The Flourishing Center

Empowering Today’s Change Agents for a More Positive Tomorrow.

Katie Conlon, MAPP, MA

Education:

  • B.A. in Anthropology – Washington University in St. Louis
  • M.A. in Counseling and Personnel Services – University of Maryland, College Park
  • MAPP – University of Pennsylvania
  • Certifications:
    • ESCI 360 Instrument, The Hay Group
    • Triple Impact Practitioners Program, Edie Seashore and Dr. Michael Broom’s Center for Human Systems
    • Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training, Company of Experts
    • StrengthsQuest Educator Training, StrengthsQuest Mentoring and Advising Training, Gallup
    • Crucial Conversations Training, VitalSmarts
    • David Rock’s SCARF Experience – Neuroleadership Group
    • Peer Consulting Network Organizational Development Training Course, CLOC, University of Maryland
    • Polarity Management Foundations Course
    • Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA) certification courses in Group Facilitation Methods, Technology of Participation Secrets of Implementation and Participatory Methods of Action Planning

Location: Washington, DC    Teaches: Washington, DC

Professional Experience:

I have worked as an Organizational Development Consultant, Coach, and Trainer at the University of Maryland’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Change.  I also do private training, coaching, and consulting through my business, The Phoenix Nest.  I have worked in the past as an Assistant Instructor in the MAPP program at the University of Pennsylvania. I have been involved with George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well Being, helping to create curriculum for its resilience initiative on campus. I have also written articles for Fulfillment Daily (online blog about science-based strategies for increasing happiness)

My Story:

My past experience includes a stint as an Americorps volunteer, working in the non-profit sector running the volunteer program at Chicago’s Food Bank and years at the University of Maryland working in Student Affairs, During my early years at the University of Maryland, I taught leadership classes, oversaw several large tutoring programs that place college students in local elementary schools, and trained undergraduate students in becoming change agents.  What I enjoyed most about all of this work was my contact with people and groups, which was the springboard for me into a greater focus on training and consulting work. I embrace the importance of asking critical questions about dysfunctional systems and structures. However, so much of what we do as humans seems to be focused on a purely deficit-based approach, focusing only on what’s wrong and getting stuck there.  When I discovered positive psychology through a training course in Appreciative Inquiry years ago, I discovered the power of learning more about assets and strengths an finding ways to build on them, and how that can create actual movement and propel people towards more viable solutions. I knew I had found the right approach for me – to work and life. I am passionate about creating a better world by helping people, groups, and organizations thrive and create change around them, particularly during times of transition. Positive psychology provides a lens through which I approach my work. Through coaching, training, and facilitation, I work with people and groups to build habits that help them develop and realize their goals for a more vibrant and successful future.

Words of Wisdom:

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”   

-Anaïs Nin

Morning Ritual:

I try to start each day by drinking a glass of water and doing a few stretches and yoga poses as soon as I hop out of bed, then going into my son’s room, giving him a hug and kiss and talking to him about the day.  After we’re dressed and ready, we eat breakfast together.

A Little Known Fact About Me…

I am an avid gardener, and spend lots of time in the spring, summer, and fall months tending to our backyard “farm.”

What Students Are Saying:

“With an impressive depth of knowledge, authentic warmth and versatile teaching style,  Katie has an amazing ability to balance information and inspiration! My CAPP cohort was incredibly diverse, yet Katie has this knack for adapting what we were learning to our individual needs and never missed a beat with the range of questions.  We were all in awe of not only Katie’s command of the field of positive psychology but her genuine excitement for teaching and learning alongside with us.  She brings boundless energy and ideas, and instilled such confidence in each of us throughout the CAPP course.”

– Denise Riebman

“The CAPP program at the Flourishing Center is absolutely AMAZING!!!  I had been introduced to the concepts of positive psychology in the Army through our Resiliency Program and wanted to learn more about it, so when I found CAPP I was ecstatic!  The CAPP program built upon my learning even more:  explaining the research/science behind this emerging field, offering tools to put me on my own pathway towards flourishing, and connecting me to a vibrant community of positive, like-minded people.  My instructor, Katie Conlon, was top notch- she was engaging, knowledgeable, and a true living example of positive psychology embodied.  Katie explained concepts simply, provided her practical experience to make them more concrete, and modeled the tools in a way we could easily emulate.  Taking CAPP, has been the single best educational decision I’ve made.  I highly encourage anyone who is interested in positive psychology to enroll in the CAPP program immediately!  You’ll be inspired, maybe even enough to write a book!”

– LTC Theresa Bodnar, Army Officer
Author of GetUPP!  Understanding Positive Psychology

“Katie has the wonderful ability to not only instruct but also to inspire and lead. She encourages dialogue in her CAPP classes and is an excellent facilitator, drawing out the best in each of her students. Katie is gifted in her ability to convey complex material in a clear, concise, and useable form. Taking the CAPP program, with Katie as my instructor, was one of the best investments I have made both personally and professionally and I would highly recommend this program for anyone interested in positive” psychology.

– Susan Beckman Reagan