Debra Harkins

Debra Harkins is an executive coach and consultant, specializing in diversity, leadership development and women’s growth for non-profit human service organizations. In 2007, she founded Leading Change, a leadership development coaching and consulting firm. Debra’s leadership model includes five basic areas: empowerment, vision and systems thinking, emotional intelligence, strength based communication, and relationship building. She has worked with teachers, supervisors, managers, directors and C-suite executives — both men and women — from small to large organizations.

A skilled facilitator and workshop leader, Debra has led leadership, communication, management, negotiation and diversity workshops for many organizations including: Coalition for a United Nations, Executive Service Corp, Harvard Vanguard Associates, Battered Women’s shelters, American Red Cross, YMCA, Healthcare of Southeaste Massachusetts, Neighborhood Action, Inc. Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Melville Candy Company, La Alianza Hispania, Spare Change Homeless Empowerment Program, and the Riverside Community Healthcare. She has received awards and honors from Who’s Who among American teachers, American Women, the YMCA Spirit Award and for Excellence in Graduate teaching.

During her career she co-founded a manufacturing business, has held management positions in academia and worked in nonprofit organizations. Debra is a member of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce, APA Division of Society for Community Research and Action, Northeast Human Resources Association, Downtown Women’s Club, New England Society for Applied Psychology and Organizational Development Learning Group. She taught organizational psychology, conflict resolution and team building, voices in conflict, group dynamics, self and identity, supervision and consultation, community psychology, diversity, and ethics courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She holds a cum laude BS in psychology and anthropology, an MA and Ph.D from Clark University in Psychology. She is an Associate professor of psychology at Suffolk University and is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts. Debra completed Social justice mediation training and is a Certified Empowerment Coach with Institute of Professional Empowerment Coaching. She is a Board member of Self-Esteem Boston and a member of Combating Racism committee of the NOW organization. Debra has also received training relevant to coaching and consulting in the following areas: Primal Leadership, Assessing and Refining Leadership Style; Organizational Development; Conflict resolution; Cross-cultural psychology; Teaching Conflict resolution, Tai Chi; meditation and Emotional Intelligence.

She is known for her openness, humor, honesty, frankness and ability to untangle challenging organizational and team problems.