Marc Brackett is an award-winning researcher, psychologist, and one of the world’s leading experts in emotional intelligence. Since 2013, he has been the Founding Director of Yale’s Centre for Emotional Intelligence, and since 2016, a Professor at the Child Study Centre at Yale’s School of Medicine. He is the author of ‘Dealing with Feeling’ and the best-selling ‘Permission to Feel’, and creator of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has reached over 5,000 schools worldwide. His work blends scientific rigor with a passion for helping people of all ages understand and harness their emotions for greater well-being and performance.
Marc earned his BA in Psychology from Rutgers University, initially pursuing a career in forensic psychology and completing an MA in Forensic Psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Shifting his focus, he went on to earn an MA in Personality and Social Psychology and a PhD from the University of New Hampshire, followed by postdoctoral studies at Yale University. He has lectured in psychology at Yale since 2003, served as Associate Director of the Centre for Emotional Intelligence, and was Deputy Director of the Health, Emotion & Behaviour Laboratory. Since 2008, he has also been an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Summer Principals Academy, training educational leaders from around the globe.
Beyond academia, Marc serves on the Board of Directors for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the nonprofit that pioneered the SEL field. He sits on the program board of the Mental Health Coalition and is co-founder of Oji Life, which develops innovative digital learning systems for emotional intelligence, and HowWeFeel, a free app designed to build emotional skills and improve well-being. In 2024, he launched the YouTube webcast ‘Dealing with Feelings’, interviewing scientists, artists, and public figures about the mindsets, emotions, and coping strategies that shaped their success. Across these projects, Marc shares a practical five-step framework for understanding emotions and using them as a source of strength, as seen in his TEDx talk.
A passionate advocate for emotional literacy, Marc has published over 175 scholarly articles and is frequently featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. He has delivered more than 700 keynote presentations, including at the White House, U.S. Departments of Education and Defence, the Surgeon General’s Office, the Aspen Institute, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and for dozens of Fortune 500 companies. Known for his engaging style, scientific insight, and compelling storytelling, Marc inspires audiences worldwide to recognize the transformative power of emotions.
Marc Brackett's Official Speaking Topics are listed below:
- Dealing with Feeling: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Transform Leadership, Well-being, and Performance
- Emotional Intelligence: From Theory to Practice at Work
- Creating an Emotion Revolution in our Nation's Schools
- Emotional Intelligence: Key to Raising Healthy, Happy, and Successful Children
- Permission To Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Achieve Optimum Well-being and Success
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
“Everyone is still on a high from your session! This note is specifically to thank you for bringing both rich content and research AND tremendous style and charisma to our Summit." - Annie, Vice President, Learning & Engagement, Ontario Hospital Association
“So excellent! Perfect presentation for our superintendents. I had so many positive comments, texts, and e-mails after your talk, I couldn’t respond to them all. I believe SEL took a major step forward in CT. I am beyond grateful for your commitment to Connecticut’s education system.” - Fran, Executive Director, Connecticut
Association of Public School Superintendents
“I want to thank you for being our keynote speaker yesterday. It seems everyone I talk to wants me to express appreciation for your inspiring presentation. Your years of research, your depth of understanding of emotional intelligence, and your ability to present the subject in such a compelling way produced one of the most memorable presentations in NYC’s DOE’s history..” - Dolores, Executive Superintendent of
Leadership, NYC Department of Education
“Home run! Unanimously positive feedback!! It really was a perfect session.” - Goldman Sachs
- 2016 – Professor, Child Study Centre, Yale School of Medicine
- 2013 – Founding Director, Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence
- 2008 – Adjunct Associate Professor, Summer Principles Academy, Columbia University
- 2007 – Deputy Director – Health, Emotion & Behaviour Laboratory
- 2005 – Faculty Fellow, Edward Zigler Centre in Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University
- 2004 – Associate Director, Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence
- 2004 – Associate Research Scientist, Department of Psychology, Yale University
- 2003 – Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Yale University
- 2003 – Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, Yale University
- 2001 – Cognate, Teaching of Psychology, University of New Hampshire
- 1999 – PhD, Personality and Social Psychology, University of New Hampshire
- 1999 – MA Personality and Social Psychology, University of New Hampshire
- 1999 – Graduate Assistant/Instructor, Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire
- 1997 – Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Iona College
- 1997 – Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, St. Peter’s University
- 1997 – Psychiatric Interview – New York State Psychiatric Institute
- 1996 – Research Externship, NYU Medical Centre and Bellevue Hospital
- 1995 – MA Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- 1995 – Editorial Assistant, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research & Journal of Social Distress & the Homeless
- 1995 – Graduate Assistant, Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- 1987 – BA Psychology, Spanish, Certificate in Criminology, Rutgers University
How to hire Marc Brackett
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Marc Brackett for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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