Community Education: Cecily’s Conference, originally named Cecily’s Advocacy Workshop in 2010, honors the memory of Cecily Kodis Kaufman. Cecily was an inspirational member of the McLean School family. She served for many years as a dedicated Parents Association Executive Board member, an enthusiastic volunteer, and a passionate advocate for her children. Cecily’s selfless and giving spirit left an indelible mark on everyone who knew her. Her unwavering commitment to the McLean School community continues to inspire us.
Guests: $25 (includes keynote speaker, 2 workshops, breakfast & snacks)
Register Here
Meghan Leahy, Keynote Speaker
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Workshop 1
The Secret To Cooperation? Connection! How Understanding the Power of Connection Can Make (Almost) Everything Clearer, Easier, and More Joyful.
Meghan Leahy
Parent Coach, Author & Columnist for The Washington Post
In a world of data and tricks, it’s time to return to the basics. We delve into the roots of attachment, what it may look like in your family, and easy techniques to connect to your child (whatever the age, developmental stage, or struggle). The simplest ideas are the hardest to do, so we will also laugh . . . because joy is needed.
Workshop 2
Gratitude and Forgiveness: A Path to Healing for Imperfect Parents
Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye
Psychotherapist
Founder, The Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing
Parenting is a journey filled with joy and challenges; no parent is perfect. In “Gratitude and Forgiveness: A Path to Healing for Imperfect Parents,” you’ll discover how embracing imperfection can lead to deeper connection and healing within your family. This inspiring and practical talk explores how gratitude can shift your focus from mistakes to moments of growth and how forgiveness—both for yourself and others—can free you from the weight of guilt and regret.
Learn simple, actionable strategies to incorporate gratitude rituals into your daily routine and practice forgiveness as a tool for resilience and transformation. Through real-life stories and compassionate insights, this talk will offer hope, healing, and practical tools to help you parent with grace and authenticity. Join us to reframe mistakes as opportunities for growth and to celebrate the beauty of imperfection in your parenting journey.
About Dr. Sabrina
Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye is a thought leader in integrating spirituality with psychotherapy. As an integrative therapist, storyteller, and peacebuilder, she blends ancient spiritual practices with the latest scientific research and wisdom to guide others on their healing journeys. She is also the founder of The Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing, where she lovingly serves women, couples, and small groups.
A passionate storyteller, Dr. Sabrina is a strong advocate for the power of narrative in the healing process. She believes sharing stories is a powerful tool for connecting with others and fostering community healing. This belief is central to her workshops and public speaking engagements, where she encourages participants to explore and share their stories as pathways to personal and collective healing.
She is a highly respected member of the therapeutic community, frequently lecturing on topics such as peacebuilding, spirituality, self-care for healers, imagery, writing, and the transformative power of connection.
Her first book, Big Mama Speaks: Love Lessons from a Harlem River Swan, draws on her maternal grandmother’s resilience in overcoming trauma and chronic illness.
Dr. Sabrina is a wife, mother, daughter, and life-long learner fascinated by the healing power of forgiveness and compassion.
Most importantly, she is an imperfect parent of two 20-something women.
Workshop 3
The Successful Launch: Parent Must-Do’s to Facilitate College and Life Readiness
Amye Fried
Co-Founder, Metropolitan Counseling Associates, LLC
Sally O’Rourke
Associate Director of College Counseling, McLean School
In this 50-minute interactive workshop, participants will learn the essential tasks teens must be able to perform to launch successfully into young adulthood. Workshop co-facilitators will identify many common obstacles that interfere with the launching process and can cause many emerging adults to take leave from or drop out of college. The importance of mental wellness, solid executive functioning and self-care skills, and the ability to self-advocate and seek help will be highlighted and discussed. Parents of high school students will learn strategies to help their teens become confident, autonomous, and purposeful young adults.
About Amye Fried
Amye is the Co-Founder of Metropolitan Counseling Associates, LLC (MCA). Ms. Fried has provided individual, group, and family therapy to adolescents and young adults in the Washington, DC area for over 25 years. In addition to overseeing the practice and serving as a Clinical Supervisor to many of the staff, she spends the majority of her time assessing and treating young adult clients with a history of an anxiety and/or mood disorder, often coupled with executive functioning challenges and in some cases developmental trauma. As a result of these mental health challenges, these clients frequently struggle with many aspects of becoming independent and high-functioning adults. Amye’s proudest professional accomplishment is the treatment program she developed and implemented 14 years ago to help launch these young adults. The Ascend Intensive Outpatient Program has graduated hundreds of 18-26 year old clients who are now confidently and competently living meaningful independent lives.
Amye graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University with a degree in Psychology and then continued her education at Smith College, where she earned a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. She then completed five additional years of post-master’s clinical training, specializing in family and group therapy.
About Sally O’Rourke
Sally O’Rourke is a College Counselor with over 30 years of experience working with high school students in a variety of settings. She graduated from Tufts University with a BA double major in History and Religion and completed her MA in Education (Counseling) at the Catholic University of America. An active college counseling leader with experience in boarding/day independent, Catholic, and public schools. Sally started her career as a school counselor at McLean High School in McLean, Virginia and prior to joining the McLean School College Counseling Office, she has worked at Georgetown Day School and the Potomac School in McLean, Virginia. She has served in leadership roles on the boards of both the Potomac and Chesapeake (PCACAC) and the New England College Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) and as a panel leader at NACAC, ACCIS, and TABS. Sally also returned to her alma mater for three years as resident director living with her family in a residence hall of 400 undergraduate students.
Community Education Cecily’s Conference Program
7:45 am Check-in
8:15 am Program begins
8:30 am Keynote Presentation by Meghan Leahy
9:45 am Workshop Session 1 – choose one of three workshops
10:45 am Workshop Session 2 – choose one of three workshops
11:45 pm Unconference & Networking