Kristen Lee

Kristen Lee (born 1974) Ed.D., LICSW, known as “Dr. Kris,” is an American activist, psychotherapist, professor, human resilience researcher, author, and mental health comedy show host. Lee is the Lead Faculty for Behavioural sciences and Faculty-in-Residence at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Kris’s research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. Lee has spent decades studying the topics of resilience, identity, and human well-being. She is the author of RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress, Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015, and best-selling Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking-Learn What it Takes to be More Agile, Mindful and Connected in Today’s World. She is a regular contributor for Psychology Today and Thrive Global. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR and CBS Radio. She is the host of Crackin’ Up: Where Therapy Meets Comedy. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR, Ted, and CBS radio. 
Dr. Kris is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker known for her advocacy in promoting increased mental health integration in social policies and institutions to facilitate access and improved health outcomes in the U.S. and across the globe. She has served as a U.S. federal grant reviewer for the Departments of Minority Affairs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and Health and Human Services. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychological Association. She holds a BS from Worcester State University, MSW from Boston University, and an Ed.D. from Northeastern University. In 2011, Dr. Kris was the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award from Northeastern University for her “depth of knowledge” and “engaging teaching style”. In 2015, she was honored with the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from Worcester State University as “a leader who lives by the highest intellectual and ethical standards." 
She has publicly revealed her personal experiences with anxiety and depression, advocating for reduced discrimination towards and stigmatization of persons with lived experience with mental health, including her TedX talk, The Risk You Must Take. 
== Early Life and Education ==
Lee, the youngest of four, was born on August 2, 1974 in Brockton, Massachusetts to Michael and Gail Lee where they lived for two years until moving to Lakeville, Massachusetts where Lee attended public schools. 
===== Postsecondary Education =====
* 1996: Lee graduated from Worcester State University with her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Early childhood education and Psychology.
* 2000: Lee earned her Master of Science in Clinical Social Work from Boston University with a specialization in Macro Social Work
* 2011: Lee earned her Doctor of Education in Organization and Leadership studies. Her dissertation is titled An Exploration of The Central Factors Influencing Teachers’ Stress Management in Urban Classrooms.
== Career ==
In the early 2000’s, after graduating with her M.S in Clinical Social Work from Boston University, Dr. Kris’s career began with her working as a grant writer, practicing Behavioral Health Clinician, and Keynote. 
As a grant writer for several non-profit organizations in the New Bedford, Massachusetts and Fall River, Massachusetts area, she helped raise over 8 million dollars in funding. With a focus on programming for marginalized and underserved communities to support housing, basic needs, domestic violence prevention and intervention services, legal services for undocumented immigrants, counseling, and wrap-around services for wide range of populations including children and families, families of 9/11 victim’s, veteran’s, elders, sexual abuse survivors, immigrants and refugees. 
As a clinician, Dr. Kris’s practice was split between community-based outpatient mental health and private practice settings. Dr. Kris served a diverse range of individuals and families within Clinic, School, and correctional settings.
Dr. Kris has been a keynote speaker since 2000. Her ability to engage with a diverse range of audiences has led her to be invited to speak nationally and internationally to students, educators, health and mental health professionals, business leaders and general audiences. Some of the venues she has spoken at include Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Nationwide, TED (conference), Virgin Group Pulse and Johnson & Johnson. With a focus on applications of behavioral science for individual and institutional applications; early intervention, prevention and integration of evidence-based practices to support Eudaimonia and collective efficacy through social justice, inter-cultural and Intergenerationality efficacy, intersectionality, mindfulness, lifestyle medicine, cognitive behavioral principles and applied neuroscience, Dr. Kris is an advocate for social and economic justice, human rights, and adoption of just and humane policies and practices that support varied identities across the lifespan. She aims to foster Pluralism (political philosophy) and solidarity across varied social identity groups within societies with an emphasis on exposing and reducing institutionalized ism’s, oppression, discrimination and Social exclusion of individuals and groups according to Race (human categorization), class, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion and other social identities. 
Dr. Kris began her work in higher education in 2009 and has held a wide range of teaching and leadership positions.
== Works ==
==== Books ====
She is, to date, the author of one award-winning book and a best-selling book based around mental health and critical thinking, with a third book to be released Spring 2022.
* RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress→ Published in 2014 and winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015. I Universe.
* Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking-Learn What it Takes to be More Agile, Mindful and Connected in Today’s World→ Published in 2018. HCI.
* Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World, Spring 2022→ Sounds True.
== Honors & Awards ==
* 2021→ Old Colony Regional Vocational High School Wall of Achievement
* 2015→ Worcester State University Distinguished Professional Achievement Award
* 2015→ Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of the Year Winner 
* 2015→ Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Self-Help and Health and Wellness Categories
* 2014→ Northeastern University Excellence in Teaching Award Finalist
* 2012→ Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Category:1974 births 
Category:American activists
Category:American psychotherapists
Category:American professors
Category:People from Brockton, Massachusetts