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Speaking Engagements with Shannon Butt
Honest conversations. Nervous system awareness. Real-life tools for healing and hope.
Shannon brings a unique blend of lived experience, trauma-informed wisdom, and nervous-system-led practices to every space she enters. Her talks are gentle without shying away from truth, encouraging without bypassing, and deeply rooted in the belief that every person deserves safety, compassion, and steady ground to stand on.
Whether she’s offering guidance on sobriety, sharing her experience living with FASD, teaching nervous system basics, or speaking about rebuilding life from the inside out, Shannon meets audiences exactly where they are with warmth, clarity, and humanity.
What Shannon Speaks About
Sobriety, Shame, and Starting Again
A grounded conversation about recovery that removes the pressure, untangles stigma, and focuses on what real healing looks like in everyday life. Shannon speaks openly about relapse, rebuilding self-trust, and finding support that actually feels supportive.
Best for: Community groups, women’s circles, mental health events, harm-reduction spaces.
Living with FASD: Understanding, Compassion, and Real-World Strategies
Shannon offers an honest, humanized look at living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — not as a diagnosis to fear, but as a way of being in the world that deserves compassion, proper support, and nervous-system awareness.
This talk helps audiences understand:
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What FASD actually is (beyond outdated stereotypes)
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How it affects executive functioning, emotional regulation, and everyday life
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The invisible labour many people with FASD carry
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How shame and misunderstanding impact mental health
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Practical support strategies that are grounding rather than overwhelming
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How to build environments where people with FASD feel safe and capable
Shannon’s lived experience allows her to speak with rare clarity and gentleness, offering hope, validation, and tools for both individuals and support networks.
Best for: Schools, caregivers, disability organizations, community programs, social workers, parent groups, mental health practitioners.
Nervous System Basics (That Actually Make Sense)
Practical, biology-based grounding and regulation tools delivered in simple, compassionate language. Audiences leave with strategies they can use immediately.
Best for: Schools, nonprofits, workplaces, wellness groups, support programs.
Trauma-Informed Living for Real People
Shannon breaks down trauma-informed concepts into everyday language, helping people understand their reactions, triggers, and inner patterns with less judgment and more curiosity.
Best for: Support groups, caregivers, mental health professionals, community organizations.
The Anchor Approach: Returning to Yourself When Life Gets Loud
Based on her signature program, this talk focuses on grounding, presence, and meeting yourself with softness no matter what life is doing around you.
Best for: Wellness events, retreats, yoga studios, women’s circles.
The Human Side of Recovery and Compassion-Based Support
A talk for partners, caregivers, professionals, and family members who want to support loved ones without enabling, rescuing, or burning out.
Best for: Caregiver groups, schools, community support teams, nonprofits.
Speaking Format & Style
Speaking Style
Warm, grounded, and deeply human.
Expect:
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Storytelling that feels real and relatable
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Simple language and gentle pacing
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Trauma-informed, neurodivergence-affirming approaches
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Practical takeaways people can begin using that same day
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A sense of connection, permission, and emotional safety
Shannon does not preach or perform; she meets people where they are and brings steadiness into the room.
Formats Available
Keynotes
30–90 minutes | Ideal for conferences, retreats, and community events.
Workshops
60–120 minutes | Includes grounding exercises, tools, reflection, and group discussion.
Panels
Thoughtful contributions to multi-speaker conversations on mental health, neurodiversity, recovery, and wellness.
Small-Group Circles
Gentle, intimate sessions for support groups, women’s circles, caregiver communities, and staff wellness days.
Book Your Next Event
Why Invite Shannon?
She speaks from lived experience, not theory.
Her approach is compassionate, accessible, and grounded.
Her presence helps people feel seen, understood, and safe.
She offers simple, effective tools that work in real life.
She brings a trauma-informed lens to every topic.
She helps audiences understand themselves and others with more kindness.
Boards and Past Events
Boards She Serves On
Health Nexus Advisory Board - 2023 - Present
Canadian Academy of Health Sciences FASD Evaluation Panel 2023-2025
Events She Has Spoken At
2023
4th Annual FASD Conference in Elora – Keynote Speaker
2024
5th Annual FASD Conference in Elora – Keynote Speaker
9th International Research Conference in Seattle - ALC Changemaker
Central Alberta FASD Networks Annual Conference - Keynote Speaker
2025
14th Annual AG7: FASD Conference in Sudbury - Keynote Speaker
FASD and Neurodivergent Conference in Sault St. Marie - Presented Anchor
Peer Works & Peer Support Canada Lighthouse Awards - Keynote Speaker