Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Mickelson.
Hi Lisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Dr. Lisa Mickelson, PhD is a Colorado licensed school psychologist who is focused on providing resources for all ages and helping people improve their mental wellbeing through evidence-based practices that they can apply in their everyday lives. Dr. Lisa is the owner of PanaBeam Books, LLC and the Co-Chair of SEL4CO (sel4co.org).
PanaBeam Books is a literature company that creates stories based in psychological science to help people learn ways to improve their mental wellbeing and be more present in the moment. Dr. Lisa started the company in 2020 and released her first book (The Noises in MY House). The story is based on a poem she wrote as a child, where a kid takes you on a journey through their house bragging about all of the fantastical sounds that come from the different spaces in their home. Instead of feeling fear of the unknown, the book encourages a sense of curiosity of new sounds that kids encounter. Dr. Lisa has also partnered with Dr. Martha, her mom and a Colorado neuropsychologist, to create an experiential mindfulness series that teaches people how to practice mindfulness in their day-to-day lives. The first book (My Mindful Moment At The Beach) is available for purchase, the second in the series (My Mindful Moment With My Pet) is currently in print, and the third book is ready to go to publication.
SEL4CO is a grassroots, non-partisan, not-for-profit who’s mission is to improve the lives of all young people and adults by empowering advocates to support social and emotional learning (SEL) in their schools and communities. The leadership team at SEL4CO works to sustain and spread the use of high-quality, equity-focused social emotional skills and learning in communities by raising awareness of the benefits of social emotional learning, promoting and supporting effective program implementation, and advancing SEL-related policies and funding. SEL4CO is powered by volunteers, and is part of a national network of state alliances helping to connect others interested in social emotional skill development around the country.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Launching PanaBeam Books has been a process with learning curves along the way. Creating books is one thing, and bringing them to market is a new set of challenges. I’m a psychological scientist, researcher, educator, and author. Creating a business and launching a product is new for me, and I’m grateful for the people who have provided their support and expertise along the way. I’m also grateful to be able to work with my mom to create books while we both learn the ropes in the publishing industry and process.
SEL4CO has been a great experience working with other experts and leaders in Colorado communities to provide and connect social emotional resources for all. The most challenging part of being a leader at SEL4CO has been finding the volunteer power to keep things moving. In any organization, you can have wonderful ideas, but you need resources to drive those ideas to fruition.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Throughout my academic and professional career in psychology, I’ve been focused on learning and teaching applied wellness practices to other people (research-based ways to improve their mental wellbeing through activities in their day-to-day lives). My research has been focused on Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder identification and support, the impacts of food insecurity on human development, and applied mental wellness skills (because we can all use more tools in our toolbox). During the COVID-19 pandemic, I co-created and presented online workshops that were globally available and internationally attended to help people build skills to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing. This lead to the co-creation and launch of an undergraduate course at the University of Northern Colorado (Applied Wellness Science) to provide these skills to freshmen and sophomores. The intention was to equip them with mental health life skills that would improve their success in college and go with them into the future. While in graduate school, I also created and launched PanaBeam Books to provide illustrated, experiential ways for people to access mindfulness and mental health skills. I completed my post-doc fellowship at UNC and have been working as a school psychologist in Colorado. I’ve received various awards for my research, have been published in multiple peer-reviewed and psychological articles, and continue to collaborate with psychologists nationally to bring awareness to food insecurity, improve access to food, and teach people ways to improve their mental wellness skills.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Prior to completing my doctoral degree, I worked in the tech industry as a process improvement professional. I worked with top company executives to help save money and time through process streamlining and systems automation across company departments and global teams. I’m a systems thinker, and this has served me well in how I view and approach psychological wellbeing both individually and in communities.
I think people are surprised to find I have so many interests and life experiences. I have traveled the world, and I enjoy experiencing new adventures and cultures. I enjoy working on cars with friends, I love comic books and cartoons, I am athletic, I am artistic, and I believe diversity is the spice of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sel4co.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panabeambooks/ and https://www.instagram.com/sel4co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PanaBeamBooks/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sel4co
- Twitter: https://x.com/Sel4Co
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6YpnBWs-jwK2fqoEnmiKkA
- Audible: https://www.audible.com/author/Dr-Lisa/B0DNWT4NH3
- Other: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L2zXbYwAAAAJ&hl=en
