Speaking
Dr. Cynthia Garner, DBH
Reclaim Your Story. Be Fierce About It.
As a mental health educator, trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, and somatic leadership coach, I speak at the crossroads of mind-body health, embodied leadership, and social change. My talks help audiences connect the dots between personal wellbeing and collective healing—making nervous system health, boundaries, and emotional integrity not only accessible, but urgent and actionable.
I bring over 20 years of experience in education, trauma recovery, and systems leadership, with a Doctorate in Body-Mind Health and advanced certifications in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and somatic therapy. My audiences include educators, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, wellness professionals, and anyone ready to lead from within.
Whether on stage, in workshops, or in community gatherings, I meet people where they are and invite them into a deeper relationship with themselves. My talks are both tender and fierce—blending story, science, and soul.
Most Requested Topics
1. From Burnout to Belonging: Healing the Nervous System in a Fractured World
Why chronic stress is not just personal, but systemic—and how nervous system awareness can shift how we lead, work, parent, and relate.
2. Fierce Boundaries: Trauma-Informed Tools for Empowered Living
A practical and soul-centered guide to setting boundaries without guilt and reclaiming your life as an act of integrity and care.
3. No More Self-Betrayal: A 12-Step Journey to Reclaim Your Energy and Live Your Truth
Based on Cynthia’s forthcoming workbook, this talk maps the small daily shifts that break cycles of overgiving, perfectionism, and self-abandonment.
4. Educators on the Edge: Restoring Presence, Purpose, and Power in Schools
Drawing from her dissertation and two decades in the field, Cynthia offers concrete, evidence-based tools for educators and school leaders to recover their joy and effectiveness.
5. Embodied Leadership for a New Era: Regulating from Within to Lead with Compassion and Clarity
How nervous system health, body literacy, and trauma-sensitive mindfulness can shift organizational culture from reactive to resilient.
6. The Truth Will Set You Free (But First It Might Wreck You): Storytelling, Self-Trust, and the Art of Living Fiercely
A powerful keynote weaving Cynthia’s Fulbright experience, memoir work, and healing journey into an invitation for radical authenticity and embodied voice.
7. Mindfulness After Trauma: Restoring Safety, Agency, and Self-Compassion
Why traditional mindfulness doesn’t always work for survivors—and how trauma-sensitive practices can gently reopen the door to the present moment.
8. Boundaries at Work: Redefining Professional Wellness in High-Stress Environments
A fresh look at how boundary collapse in professional spaces leads to burnout—and how organizations can center well-being without sacrificing impact.
Invite Cynthia to Speak
Cynthia is available for keynotes, panels, workshops, podcasts, staff retreats, and custom trainings. She has spoken for universities, nonprofits, government agencies, wellness summits, women’s leadership cohorts, and national conferences.
Every talk is tailored to meet the moment and the audience.
Speaking Requests
To inquire about booking, availability, or speaker rates, please email connect@cynthiagarner.com.
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The human body is designed for co-regulation. Your nervous system is the intervention…
Incorporating BoundaryWISE Leadership and relational mindfulness skills at work is powerfully transformative. More than just another token wellness program or team-building exercise, Dr. Cynthia Garner’s programming is responsive and skillful, and informed by over a decade of work with high-impact leaders. She works both individually with core leadership and in a whole-systems context, helping integrate balance, focus, and care into moment-to-moment interactions and challenges.
Through therapeutic somatic exercises, verbal and non-verbal reflections, and neuroscience backed instruction Cynthia help teams build connection through the investigation and sharing of human experience.
Programs include trauma-sensitive wellness education, mindful movement, inner and outer awareness exercises, skillful pauses, emotional regulation, non-violent communication practices, collaborative feedback models, physiological attunement for crisis response, and non-verbal check-ins.
Educators and business leaders share gratitude for mindfulness, connection, and a sense of belonging:
"This workshop was an amazing experience. This was not new material for me however it was very much appreciated and I believe that everyone benefitted from it. I felt closer as a staff by going through this together. I would love to explore the possibilities of doing more of this or perhaps some sort of retreat. I do know that the presenters will be back in January and what else can we do?" -Sarah B. High School Teacher
"Cynthia’s workshop changed the way I think about multi-tasking, stress, and burnout. Instead of feeling like something to fight against, she helped me understand how to work with my own nervous system in a way that actually makes sense and helps me get more done. If you’re considering bringing her in—do it. Your employees will thank you." — Michelle L., Executive Assistant
"I really enjoyed how peaceful the room was during this time. It was nice to start the morning in a calm setting." -Priscilla A., High School Teacher
"My experience of the [workshop] was refreshing and was absolutely a new way of looking at my life in times of stress and busyness. I am eager to continue learning more about myself through mindfulness practices." -Maria Winston, English Language Specialist
"Cynthia has a rare ability to hold space in a way that feels both deeply calming and widely relevant. Her workshop helped me relax tension I didn’t even know I was holding and I left with tools I can actually use—not just in my work, but in my life." — David M., Human Resources Coordinator
"It really helped to put me in a good place to start my day, and that continued through all my classes." -Amanda K. High School Teacher
"The way Cynthia guided us changed the room instantly. Her voice was warm and the practices she offered us helped us feel it and integrate it. I came in expecting another time-wasting professional development session; I left feeling like I had just taken a refreshing nap." — Jessica R., School Counselor
"Cynthia’s presence, her insight, and her ability to create a truly safe and reflective space made all the difference for me today. Somehow, she seemed to know just what we all needed. Our team left feeling more connected and genuinely inspired." — Mark S., Director of Student Services
"I can already feel the impact of this session in my day-to-day stress level and the simple skills Cynthia offered have given me new possibilities for how I can show up for my students and colleagues, but mostly the importance of showing up for myself first." — Rachel P., CEO
