Sonya Barsness
Keynote Speaker: Revisionary Gerontologist Reshaping the Way Society Understands and Supports Aging & Dementia; Adjunct Faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University
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Sonya Barsness Biography
Sonya Barsness, a revisionary gerontologist with over 30 years of experience, is dedicated to transforming how society understands and supports aging and dementia through a person-centered approach grounded in choice, dignity, and shared humanity.
Barsness is the founder of Sonya Barsness Consulting, SBC, a multidimensional company that provides a variety of products and services that support senior living, nursing homes, health systems and community-based organizations in practicing person-centered values with the people who live and work in them. SBC also provides education and coaching to people living with dementia and to people in senior living to live fully.
Barsness's services are based on strengths-based principles in positive psychology that focus on the totality of who people are as human beings, not merely their "deficits" due to cognitive or physical changes.
She is a nationally recognized educator on person-centered thinking related to aging, long-term care and dementia. She is an engaging, passionate speaker with experience addressing both professional and public audiences, in person and via webinar.
Barsness is the voice of the blog Being Heard, which focuses on revising the paradigm of aging and dementia. She is adjunct faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Gerontology, where she teaches graduate courses in dementia and the psychology of aging.
Barsness has worked across the spectrum of aging and dementia services in long-term care, policy, research and the community. She offers a unique perspective on dementia and aging that reflects a broad range of professional experiences and, most importantly, the privilege of learning from people living with dementia about what it is like to experience dementia.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Sonya Barsness and other top speakers and celebrities.
Sonya Barsness Speaking Topics
Every human being has personhood. As care partners, we might say that our biggest role is to honor the personhood of the person we are supporting. When we honor the personhood of the people we support, we are seeing them as more than their diagnosis or disability. We see them for the essence of who they are. Being seen as a person who is whole is perhaps one of the most important needs a person has. Let’s explore what personhood can mean and how we can support it.
Sometimes we talk about changing the behavior of the person with dementia, but we actually need to change OUR behavior, as people who care for people with dementia. Changing our behavior starts with understanding dementia from a person-centered perspective, seeing how a person might be experiencing the world differently as they live with dementia, and finding ways to respond to a person with dementia that honors who they are and what they are telling us they need.
People who have dementia have spoken out about what dementia is like for them, and what it takes for them to keep on living their lives. In this presentation, we will hear what people with dementia have had to say, and what they tell us about what is important to them to live well. As we hear the voices of people living with dementia, we can create supports and services WITH people with dementia that truly meet their needs as well as the needs of their care partners.
In senior living, we focus a lot on care, interventions, programs, and more of the medical side of life. And we are really good at this. But how do people living in senior living want to LIVE? In these sessions, we will take a step back to try to answer this question. We will explore the idea of person-centered living, how we can create life enrichment opportunities that focus on living, and what it means to be a “facilitator of living” for the people who live in senior living. Through discussion and exercises we will explore what “rampant normalcy” means, and how we can start to take down boundaries that might be keeping senior living residents from experiencing real life. From these sessions you will come away with ideas on how to explore this question of how a person wants to live with residents and your team, ideas for creating meaningful opportunities for residents, and ways to create a “living plan”.
The experience of living with dementia is life changing and difficult. People with dementia often say that one of the hardest parts of living with dementia is its stigma – the negative assumptions and beliefs we have about dementia and the people living with dementia. In this session, we will talk about what the stigma of dementia looks like and how it impacts how we can support people with dementia, and their care partners, to live well. We will explore how the stigma of dementia really hurts all of us. And we will talk about strategies we can all adopt to fight the stigma of dementia and how this creates a society that is more “dementia-inclusive”.
Sonya Barsness Videos
How do I book Sonya Barsness to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Sonya Barsness for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Sonya Barsness, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Sonya Barsness or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Sonya Barsness for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Sonya Barsness, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Sonya Barsness are Below $10,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Sonya Barsness, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Sonya Barsness speak about?
Sonya Barsness is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Aging, Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychology, Social Sciences, Education and Health & Wellness.
Where does Sonya Barsness travel from?
Sonya Barsness generally travels from Norfolk, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Sonya Barsness?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Sonya Barsness for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Sonya Barsness for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Sonya Barsness or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Sonya Barsness is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Aging, Medicine and Neuroscience. The estimated speaking fee range to book Sonya Barsness for live events is Below $10,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Sonya Barsness generally travels from Norfolk, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Corinne Auman, Ellen Langer and Stephanie Marston. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Sonya Barsness for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Sonya Barsness Speaking Topics
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Honoring Personhood
Every human being has personhood. As care partners, we might say that our biggest role is to honor the personhood of the person we are supporting. When we honor the personhood of the people we support, we are seeing them as more than their diagnosis or disability. We see them for the essence of who they are. Being seen as a person who is whole is perhaps one of the most important needs a person has. Let’s explore what personhood can mean and how we can support it.
-
Changing OUR Behavior
Sometimes we talk about changing the behavior of the person with dementia, but we actually need to change OUR behavior, as people who care for people with dementia. Changing our behavior starts with understanding dementia from a person-centered perspective, seeing how a person might be experiencing the world differently as they live with dementia, and finding ways to respond to a person with dementia that honors who they are and what they are telling us they need.
-
Living with Dementia: Learning about Dementia From People Who Have Dementia
People who have dementia have spoken out about what dementia is like for them, and what it takes for them to keep on living their lives. In this presentation, we will hear what people with dementia have had to say, and what they tell us about what is important to them to live well. As we hear the voices of people living with dementia, we can create supports and services WITH people with dementia that truly meet their needs as well as the needs of their care partners.
-
How Do You Want to Live?
In senior living, we focus a lot on care, interventions, programs, and more of the medical side of life. And we are really good at this. But how do people living in senior living want to LIVE? In these sessions, we will take a step back to try to answer this question. We will explore the idea of person-centered living, how we can create life enrichment opportunities that focus on living, and what it means to be a “facilitator of living” for the people who live in senior living. Through discussion and exercises we will explore what “rampant normalcy” means, and how we can start to take down boundaries that might be keeping senior living residents from experiencing real life. From these sessions you will come away with ideas on how to explore this question of how a person wants to live with residents and your team, ideas for creating meaningful opportunities for residents, and ways to create a “living plan”.
-
The Stigma of Dementia
The experience of living with dementia is life changing and difficult. People with dementia often say that one of the hardest parts of living with dementia is its stigma – the negative assumptions and beliefs we have about dementia and the people living with dementia. In this session, we will talk about what the stigma of dementia looks like and how it impacts how we can support people with dementia, and their care partners, to live well. We will explore how the stigma of dementia really hurts all of us. And we will talk about strategies we can all adopt to fight the stigma of dementia and how this creates a society that is more “dementia-inclusive”.
VIDEO
Sonya Barsness Videos
FAQS
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How do I book Sonya Barsness to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Sonya Barsness for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Sonya Barsness, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Sonya Barsness or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Sonya Barsness for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Sonya Barsness, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Sonya Barsness are Below $10,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Sonya Barsness, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Sonya Barsness speak about?
Sonya Barsness is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Aging, Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychology, Social Sciences, Education and Health & Wellness. -
Where does Sonya Barsness travel from?
Sonya Barsness generally travels from Norfolk, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Sonya Barsness?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Sonya Barsness for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Sonya Barsness for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Sonya Barsness or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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