Teodora Pavkovic
Parenting in the Age of Technology
Educating, engaging and empowering children, adults and corporations by helping them become emotionally smart and digitally well.
Helping you stay present, emotionally connected and focused in the Digital Age.
ABOUT ME
I am a New York-based psychologist, parenting coach and speaker with over a decade of international experience helping both children and adults improve their emotional and mental well-being.
The practical workshops, inspiring talks and in-depth one-on-one sessions I conduct with my clients focus on raising emotional awareness, connecting with inner strengths and learning how to use technology in mindful and intentional ways as individuals, families and workplaces.
I first became interested in Parenting in the Age of Technology in 2016. While living in Singapore, where I practiced as a vision therapist and a psychotherapist, I began to suddenly notice children all around me glued to screens. Whether while sitting in the bus, at the dinner table in a restaurant or while being pushed around in a stroller, moments when children would typically be connected to their parents were suddenly becoming moments when they were connected to screen-based devices instead.
This got me wondering: What happens to the parent-child connection when you insert a device in between?
It is still too early in this tech-connected revolution to answer this question, but my mission has become to educate both children and parents about the importance of safety, connection, attention and affection - the pillars of not just healthy child development, but any healthy relationship too. My approach involves first helping you - the parent - quieten down the outside distractions of technology and manage your own thoughts and emotions, and by doing so, reconnect with your child. Parenting is the ultimate challenge, but parenting in the age of technology is a whole other endeavor.
As the infiltration of technology has spread to absolutely all areas of our life, so too has the need for me to reach ever wider and more diverse audiences, and so I not only speak at schools and with parents, but in workplaces and other corporate settings as well.
To learn more about my professional and academic background and find out how I can help you, please explore my website and get in touch.
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Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood (Co-chair of Parenting Professionals Group)
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Advisory Board Member of Trehaus School, Singapore
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Board Advisor of Made of Millions, NY-based Mental Health Advocacy Group
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British Psychological Society (U.K.; Graduate Member)
Academic Background
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BSc Psychology (UMUC)
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MSc Foundations of Clinical Psychology (Bangor University, U.K.)
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Professional Diploma in Psychotherapy (The School of Positive Psychology, Singapore)
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Strategic Intervention Certificate (Robbins Madanes Training, U.S.)
Prof. Memberships
Workshop Themes
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Emotional Intelligence training for teachers, therapists, parents and children
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Positive psychology & mindfulness training for children
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Building resilience in children: training for parents and teachers
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Adolescence: the challenges and opportunities
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Self-expression: improving authenticity, connectedness and communication
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Building self-esteem & confidence
Talks & Interviews
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"Device connected=Human Disconnected" The impact of technology on our brains and relationships
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"The impact of tech on children and their future"
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"Thinking positively and the science behind positive psychology"
In ACTION
SOCIAL MEDIA
SERVICES
I work one-on-one with children, parents and adults with non-parenting issues. I help my clients develop digital wellness practices, parent in the age of technology and improve their emotional health and well-being.
Group Work
I deliver tailor-made workshops, talks and trainings to teams at schools, universities, workplaces and cultural institutions.
Public Speaking
I frequently speak at conferences, on expert panels and am often invited for interviews on podcasts and in documentary films.
Individual Work
RECOMMENDED READING & FREE RESOURCES
Children & Parenting:
"The Optimistic Child," by Martin E. P. Seligman
"Brainstorm," by Daniel J. Siegel
"The Whole-Brain Child," by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
"No-Drama Discipline," by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
"Parenting from the Inside Out," by Daniel J. Siegel & Mary Hartzell
"Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child," by John Gottman with Joan Declaire
"The Empathy Effect," Helen Riess with Liz Neporent
Neuroscience:
"The Brain That Changes Itself," by Norman Doidge
"Wired to Connect," by Amy Banks with Leigh Hirschman
Positive Psychology:
"The Myths of Happiness," by Sonja Lyubomirsky
"The How of Happiness," by Sonja Lyubomirsky
"Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience," by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
"The Art of Gathering," by Priya Parker
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," by Carol S. Dweck
"Hector and the Search for Happiness," Francois Lelord
Self-development:
"The Person You Mean to Be," by Dolly Chugh
"Why Him? Why Her?," by Helen Fisher
"Quiet," by Susan Cain
"Man's Search for Meaning," by Viktor E. Frankl
"The Schopenhauer Cure," by Irvin D. Yalom
"When Nietzsche Wept," by Irvin D. Yalom
The Guide to Responsible Technology
All Tech Is Human, headed by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar, is committed to informing and inspiring the next generation of responsible technologists and changemakers and has released its guide to the responsible technology field, with NYU’s Alliance for Public Interest Technology as its education partner.
I was part of the global team of 30+ volunteers who contributed to the creation of this invaluable resource, and am incredibly honored to have also been featured in the Guide in the "Collaborator Journey" section.
This document - the first of its kind - is aimed at college students, grad students, and young professionals looking for inroads into the growing responsible tech field. Pressing issues including misinformation, algorithmic bias, facial recognition and many others have heightened the need for a new crop of dynamic interdisciplinary thinkers. The guide provides a comprehensive overview of the topics, organizations, and new careers emerging in the responsible tech space, and can be accessed at ResponsibleTechGuide.com.
If you have any questions about the Guide or are interested in connecting with any of our featured collaborators or leaders, please get in touch with me via my Contact form below.
