Public Presentations
HAVE ME SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
No matter what room you put me in, I will open your attenders’ eyes to all sorts of things about the venue that they wouldn’t notice on their own—and “riff” from these insights into both the possibilities and limitations in how that space might be used:
How do people flow into, out of, and through the space?
Where does the room break naturally into different zones?
How do the placement of furniture, the orientation of windows, and the lighting affect not only the ecology but the psychology of the room?
And how can your attenders take these insights back into their own living and working spaces to make them both more comfortable and more productive?
My focus is on the actions people can take to “Change Their Space to Change Their Life.” Keeping my language and style accessible to people of any education level, I bring expertise in many disciplines to my keynotes, workshops, and seminars. A spacetherapy® spealist and licensed architect, I have advanced knowledge of architecture, interior design, environmental and architectural psychology, neuroscience, PNI (psychoneuroimmunology), and the ancient art and science of placing objects (using both the Chinese Feng Shui and the Indian Vastu Shastra systems)—along with plenty of un-common sense and over 32 years of professional experience.
As a ‘House Whisperer’, I have presented live experiential talks and workshops around the US. I was involved with SpaceTherapy® architect/author/3D photographer and professor Roger Richmond’s development of an interactive television program on the profound influence of environments on behavior. I’ve also had the good fortune of being interviewed by Maine Public Broadcasting, Portland’s WMPG Radio, Voice America Green Talk Radio Network, Portland Press Herald, Custom Builder Magazine, Portland’s Casco Bay Weekly, The Journal Tribune, Dwell, Natural Home, and elsewhere.
For an audio demo of my speaking voice and style,listen to this radio interview on The Eco-Logical Home:
The Eco-Logical Home is a weekly audio program about sustainable choices for your home and community. In a focused 15 to 30-minute format, architect and host Terry Phelan interviews guests that practice ways to design, organize, build, and maintain healthy, comfortable, and resilient places to live.
Part 1 (20 mins.)
Press button to play
Part 2 (20 mins.)
Press button to play
Talk Topics (or let Terry design one just for your group):
- Returning Kilter to Our Lives (…and What it Means to be ‘Out-of-Kilter’)
- Architecture as a Health Resource, Architects as Healthcare Providers
- Space as a Gateway to the Sacred
- Environments for Possibility
- Beyond Feng Shui and Extreme Makeovers
- Manipulating Spaces – What We Do To Them and What They Do To Us
- Change Your Space, Change Your Life
- Energizing Your Home/Office for Good Health and Longevity
- Real Estate of a Higher Order
- Dwell in The Sacred
- Nest Building and High Performance by Design
- The Space, Scale, and Light /Behavior Connection
- Family Bonding by Design
- Creating Positive Change In Your Behaviors, Through Modification Of Your Environment
- Enhance The Triple Bottom Line Through Simple No Cost To Low Cost Workplace Modifications
- Inner and Outer Ecology Becoming One With The Natural and Built Environment
- The Inner and Outer Ecology of Home Design
- Total Quality By Design and How Building Design Affects the Quality of Performance
- Journey To Home – The Art of Creating Supportive Home and Office Environments
- Architecture As A Yogic or Middle Path
Selected Past Venues
Libraries
Belfast Free Public Library, Belfast, ME
Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill, ME
Forbes Public Library, Northampton, MA
Jones Public Library, Amherst, MA
Camden Public Library, Camden, ME
Castine Public Library, Castine, ME
Museums
Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
Portland’s History Docents Training Sessions in collaboration with Greater Greater Greater Portland Landmarks and Maine Historical Society, Portland, ME
Organizations
AIBD (American Institute of Building Design), Washington, DC
MEBSR (Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility), Portland, ME
Living Earth Productions, First Parish Church, Portland, ME
CAFAM (The Chinese – American Friendship Association of Maine), Portland, ME
MIDA (Maine Interior Design Association), Waterville, ME
Greater Boston Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist PSI Symposium, UU Church, Wellesley Hills, MA
Augusta Mental Health Institute (Grand Rounds), Augusta, ME.
American Society For Quality Control, Portland Chapter
Portland Club, Portland, ME
Shelter Institute’s 25th Anniversary, Bath, ME
J.S. Kitchen & Bath Design, Gloucester, MA
National Kitchen & Bath Assoc., Radison Inn, Marlborough, MA
National Kitchen & Bath Assoc., Bangor, ME
Princeton Community Center, Princeton, MA
Women’s Network, Worcester, MA
Real Estate Offices
Coldwell Banker, Los Angles, CA
Retirement Communities
Horizons 55, Lewiston ME
University of New England – Elderly Hostel Talk, Portsmouth, NH
Schools
Holliston Adult Education, Holliston High School, Holliston, MA
University of Southern Maine, Portland
Portland School of Art, ME (now Maine College of Art)
Whole Health Facilities
Interface Foundation, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Listening Center, Barre, MA
All That Matters, Wakefield, RI
Body, Mine & Spirit Expo, Manchester, NH
Common Ground Fair, Unity, ME
Whole Health Expo, Northampton, MA
Crystalline Matrix, Auburn, MA
Blue Hill Healing Arts Center, Blue Hill, ME
Agape Center, Portland, ME
Amethyst Point, Worcester, MA
Stiles for Relaxation, Portland, Oregon
Oasis Center, Tigard, Oregon
On Balance, Portland, ME
Flow Form Yoga, Worcester, MA
Basic requirements for speaking at your event
- As best possible, a space appropriately sized for expected audience
- A back drop as dark as possible behind presenter
- A podium that will hold a lap top computer and mouse pad (thereabouts)
- Proper length extension cord and projector cables
- Quality sound system suitable for the environment
- Quality space and podium lighting, with control by presenter during presentation if possible
- Projector and screen, I can bring my own projector as back up, and screen if necessary
- No clearing of dishes or other audience distractions during presentation
Book me for your event
If you’d like to book me to speak at your event, please use the ‘Contact’ link at footer to submit your request. Please provide the following details:
- Date of event
- Location of event
- Name and web site of the sponsoring organization
- Type and duration of desired presentation (90-minute presentation, 45-minute after dinner speech, half-day workshop)
- Your topic preference(s)
- Estimated audience size (number of attendees)
- Your contact info
Honorarium Guidelines for Talks
These presentations are primarily for educational purposes. The main purpose for offering these programs to public organizations is to expose people of all ages to the profound connection that exist between space and behavior, and how easy it is to craft spaces that relax, comfort, heal, inspire and awaken – through affordable humane design, often at no/low cost.
Equipment maintenance and replacement, however, are ongoing real costs. Financial capacity, number of programs presented, and travel distance and expenses are the basic considerations for deciding on an appropriate and fair honorarium for all concerned.
$150 for a single “local” (close to where I live in Central Massachusetts) talk is typical, and a more substantial fee is usually requested for multiple showings or for out-of-state or long-distance overnight programs.
Talks are often offered free-of-charge or on a sliding scale if the organization has limited finances.
Often, only travel expenses are requested. Honorariums are always tricky, and I would generally never let it stop me from doing a presentation to a worthy group wherever they are… In any event all participants must be pleased and comfortable with the financial arrangements…
Because of the preparation required and time involved for a half-day workshop, there is a negotiable fee arrangement. Often a $65 +/- per attendee is suggested. The final suggested cost and host/presenter percentage split depends on many factors.