For more than two decades, Dr. Catava M. Burton has been a steady voice for the well-being of educators, students, and community at-large. With an Ed.D. in Community Counseling and a focus on Traumatology, she brings both academic expertise and hands-on leadership to the complex realities of stress, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

Dr. Burton’s approach is rooted in equal parts theory and heart. She has worked alongside schools and organizations to introduce practical, research-based tools and techniques that assist helping professionals sustain their work without losing themselves in the process. Catava has delivered presentations the Innovative Schools Summit, the ESEA Conference, and the Beyond Consequences Conference where she blends candor, humor, and lived experiences.

Whether speaking to a packed conference hall or coaching a small team, Dr. Burton’s goal is the same: to help others recognize the stress and burnout they carry, build resilience, and rediscover their “why.”