Throughout a 20+ year career in special education, Doris has been a driving force in transforming how schools respond to students with chronic behavioral challenges and mental health needs. She has led top-tier district programs and restructured district systems for ED and OHI eligibility as well as FBAs and Behavior Plans, with a focus on building emotional, behavioral, social and self-regulation skills necessary for students to return to or remain in general education and thrive. Doris, along with her husband, Rick - nationally recognized as ""Team Bowman"" - are co-authors of ""Your FBA is a Fantasy! A Guidebook to Creating Truly Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans. They are sought-after speakers, trainers and consultants, known for delivery of hope-filled professional development grounded in real, actionable strategies to reach students for whom solutions are often hardest to find. They have trained, coached, and volunteered internationally in locations such as Cuba, Russia, Jamaica, and Guatemala, broadening their perspective on resilience and healing. Their training is not just theoretical - it is deeply personal, and intended to be practical, rooted in neuroscience, and designed for immediate impact. (https: //bowmanconsultgroup.com)What fuels Doris's work is a relentless passion for equipping educators with trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned practices that don't just ""chase compliance"" by temporarily managing behavior, but instead, truly transform lives-both students' and educators'. In a field and a time where burnout is high and hope can feel scarce, Team Bowman's sessions leave attendees feeling empowered, equipped, and ready to make a profound difference.---- Doris Bowman's qualifications include: - Licensed PreK - 21 Special Educator and Licensed Administrator- Graduate Certification - Applied Educational Neuroscience (AEN)- Adv. Certified Trauma and Resilience Practitioner - Education and Clinical- Certified ""The Resilient Heart"" (HM) Trauma Program Professional- Certified HM ""The Resilience Advantage"" Trainer- Certified ""Stress and Well-being Assessment"" Provider (HM)- Certified Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) Trainer (MGH) Rick Bowman brings a powerful combination of leadership, clinical expertise, and real-world experience to the field of special education. With a career spanning military service, business, mental health and education, he's held roles as Clinical Psychologist, Alternative School Director, Student Services Director, Assistant Principal and more-always at the forefront of serving youth with the most significant behavioral challenges.Rick, along with his wife, Doris - nationally recognized as ""Team Bowman"" - are co-authors of ""Your FBA is a Fantasy! A Guidebook to Creating Truly Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans. They are sought-after speakers, trainers and consultants, delivering transformative professional development on trauma-informed practices, resilience, and neuroscience-aligned interventions. Known for PD full of actionable strategies to reach students for whom solutions are hardest to find, their content is not just theoretical - it is intentionally practical, rooted in neuroscience, and designed for immediate impact. Rick's service extends beyond U.S. schools-he's trained, consulted and volunteered overseas in Russia, Cuba, Guatemala and Jamaica. He's also served as clinical consultant for mental health clinics, human service agencies, and for-profit corporations.Rick's passion? Equipping educators with proven approaches that don't just ""manage"" behavior but heal the nervous system and transform student lives and classroom dynamics. Team Bowman understands the immense stress educators face working with students in crisis-and they're committed to ensuring you leave their session feeling empowered, hopeful and equipped. If you're ready for real solutions you can implement immediately, Team Bowman's sessions are ones you won't want to miss!-- Rick Bowman's qualifications include: - PreK - 21 Licensed Administrator- Certified Trauma and Resilience Practitioner - Clinical- Certified ""The Resilient Heart""(HM) Trauma Program Professional- Certified HM ""The Resilience Advantage"" Trainer- Certified Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) Trainer (MGH)
WOW!!!! I cannot wait to reread this book in its entirety. This is exactly what I have been looking for. THANK YOU!!! This is my 28th year in Special Education, and it feels like we have been beating our heads against the wall when it comes to behavior... NO MORE. I will be using this as a book study for my staff. Katie Mitchell Retired Special Ed Teacher/Admin/Univ Professor From the perspective of someone who has spent decades assessing behavior and designing interventions, this guide offers something essential: a way to translate understanding into action that reduces struggle, strengthens connection, and supports meaningful learning. This guide offers what many educators have been searching for: a way to move from understanding behavior to designing classrooms and systems that actually work. Randi Miller, MA, CAS Secondary Program Supervisor Team Bowman has done it again! Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward is a strong and thoughtful companion to their first book, Your FBA Is a Fantasy!. Once again, the authors offer a wealth of practical insight while prompting readers to critically examine how schools respond to and support the emotional and behavioral needs of the students they serve. Once it's published, I'll be eager to recommend it as a key text for my own classes. This is more than a resource-it's an invitation to rethink and transform how we help students thrive. Kimberly McDonald, M.Ed., M.A.T.