Doug Bolton

Doug Bolton, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, educator, and author whose work focuses on supporting children and adolescents with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont and completed his clinical internship at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago) in 1995. Bolton has worked extensively in therapeutic schools, serving as a school psychologist and later spending fourteen years as principal of North Shore Academy, a K–12 public therapeutic school for students with significant emotional and behavioral needs in Highland Park, Illinois. He currently maintains a private practice and serves as Director of School Consultation at Formative Psychological Services, where he consults with schools and provides professional development to help create resilience‑enhancing, trauma‑responsive communities.

Bolton is the author of Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation, an evidence‑based guide for parents, educators, and leaders that emphasizes belonging, emotional regulation, and community connection as foundations for children’s mental health and resilience. Through keynote addresses, workshops, podcasts, and school consultations, he shares practical strategies for cultivating connected environments that support the wellbeing of vulnerable