Congratulations Dr. Feifer on being one of the first American presenters I have heard who took the time to do research + make slides with Canadian info + statistics, when presenting in Canada!”
– Langley, BC | November 20 – 22, 2017

“Very engaging speaker – obviously passionate about what he does. Fantastic balance of theory/practical applications. Visual format of slides were easy to see/follow plus he used to guide his discussions but didn’t read off them. Feifer made the audience feel at ease and welcome to ask questions.”
– Saskatoon, SK | May 10 – 12, 2017

“Thank you so much for an interesting workshop. I enjoyed the information because the neuropsychology aspect is so important to why and where we need to go with literacy interventions.”
– Tracie McDonald | Winnipeg, MB | December 3, 2015

“Very much enjoyed Steven Feifer’s ability to translate neuropsychology concepts into practical insights.”
– Dan Ross | Calgary, AB | October 29, 2015

“Very well informed, important information, great sense of humour, and love of his area of study and the audience. Great!”
– Robert Paulet | Winnipeg, MB | December 3, 2015

“Presenter was excellent!”
– Winnipeg, MB | December 3, 2015

“Best workshop I’ve been to! Very practical and relevant to my needs with respect to my current caseload. Thank you!”
– Winnipeg, MB | December 3, 2015

“Dr. Feifer has helped me to solidify my understanding of how to assess and intervene on learning disabilities. I found this workshop to be extremely practical and I intend to use the information to improve my practice in school psychology.”
– Winnipeg, MB | December 3, 2015

Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D.

Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist, author, and international trainer. She is a practicing psychotherapist and coaches professionals for anxiety management. Margaret has been a trainer of therapists for 25 years, and she is a sought-after speaker for continuing education seminars, consistently getting the highest ratings from participants for her dynamic style and high-quality content.

She has written articles for the award-winning Psychotherapy Networker magazine and she blogs on depression for Psychology Today. Audio and DVD versions of her trainings are available for obtaining CEU’s. She has written 9 books on topics of anxiety and depression published by W.W. Norton, and a workbook, Stress Solutions, published by PESI. The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques and its accompanying workbook, consistent best-sellers, were released in revised editions in 2018. Her upcoming book, The New Face of Anxiety: Managing Anxiety, Grief and Loss in a Post-Pandemic World, will be released by W.W.Norton late in 2020.

Testimonials

“I finally got to do this workshop with Dr. Wehrenberg. Exceeded my expectations – thorough over-view of strategies known to address depression mixed with a delightful sense of humour and energy – loved the brief exercise. Thanks for coming to Calgary!”
– Calgary, AB | November 21, 2019

“Margaret is clearly an expert in the field and presents as knowledgeable, approachable and experienced. I found her presentation style to be engaging and interesting. This workshop was a welcomed refresher on anxiety’s impact on both the brain and body. Thank you!”
– Edmonton, AB | May 27 – 28, 2019

“Dr. Wehrenberg was a wonderful speaker. She was incredibly knowledgeable on all of the materials she covered and was able to competently answer any questions. I very much appreciated her wisdom and insights.”
– Richmond, BC | November 26, 2018

“Thank you Margaret. You have a very positive and practical approach that is deeply connected to research. I can’t wait for the next session!”
-Amy (Crowther Memorial Junior High) | Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“Margaret is phenomenal! Great workshop – will recommend it to everyone.”
-Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“Margaret’s information today was fantastic! I can see using it in my professional life and also my family life. Very practical, step-by-step ideas we can all use. Thank you.”
-Tammie C. (Preschool Teacher & Mother)  | Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“Thank you – this workshop broadened my understanding of how to work with clients with depression.”
– Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“The workshop was awesome! Margaret is wonderfully knowledgeable on both the academic side and the practical side. I do really appreciate her sense of humour. I rarely give straight “5’s” on evaluations – she deserves every one of them!”
-Christina G. | Burnaby, BC | April 10 & 11, 2014

“Great workshop! Informative, practical, entertaining!”
-Suzanne R. (Red Deer College) | Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“Margaret is highly knowledgeable and experienced, and it shows. She makes an effort to build rapport with humour and lots of practical anecdotes.”
-Kelly R. (Enviros Wilderness School Association) | Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014

“Thank you – I needed this.”
-Calgary, AB | April 3 & 4, 2014