Learn how to cultivate resilience and live well.

The STRESS BETTER® Framework highlights the profound impact our relationship with stress has on both the quality (healthspan) and length (lifespan) of our lives. It is organized around five key domains—mind, body, heart, breath, and practice—each featuring a learning module with research-based mindfulness activities designed to cultivate resilience and enhance one’s capacity to live, learn, and perform at their best.

Services

STRESS BETTER® Education & Coaching Services

Dr. Dewar offers presentations, workshops, retreats, and personalized coaching (group or one-on-one) to help you transform stress into strength.

Contact Dr. Dewar for more information and training materials.

About Matthew

Matthew Dewar, Ed.D., is a professional educator, speaker, and clinical mental health counselor in training. His work focuses on the pivotal role emotional resilience plays in healthspan and lifespan. As an innovative practitioner with over twenty years as a classroom teacher and a decade as a social and emotional learning instructional coach and mindfulness coordinator at Lake Forest High School, IL, Matthew developed the Stress Better® Framework—an evidence-based approach to building emotional resilience through mindfulness-based practices and biofeedback. He has shared this framework with high performers across various fields, including collegiate and professional athletes, Fortune 500 executives, first responders, and military personnel. Matthew is also the author of The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens and Education and Well-Being: An Ontological Inquiry.

Matthew leads workshops, delivers presentations, and offers one-on-one coaching. If you're looking to build emotional resilience and optimize your stress response, Matthew is ready to connect. Reach out to learn more about how the Stress Better® Framework can help you achieve your personal or professional goals.

Matthews's LinkedIn Profile

Testimonials

"Matt’s ability to connect with people in a very warm, authentic way, combined with his technical expertise make him a remarkable and trusted voice.

Looking to engage with our friends and supporters during especially challenging times, we partnered with Dr. Dewar to deliver a virtual “master class” on mindful breathing and turning stress into strength.

Thank you, Dr. Dewar, for such an impactful session!“

— Peter Bower
Market Executive Director
ALSAC - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

“Based on a recommendation, we invited Matt to deliver a presentation to attendees at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's combined Garrett & Corporate Counsel Institute a few years ago. His session on stress mindset strategies for lawyers was timely and impactful. Matt emphasized how our beliefs about stress influence the way we react to and manage it, offering practical, research-backed techniques for fostering resilience. His engaging style and ability to tailor his message to the unique demands of the legal profession made the presentation a success, and our attendees came away with practical techniques they could implement immediately."

— Shilpa Gokhale
Director, Professional and Continuing Legal Education,
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

“During the pandemic, Matt delivered a powerful Zoom presentation for the Chicago Wolves' Project Thrive on resilience through breathing and mindfulness. His ability to connect with participants virtually was remarkable, offering practical strategies for self-care and self-awareness that resonated deeply.

The event’s success led us to bring him back for two in-person sessions at the Allstate Arena, where he spoke to parents and young adults about the importance of resilience. Regardless of the format, Matt consistently engaged and inspired, emphasizing the importance of self-understanding and providing tools for building resilience.

We highly recommend Matt for any event focused on well-being and personal growth."

— Leslie Metcalf
B2B & Group Event Specialist
Chicago Wolves

"Over the course of numerous sessions with our competitive juniors class (Mastery 360) and their parents, Matt's expertise in mindfulness and stress optimization significantly expanded how our golfers approach their training. Rather than solely focusing on mechanics and skill work, our golfers now—thanks to Matt’s impact—understand the critical role mindfulness plays in both training and preparation.

I greatly appreciate the positive influence this has had on our golfers and staff, both on and off the course, and I highly recommend Dr. Dewar to anyone seeking to elevate their performance.”

— Chris Oehlerking
Owner and Director of Instruction
The Golf Practice

"Dr. Dewar is a friend and mentor. His ability and willingness to connect, teach, and motivate others of all ages is what makes him remarkable.

He has taught me the power and skill of self-awareness and the need to maintain a hunger for continuous self-improvement.

I know I’m one of the many lives he's had a major impact on. Thanks for everything, Dr. Dewar!”

— JR Reimer
Student-Athlete (Baseball)
Northwestern University

“After working with Dr. Dewar, I went on to be an all-conference player in two positions, but more importantly I now have a strategy to regulate my mental state and attack the challenges Life throws at me."

- Michael Bounds
Student-Athlete (Football)
Lake Forest College

”At the end of the two-day retreat, our staff had developed a deeper understanding of their relationship to stress, the beliefs that shape it, and the skills and practices needed to improve it - all of which will transform how we do our work moving forward.“

— Jennifer L. Ferrari
Ed.D. President
Education Research & Development Institute

The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens

In The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens, you’ll discover breathing techniques rooted in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) to help you stay grounded, find calm, and navigate challenging emotions with greater awareness. By developing a deeper understanding of your stress responses, you’ll learn to adapt more skillfully to difficult situations, fostering resilience and emotional balance.