Shana Schmidt

Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor

Newton, Kansas

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Shana Schmidt has over 20 years of experience working with challenging behaviors in homes and schools. As a Conscious Discipline® Certified Instructor since 2005, Shana found her heart and continues to be a learner of the Skills. Shana’s life passion is relationships. Whether it be playing ‘mommy’ as a young girl, cheering a team on in high-school or encouraging other adults professionally, Shana has always felt the impact of healthy support.

More About Shana Schmidt

After receiving her Master’s Degree in mental health counseling in 1997, Shana worked in the foster-care system and quickly noticed how early-relationships affected a child’s success. It didn’t take long for Shana to recognize how supporting families and educators would ultimately shape how a child responds to life’s situations. Since that time in 1997 Shana has worked and gained experience as a counselor, supervisor, trainer, mental health consultant, classroom coach and administrator while she continues to learn and grow alongside those she serves. Shana’s training and coaching is full of real-life examples and relatable humor that reduces the pressure to “get it right” and allow time to grow. Whether you are a parent, provider, educator, therapist or administrator the heart of your work stems from healthy relationships. Shana has experienced deep work with parents and professionals who are exhausted by a child’s behavior and question whether they were cut out to be in that child’s life. The answer is YES. Each of us are exactly where we are meant to be at any given moment, it’s how we respond in each moment that matters.

Through personalized training and coaching opportunities you will learn how healthy relationships transform behaviors and your vital role in the process.

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Experience

Shana has 20+ years of experience working with families, caregivers, and educators to create a healthy climate, leading to safe relationships in schools, families, foster care systems, and early childhood programs.
Specialization

Shana specializes in early childhood, foster & adoptive families, elementary schools, and mental health programs with a focus on attachment and trauma.
Certification

Shana is a Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Infant Mental Health Specialist IMH-E®(III).
Education

Shana earned a B.S. in Psychology from Emporia State University, and a Masters of Science in Community Mental Health & Counseling from Emporia State University.

Recent Articles

More About Shana Schmidt

Three days with Shana Schmidt and Conscious Discipline simply changed my life and how I see children. I had been using CD for eight years but it wasn’t until her class that I finally “got it”. I walked out with a new-found joy for my children and the tools to better meet their needs. I can’t thank her enough for reminding me of the importance of empathy and connections when working with children.

Michelle G.
Head Start Teacher, Kansas

As a director of an Early Childhood program we knew there had to be a better way to help staff and students. Shana’s ability to connect with a variety of staff and programs has been vital to our program. To achieve positive healthy outcomes we must have quality social-emotional support. Shana’s meaningful training and coaching techniques has increased our staff’s confidence and practice in each of the Conscious Discipline skills.

Jennifer B.
Director of Head Start, Futures-Unlimited, Inc.

Shana’s trainings are informative and engaging. She provides insight and clear understanding of the structures of Conscious Discipline. Staff are active learning participants throughout her trainings and come back with new ideas and enthusiasm. She is knowledgeable has a fun interactive presentation style.

Andy Hutchinson
Program Director, Head Start & Early Head Start

The Conscious Discipline training with Shana Schmidt was awesome! We came away with lots of practical tools for working with children, especially those who exhibit challenging behaviors. Shana taught us how to assess which part of the brain a child's behavior is coming from, and approach them from that place. Even though we were dealing with serious issues, Shana made the workshop fun and engaging. Her extensive background working with high needs children in a clinical setting, allows her to draw on real-world examples and anecdotes to demonstrate the concepts. We have a renewed resolve to make a connection and establish a relationship with every child in our care, in order to better serve their needs and create an environment where they feel a sense of safety and belonging. I would highly recommend Shana to any childcare or educational organization who works with children.

Jeanie Fuller
USD 373 Latchkey Director