You Can't Reach a Young Person You Haven't Connected With

Keynotes and workshops grounded in real research and three decades of classroom experience, for anyone who works with or cares for young people

Your Teenager Hasn't Stopped Needing You.

They Just Need You Differently.

Get my free guide: 8 Ways to Get On Your Kids’ Turf

Practical, everyday strategies to rebuild trust, create emotional safety, and connect with your child where they are.

ABOUT

Educator, Researcher, Speaker

I’m Dr. Suzanne Simpson, a career educator, doctoral researcher, and teen mental health speaker whose work is grounded in one simple idea: you can’t reach a young person you haven’t connected with first.

Three decades in classrooms, including nearly six years inside a youth psychiatric unit, and doctoral research conducted directly with teens became the foundation of everything I do. I work with educators and parents everywhere to build real connection with the young people in their lives and get on their turf.

SPEAKING

Keynotes and Workshops

Every session I deliver is built on one simple idea: you can’t influence a person you haven’t connected with first. Whether I’m working with school staff on student behaviour and mental health, or with parents trying to rebuild connection with a teenager who has shut down, I bring three decades of real classroom experience and research that comes directly from teens themselves.

Looking for a speaker your audience will still be talking about on Monday morning?

Testimonials

What People are Saying

Dr. Simpson, the mental health educator, has a clear understanding of the challenging realities in schools, and the need to create positive, safe connections with youths to nurture their learning and empower their personal development. I left wishing that more colleagues and the parent community could hear her speak.

Dr. Suzanne Simpson provided an excellent presentation to my staff on her research findings about what vulnerable students need from educators in order to be successful. She is thoughtful, professional and engaging. We look forward to having her return to share more with our teams.

This is an excellent workshop for educators because Dr. Simpson is a teacher herself who knows what “real” classrooms look like and comes with a realistic, pragmatic and humorous approach to some difficult content.

Suzanne’s session was a deeply transformative experience, with her wealth of knowledge and passion shining through every aspect of her presentation. The blend of research and real-world application made it one of the most valuable professional development experiences I’ve had.

Dr. Suzanne Simpson's research highlights for classroom teachers the importance of supporting student and teacher wellness and mental health; she shares concrete strategies to address the social/emotional needs of students and also ways of taking care of ourselves as educators at the same time.

Podcast

Get on Their Turf

Parenting a teenager today is genuinely hard. Get on Their Turf is a podcast about building connection, navigating teen mental health, and staying close to your kid when it feels hardest. Each episode brings real conversations, research-grounded insights, and practical tools you can use right away, at the dinner table or on the drive home.