Speaking & Training

Ways We Can Work Together

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, behavior specialist, trainer, and consultant, years of experience have been spent working alongside children, families, educators, counselors, administrators, and other helping professionals. This work offers an understanding of challenging behavior not only from a theoretical or clinical perspective, but from within the systems where professionals are expected to respond to it every day—often with limited time, competing demands, and their own activated nervous systems.

This work is grounded in credibility, humility, and compassion. Most professionals are not struggling because they do not care. They are working within demanding systems and often have not been given the language, support, or practical tools they need to navigate challenging situations effectively.

The focus is on providing those tools in a way that feels respectful, engaging, practical, and immediately useful—while honoring the complexity of the people and systems involved.

Catie brings real-world experience and a multidisciplinary perspective to every room she enters. She has presented at national conferences focused on attachment, trauma, and education, as well as conferences across Texas.

Every organization faces different people, pressures, and challenges. Custom training brings behavioral health concepts into the specific situations your team encounters every day.

Training can be tailored to your organization, audience, and goals—giving participants practical tools they can use in the moments that matter most.

Custom Keynote

Professional Training

Workshops

Interactive workshops designed to make behavioral health concepts understandable, practical, and relevant. Participants gain a deeper understanding of behavior and the nervous system while learning tools they can use in real-life moments.

Participants Learn To:

Respond to behavior with curiosity before judgment.
Recognize signs of stress and dysregulation earlier.
Understand the difference between “will not” and “cannot” in the moment.
Regulate themselves before attempting to regulate others.
Balance connection, boundaries, and accountability.
Create environments that increase felt safety and reduce unnecessary threat.
Move beyond compliance as the primary measure of success.
Build long-term skills rather than relying on short-term control.

The Goal:

When the alarm goes off, respond differently.

The smoke alarm metaphor is simple: the goal isn't always to prevent the alarm from sounding. It’s to understand what activated it, respond without creating more smoke, and recognize that not every piece of burnt toast is a house fire.

The work is about learning to pause, understand what is happening beneath the behavior, and choose a response that is effective—not simply reactive.

What Can Organizations Expect?

Staff recognizing dysregulation and protective responses earlier.
Employees feeling less personally threatened by challenging behavior.
Greater confidence during conflict, escalation, or crisis.
Teams pausing before assigning negative intent.
More consistent responses across employees and departments.
Fewer interactions escalating unnecessarily.

Ultimately, What Does Success Look Like?

Success is not the complete absence of difficult behavior. It is a team that can remain more grounded, recognize what may be happening beneath the behavior, and respond without unintentionally adding more threat to the situation.

The goal is a meaningful shift in the way an organization understands and responds to people.

Stronger relationships between professionals and the people they serve.
Clear boundaries and accountability without relying on shame, fear, or disconnection.
Employees understanding how their own nervous systems affect an interaction.
Staff equipped with practical tools they can use immediately.
A culture that values curiosity, dignity, safety, and meaningful change.

What Could Change If We Responded Differently?

Give your team a deeper understanding of behavior, practical tools for high-stress moments, and a framework for responding with greater clarity and confidence.

→ Start the Conversation

Let's Connect

Have questions, want to talk through a training, or interested in bringing The Burnt Toast Project to your organization? Email is the best way to get in touch with Catie. There are no set office hours, so email allows her to respond as quickly as possible while keeping scheduling flexible.

Now Booking 2026 & 2027 Dates

Whether you’re planning a keynote, professional training, workshop, or customized experience, reach out to start the conversation and see what would be the best fit for your organization.

Contact

catie@theburnttoastproject.com

940.228.3808