Our Signature Offerings
Mindful Leaders Project Immersive Retreats
Our retreats offer a transformative experience that empowers you to unlock your inner potential, balance your nervous system, and inspire positive change in the lives of those you serve.
Heart-Centered Connections™ Program
The Heart-Centered Connections (HCC) Practitioners Certificate (Level 1) empowers classroom teachers, community educators, child-serving professionals, and caregivers in building capacity to cultivate trauma-informed neuroinclusive learning environments. These environments, grounded in adult social-emotional wellness, create positive benefits for emotional resilience and academic success among neurodiverse youth. At the heart of the program is the understanding that meaningful connection precedes effective learning. By exploring the intricate links between the often fragmented fields of applied educational neuroscience, neurodiversity, trauma-informed teaching, and social-emotional learning, participants gain practical tools to connect with youth on a brain and nervous system level. Through this integrated holistic lens, participants learn to foster environments that ensure all learners—especially those impacted by neurodiversity, mental health challenges, trauma, or foster care—can thrive.
The program begins with a two-day immersion retreat that introduces core foundational knowledge and mind-body practices. The immersion retreat is followed by eight live follow-up sessions that explore the 7 pillars of Heart-Centered Connections.
The HCC program is a 37.5-hour certificate training.
Embodied Equity Certificate
A Polyvagal-Informed Certificate for Educators & Helping Professionals
In this 25-hour certificate, participants gain a deeper understanding of how bias lives in the bodies of students who are subjected to discrimination, as well as in the education or helping professionals who are triggered to act on bias towards them. A polyvagal-informed approach to this critical topic offers a unique lens through which you will understand how bias impacts you and the students you serve.
- Session 1: Understand Identity-Threat as a Source of Trauma in Schools and Society
- Session 2: Balance Autonomic State for Resilience and Connection
- Session 3: Explore the Body’s Response to Racial Trauma and Stress
- Session 4: A.D.D.R.E.S.S.I.N.G. Bias in the Body
- Session 5: Establish Environmental and Cultural Cues of Felt-Safety
- Session 6: Live Discussion with Dr. Stephen Porges
- Session 7: Signal Cues of Felt Safety and Belonging
- Session 8: Embody Equity in Teaching, Learning, and Wellness
Keynotes & Transformational Speaking
About Dr. Niki Elliott
- Director, Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego
- Founder of the Mindful Leaders Project
- Creator/facilitator of the Heart-Centered Connections Program
- Creator/facilitator of the Embodied Equity for Educators and Helping Professionals Certificate Course for the Polyvagal Institute
Keynote Topics
Below is a list of Dr. Niki’s most requested topics. She is open to discussing ways to customize her talks and programs to fit your organization’s needs.
- Mind-Body Wellness for Educators and Helping Professionals
- Neurodiversity and Inclusion
- Embodied Equity and Belonging
- Trauma-Informed Teaching
- Evidence-Based Mindfulness Practices in Education
- Applications of Polyvagal Theory in Education
Partial Client List
- San Bernardino Unified School District
- Berryessa Unified School District
- Riverside County Office of Education
- Upland Unified School District
- Peace4Kids
- St. Anne’s Family Services
- Pasadena City College
Are you or your team looking forward to diving into one of our programs? Are you hoping to have Dr. Niki share her expertise at your next event? Or perhaps you are not sure which program or keynote topic suits your organization best.
Either way, we’ve got you covered! Let’s start a conversation.