Acclaimed international speaker and clinical psychologist Dr. Shefali Tsabary will lead the parenting talk at Imua Discovery Garden.

WAILUKU — The ongoing roller coaster that is the COVID-19 pandemic has burdened our children with an enormous amount of stress, anxiety, fear and uncertainty for two unrelenting years. While pediatricians, psychiatrists and children’s hospitals across the country have forewarned us about the brewing children’s mental health crisis, many parents are not prepared or equipped to deal with the resulting behavioral and developmental impacts, many of which are already beginning to surface.

Imua Family Services is taking steps to address those needs. On Jan. 21 and 22, professionals and parents on Maui have the opportunity to hear from internationally recognized speaker, clinical psychologist and NY Times best-selling author Dr. Shefali Tsabary during a two-hour talk at the Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku.

The two days are divided into a discussion amongst early childhood professionals (Friday, Jan. 21) and a talk with parents and guardians (Saturday, Jan. 22).

“We wanted to start the year offering a time to heal,” said Dean Wong, Imua Family Services’ executive director. “We need real help and real solutions, and we need to give ourselves as a community some much-needed grace as we struggle through caring for our children. I could not think of a better way to begin the process of healing than providing Dr. Shefali as a valuable resource to help for our parents and children.”

Dr. Shefali’s work has been endorsed as being revolutionary and life-changing by none other than Oprah Winfrey, who hosted her through two episodes of the award-winning series “Oprah’s Lifeclass.”

Her ground-breaking approach to mindful living and parenting has taken three of her books to the top of the NY Times best-sellers list, and her blend of clinical psychology and Eastern mindfulness sets her apart as a leader in the field of mindfulness psychology.

Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, she brings together the best of both worlds for her clients.

She is an expert in family dynamics and personal development, teaching courses around the globe. As a keynote speaker, she has presented at TEDx, Kellogg Business School, the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, and other conferences and workshops around the world, where she shares her approach of integrating Eastern mindfulness with Western psychology — especially in the realm of parenting.

“We live in a time where there is the plague of doing, doing, doing that creates an internal disconnect within parents as they race against the clock,” she said.

Dr. Shefali observes that “childhood has become this big competition for achievement. This gives the child the message that they always have to achieve or become something in order to be worthy… rather than to unfold into who they already are.”

Dr. Shefali feels grateful to be part of guiding others to connect to simple, joyful and liberated parenting methods.

She concluded, “I believe in the power of story to get to the heart of the matter and to inspire people. If something I say or write rings true for someone and they become awakened, I feel grateful to have made a contribution.”

Imua Family Services is a leader in Early Childhood Development in Maui County. This year, the agency is celebrating 75 years, having established its original roots in 1947 while addressing the Polio pandemic.

With constant changes forced on the community by the current pandemic, not to mention the financial hardship and loss that many families have experienced, parenting itself has become more difficult, and families are struggling to cope.

Imua Family Services is proud to host Dr. Shefali and encourages teachers, physicians, therapists, parents, caregivers and other providers to register at https://imuagarden.org/workshop. The cost of attendance is $25 for the Professionals’ Day and $20 for the Parents’ Day.