Kate Robson

Psychotherapist and Bestselling Author

Communication After Dinner Speakers Authors Campus Speakers

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Community Building Education Health & Wellness Healthcare Leadership Mental Health Motivation & Inspiration Resilience Teamwork & Collaboration

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Educators Female Speakers Mental Health Speakers Moderators Motivational Speakers Virtual Presenters

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About This Speaker

When organizations look for a speaker who combines deep clinical expertise with genuine human warmth, they book Kate Robson. As a registered psychotherapist and the bestselling author of Something to Hold Onto (Simon & Schuster), Kate Robson has dedicated her career to helping individuals and teams navigate high-stress environments. Drawing from years of clinical practice, she brings a blend of evidence-based strategies, humor, and compassion to every stage.

Kate Robson first gained international recognition for her pioneering work as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) family support specialist. Inspired by her own harrowing experience with her children in the NICU, she spent more than twelve years educating clinicians and families on trauma-informed and family-centered care. This foundation in high-stakes environments allowed her to master the art of emotional resilience and attachment. She translates this knowledge into practical guidance for broader audiences.

In her private practice, Kate Robson supports individuals and couples through infertility, high-risk pregnancies, and bereavement. Her integrative approach is grounded in several sophisticated therapeutic modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and EMDR. Known for her “mastery of metaphor”, she uses creative imagery to help people reframe their stories, understand the “weight” they carry, and decide what to hold onto and what to release.

On the speaking stage, Kate Robson empowers audiences to rethink resilience not as mere toughness, but as the capacity to stay present and connected during uncertainty. Her talks on “Building Emotion-Friendly Workplaces” and “Finding Strength in Uncertain Times” deliver actionable tools that professionals can implement immediately to reduce burnout and boost productivity. Overall, Kate Robson helps her listeners move beyond “fine” to find genuine connection, purpose, and movement forward.

Videos

Speaking Topics: Kate Robson

The Weight We Carry: Finding Strength in Uncertain Times

This presentation explores the emotional and biological toll of chronic stress and trauma, often described as "weathering," and offers strategies for resilience. Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles like psychological flexibility, acceptance of difficult emotions, values clarification, and mindfulness, participants learn to bear life's burdens without being overwhelmed, fostering self-compassion and purposeful action amid uncertainty. Learning outcomes: - Participants will develop psychological flexibility by practicing acceptance of difficult emotions related to chronic stress, rather than avoidance or suppression. - They will clarify personal values to guide committed action, enabling them to carry emotional "weight" while pursuing meaningful goals in uncertain times.

Building Emotion-Friendly Workplaces: Why Relationships Matter at Work

This talk examines how fostering authentic connections and emotional intelligence reduces burnout, boosts productivity, and creates supportive team dynamics in professional settings. Drawing from couples and family therapy techniques, participants learn to adapt these tools for workplace conflicts, enhancing collaboration and belonging. Learning outcomes: - Participants will identify barriers to emotional safety at work and apply relational skills from family therapy to build trust and resolve disputes collaboratively. - They will practice techniques such as nonviolent communication and repair conversations to strengthen team relationships and mitigate turnover. - Attendees will develop strategies for leading emotion-friendly cultures, integrating vulnerability and appreciation rituals to prioritize human connections over transactions.

Flexibility at Work and Play: Using ACT to Thrive in Chaos

This engaging talk draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to show how psychological flexibility helps everyday people - whether in boardrooms, classrooms, or family life - handle stress, adapt to change, and pursue what truly matters without getting stuck in rumination or avoidance. Learning outcomes: - Participants will learn to practice defusion techniques to detach from unhelpful mental chatter during high-pressure situations. - They will identify personal values to anchor decisions and experiment with value-driven behaviours that create momentum in dynamic group settings like teams or classes. - Attendees will use acceptance strategies to embrace discomfort as a signal for growth, turning obstacles into opportunities for innovation and stronger connections.

Unpacking Life's Trunk: Metaphors to Decide What to Hold and What to Release

Drawing from Kate Robson's Something to Hold Onto, this talk uses playful metaphors - like sorting family heirlooms in a trunk or stocking a personal "medicine cabinet" of coping tools - to help audiences reframe stress, identify core values, and choose what truly nourishes their lives. Learning Outcomes: - Participants will explore imaginative prompts to recognize emotional "weight" from past stories and habits, fostering curiosity about what to release for greater freedom. - They will practice identifying foundational values through simple exercises, enabling intentional choices in tricky moments found in daily life. - Attendees will build a personalized toolkit of self-care metaphors and small actions to navigate discomfort, enhancing resilience and self-compassion.