Track 5: Mental Health
Fathers in Focus Conference 2025 » Track 5: Mental Health
Mental Health
This track offers sessions that focus on mental health and well-being, including stress management techniques, coping strategies, and resources for seeking help. Maintaining your mental health is essential for being the best parent you can be. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, these sessions will provide valuable insights and tools to help you prioritize your mental health.
Breakout Speakers
The Power of Presence: Fathers as Leaders in Every Space
Examine the ways fatherhood and leadership roles merge throughout domestic life, educational settings, and community involvement. Tommy provides men with essential tools to become powerful role models and change advocates who demonstrate leadership potential in every space.
Tommy Walls is the Director of Alumni Relations and Career Opportunities at the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), where he champions TRIO alumni engagement, advocacy, and professional development. With over 12 years of experience in organizational leadership and youth engagement, he has led initiatives in education, workforce development, and nonprofit management. A proud TRIO alumnus, Tommy holds a B.A. in Social Welfare and Justice from Marquette University and an M.S.W. in Advocacy, Leadership & Social Change from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
From Absent to Engaged: Restoring the Role of Fathers for Family Mental Wellness
This session empowers fathers to reclaim their role in their children’s emotional growth. Participants will explore the impact of fatherlessness, gain tools to reconnect with their children, and learn strategies to heal generational wounds—equipping them to be emotionally and mentally present
Dr. Clayton Barksdale is a nationally recognized educator, coach, and author dedicated to addressing the impact of fatherlessness. With over 20 years of experience in behavioral coaching and social-emotional learning, he has helped hundreds of youth and families heal from the emotional wounds caused by absent fathers. Dr. Barksdale created the Stones to Statues curriculum to empower students and schools with tools for resilience, emotional growth, and healing. His work focuses on restoring the role of fathers as vital figures in their children’s development and well-being.
(re)finding my fatherhood footing: Agency after an accident
On January 4, 2023 a serious car accident sparked an ongoing journey of trauma, healing, growth, and change. This workshop delves into the experiences and insights from navigating the aftermath of such a traumatic event involving young children.
Steve Hayden is a professional teacher, an above-average tennis player and fan of popcorn on the stove, hip hop music and drinking sparkling water. He likes to write about all of it and more. Dr. Hayden has a Bachelors in Consumer Science from UW-Madison, a Masters in Elementary Education from University of South Florida, and a PhD in Teacher Education from University of Nevada Las Vegas.
