Connecting Through Storytelling With Psychologist Dr. Dale Atkins

Event Details

Dr. Dale Atkins, author and Today Show-featured expert and psychologist, will take part in a meaningful and uplifting conversation with Library trustee Liza Van Gundy on Atkins' children’s books, Dear Deer and The Turquoise Butterfly — helping young readers and their families navigate big emotions, build resilience, and connect more deeply with the world around them.

Together they'll explore how storytelling can support children and families through life’s challenges, from managing anxiety and embracing change to fostering empathy and strengthening intergenerational bonds.

Perfect for families, this event offers a chance to come together, reflect, and discover simple, powerful ways to nurture emotional well-being and connection across generations.

This event is presented in partnership with The Center for Senior Activities.

Why You Should Go

Dr. Dale Atkins, author and former Today Show-featured expert and psychologist is best known for sharing guidance on how to navigate life’s complicated questions and uncomfortable feelings. Now, she has a new mission: to help generations connect and experience the joy of being present.

About the Books

Dr. Atkins' new book The Turquoise Butterfly, inspired by her mother, is a tender and uplifting children’s story that captures the beauty of love, nature, courage, grief, and transformation.

In the book, Grandma Sylvia is an enchanting figure who embodies the spirit of a vibrant butterfly. She’s warm and welcoming, fearless, and curious about everything. Her granddaughter, Victoria, often finds her belly fluttering when faced with new things and uncertainty. However, Victoria finds comfort in Grandma Sylvia’s unconditional love, support, and guidance. Together, they do many activities and experience their own metamorphosis, discovering ways to feel grounded, empowered, and self-reliant when handling all that life may bring even when feeling anxious about next steps and uncertain about change.

Woven throughout the story is the healing power of nature, offering gentle lessons about resilience and renewal. The butterfly becomes a luminous symbol of transformation, teaching young readers how to navigate loss, embrace shifts, and find hope in all life’s cycles. By connecting with nature, books, arts, swimming and other activities, young Victoria learns that grief can give way to growth and that love—like the seasons—endures.

A celebration of resilience, family bonds, and the eternal power of love, The Turquoise Butterfly is a heartwarming multigenerational tale that will resonate with readers young and old. Perfect for bedtime reading or as a meaningful gift, this story reminds us that even in the face of uncertainty – self-awareness, courage, and connection will always light the way.

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Dear Deer Inspires Families to Reconnect Children with Nature — and Themselves From Screen Time to Green Time

Dear Deer, a heartfelt story and timely call to action that encourages families to help children step away from screens and rediscover the profound benefits of time spent in nature.

Eager and self-assured, two children wander into the woods, where they come face to face with a graceful doe and her timid fawn. All parties are instantly curious: their connection echoes as the children journey past ponds and through dewy grass, and the deer family bounces nearby. The children come across the fawn in distress, prompting them to find a way to help without causing harm. Through their efforts, the children learn valuable lessons about compassion, patience, collaboration, and empathy, tuning into their senses, and the delicate balance of nature.

The inspiration for Dear Deer comes from Dale’s own time in nature, where a gentle, enduring connection to the natural world quietly unfolded. Through Dear Deer, she aims to share this love and respect for nature with young readers, laying the foundation to encourage them to develop a lifelong appreciation for the environment and its inhabitants by asking questions, making observations, seeking solutions, and drawing conclusions.

As screen use continues to dominate children’s daily routines, Dear Deer offers a compelling alternative: inspiring kids to “wonder, ponder, and wait.” In nature, there is no rush—only discovery. Whether observing wildlife, building something from found materials, or simply sitting quietly, children develop patience, curiosity, and a deeper connection to the world.

At a moment when children are more digitally connected than ever, Dear Deer reminds readers of something essential: kids need the natural world—not just for recreation, but for healthy development across every dimension of their lives.

“Children thrive when they have the freedom to explore, wonder, and engage with the world around them,” says Dale. “Nature invites them to slow down, to notice, to be curious—and in doing so, they grow stronger emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”

About the Speakers

Dale Atkins is a licensed psychologist, educator, storyteller and nature enthusiast with more than forty years of experience as a relationship expert focusing on families, wellness, managing stress, and living a balanced, meaningful life.  Author of eight books and many chapters, articles, and journals for popular and professional audiences, Dale is a featured speaker who lectures and leads seminars worldwide. Dale has appeared regularly on NBC’s TODAY and CNN. Dale has a private psychology practice in New York City and has been a member of, and advisor to several nonprofit boards, including Jumpstart for Young Children. She holds a B.S. in Social Studies from NYU, a master’s degree in special education (Deafness) from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a Ph.D. from UCLA in Educational Psychology. She and her husband have two children and six grandchildren and live in Connecticut. Drawing on her own experiences with family, memory the cycles of change, and research in child development, she wrote The Turquoise Butterfly to help children and families explore the complex emotions of anxiety, grief and transformation in a hopeful, accessible way. Her work reflects a deep belief in the healing power of stories and the importance of honoring intergenerational bonds.

Liza Van Gundy has served on the Westport Library Board of Trustees since 2024 and brings over a decade of nonprofit management experience leading ambitious and creative teams at early-stage startups and within larger organizations. She is currently the Managing Director of Finance and Operations at Array Education, an innovation studio that supports and invests in entrepreneurs leading teaching and learning initiatives starting with early literacy and continuing through the strong launch of a young person’s career. Previously, she served as Chief of Talent and Operations at the Connecticut RISE Network, a New Haven-based nonprofit that partners with public schools across the region. As a nonprofit finance and strategy consultant, she has partnered with diverse nonprofit and public sector organizations to provide strategic analysis and leadership capacity to help them achieve their goals. Liza holds a MBA from Yale School of Management and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Political Science from Yale College. Liza moved to Westport in 2019 where she is lucky to live just a short walk from the library with her husband, Matt, and sons, Robin and Elliott.

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