YogaKids Trainer Donna Salusti
A dedicated practitioner of yoga and mindfulness for over 15 years, Dr. Donna Salusti integrates more than 20 years of professional experience in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and special education in her energetic and supportive teaching style as a YogaKids Teacher Trainer. She came to YogaKids seeking additional training that would provide a child-centered approach to teaching children about the mind-body connection thorough yoga.
YogaKids methodologies were the perfect match for her neuroscience-based orientation toward understanding the benefits of yoga and mindfulness on the cognitive and social minds of children and adolescents, providing kid friendly language, kinesthetic, and visual modalities within which children can learn about themselves, their body, and their relationship to others and the world. YogaKids’ integration of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences was the natural and brilliant link Dr. Salusti was looking for to support children of all ages.
Dr. Salusti’s expertise focuses on yoga and mindfulness techniques to support self-regulation of emotions and behavior, reduce performance anxiety, increase positive mood states, control attention and focus in positive and productive ways, and increase social pragmatics and problem solving skills. It is true differentiated instruction on the mat and generalizable to the classroom and home settings!! Dr. Salusti’s teacher training will highlight the ways in which YogaKids techniques and methods can be easily integrated by teachers in classrooms and by parents at home to promote curriculum learning, healthy coping skills, and social growth and development in children.
Dr. Salusti is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), holds Level 1 certification in YogaKids methodology and has completed Level 3 training in YogaKids methodology, and is additionally certified in Balasana Kids Yoga teacher methods through Prana Power Yoga in Winchester and Cambridge, MA.. Dr. Salusti recently came on board as a teacher trainer for YogaKids International and actively integrates yoga, meditation, and mindfulness techniques into her work with clients of all ages.
Dr. Salusti received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1998 at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, MA. She completed training in clinical neuropsychology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Department of Behavioral Neurology, Boston, MA, a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at Harvard University, Bureau of Study Counsel, Cambridge, MA, and additional post-doctoral training in forensic evaluation and psychological assessment at Children’s Charter, Waltham, MA. Dr. Salusti received her Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology with a special concentration in social and personality development in 1991 at Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, with subsequent clinical work at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, on child and adolescent, and adult treatment units. Dr. Salusti holds an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management and offers specialized, state of the art executive coaching and consultation services to businesses and executives in the Boston area.
Additionally credentialed as a Licensed School Psychologist by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. Salusti has over 20 years of experience in clinical, psychological, and neuropsychological assessment and evaluation in the public and private sectors and is regarded as having a high level of expertise in the field of disability determination, special education, and differential diagnosis of a wide range of neurodevelopmental, emotional, behavioral, social, and other mental health challenges.
Throughout her career, Dr. Salusti has assisted parents, schools, attorneys, and other legal and state agencies in evaluating children and adults suspected of having disabilities and identifying and seeking the support services they need to live strong, resilient, and successful lives.
Meet Donna at an upcoming Foundations Training!
Got a question for Donna? Email her at: dsalusti@gmail.com.