Brainwashed: Cortisol, Conflict, and the Keys to Calm
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM–2:00 PM EST
Maple (250 seats)
Target Audience
Counselor Educator/Supervisor
Additional Target Audience (e.g. Target Audience is School Administrator with an Additional focus on Elementary)
All Levels
Primary focus area of your proposal
Classroom/Small Group Lessons, Activities, Ideas
Session Summary
Kids today face a cortisol crisis—stress hormones hijacking their brains, from playground meltdowns to TikTok spirals. In this engaging workshop, Steph Jensen, author of Brainwashed, unpacks cortisol’s role in child development and equips attendees with five practical SEL keys—Capable, Confident, Construct, Connect, and Contribute—to transform stress into resilience. Drawing from real stories and accessible brain science, we’ll explore how cortisol drives fight-flight-freeze reactions and how chronic stressimpacts learning, behavior, and identity.