You're Not Failing—
You're Under-Equipped
We Guide School Staff to Become the Most Powerful Intervention for Kids Who've Been Called 'Too Much' — Shifting Crisis into Readiness, Connection, and Lasting Growth.
The Books That Started a Movement
Neuroscience-informed, trauma-responsive, relentlessly practical — written for exhausted adults who refuse to give up on kids.
Your FBA Is a Fantasy
Available now on Amazon.
What if the behavior isn't the problem — but the signal?
In Your FBA Is a Fantasy, Rick and Doris Bowman reveal why traditional Functional Behavior Assessments miss the most important factor in a child's behavior: their nervous system. Rooted in trauma science and neurodevelopment, this groundbreaking guidebook gives educators and practitioners a new lens, a clear path forward, and every tool they could possibly need for the climb.
Reading Your FBA is a Fantasy! felt like sitting in the front row at the Bowmans’ training! The content was easily accessible, engaging, and immediately applicable.
The Bowmans beautifully blended current evidenced theories and practices such as Polyvagal Theory, Collaborative Problem Solving, and Heart Math, and demonstrated how the current science can be used to create transformative, student-centered FBAs and BSPs.
There is so much valuable information in Your FBA is a Fantasy! that whole pages were highlighted. It will be the first book study for Professional Learning this year!
— Heidi Luckman, LMFT,
Behavior Specialist
Facing The Fantasy
Finding the Way Forward
Releasing April 6th. Pre-Order now!.
From control and compliance to regulation and real results in the classroom
The companion guide educators everywhere have been waiting for! Building on the foundation of Your FBA Is a Fantasy, this new release brings the framework directly into the classroom, and every other setting in the school — giving every educator, not just behavior specialists, the neuroscience-backed tools they need to understand and support today's students with compassion, confidence, and calm.
Before we change behavior, we have to understand what the body is asking for. One of the most powerful truths in education is also one of the most overlooked: the nervous system drives behavior. Facing the Fantasy brings that truth to life with approachable neuroscience and realistic classroom strategies.
I’ve worked in public education for over 15 years. I know firsthand what it feels like to be treated as a behavior problem when what you really need is understanding, skill-building, and a nervous-system-aware environment.
This book doesn’t blame teachers, and it doesn’t ask for perfection. It offers doable steps that help adults stay regulated so students can borrow that regulation, creating classrooms that are not just trauma-informed, but genuinely neuroaffirming.
— Dr. Amy Joynt, School Psychologist | Former Special Education Director |
Let's stop chasing symptoms and focus on the source.
Ready to Go Deeper?
Join Our Trainings.
Every training is designed to move you through actionable understanding to practical application — with real tools, real cases, and the science that ties it all together.
Your FBA is a Fantasy!
The flagship training. Learn to write Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans through a trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned lens — and finally create plans that produce durable results for your most complex students.
Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward
Stop reacting—start responding. This training teaches staff to read the signals beneath the behavior — and use that knowledge to prevent, de-escalate, connect, and redirect effectively.
Revolutionary Resilience & Self-Regulation Thru Heart Coherence
Before a child can learn, they need to feel safe. This training equips educators with practical regulation-first strategies to create the conditions where real growth becomes possible.
Truly Trauma Informed?
Systems change starts with people. This training guides school leadership and teams through a realistic assessment process, followed by setting targets and building a whole-school culture grounded in safety, regulation & connection.
Your FBA is a Fantasy!
The flagship training. Learn to write Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans through a trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned lens — and finally create plans that produce durable results for your most complex students.
Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward
Stop reacting—start responding. This training teaches staff to read the signals beneath the behavior — and use that knowledge to prevent, de-escalate, connect, and redirect effectively.
Revolutionary Resilience & Self-Regulation Thru Heart Coherence
Before a child can learn, they need to feel safe. This training equips educators with practical regulation-first strategies to create the conditions where real growth becomes possible.
Truly Trauma Informed?
Systems change starts with people. This training guides school leadership and teams through a realistic assessment process, followed by setting targets and building a whole-school culture grounded in safety, regulation & connection.
Suite of Tools to Use Starting Tomorrow
We believe the work starts now — not later. These practical, research-backed tools are yours to download, print, and use in the real moments that matter most.
Lanyard Cards for
De-Escalation - Regulation
Designed for educators and staff, these pocket-sized cards give you ready-to-use language for the moments when a student is dysregulated and your thinking brain needs a little backup. One side for crisis moments. One side for getting unstuck. Both sides rooted in dignity, compassion, and neuroscience.
Decoding My Survival Signals
Not sure where to start when a student's behavior doesn't make sense? This visual guide equips you to walk the student through the Bowman Consulting Group framework for decoding what behavior is really communicating — so you can understand the need and respond to the root, not just the symptom.
These tools are excerpted from our book series and trainings. Share them freely with your team.
Rick Bowman
Doris Bowman
Rick and Doris Bowman are the founders of Bowman Consulting Group — nationally recognized trainers, authors, consultants, and thought leaders, equipping schools and organizations to implement trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned behavior support that actually works for today's kids.
For over a decade, they have traveled the nation delivering live and virtual trainings, working side by side with educators, school psychologists, behavior specialists, clinicians, administrators, and families who are exhausted, yet committed, and ready for something that works.
Team Bowman doesn't just teach strategies — they shift paradigms. By grounding their work in 60+ years of modern brain science and the neuroscience of trauma and connection, Rick and Doris arm the adults in the room with the best in trauma-responsive practices and systems to become the most powerful intervention in a child's life.
Rick Bowman - M.A. in Clinical Psychology
Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner – Clinical (CTRP-C®)
Certified HeartMath and “The Resilience Advantage” Trainer
Certified Trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving®MGH(Think:Kids, Massachusetts General Hospital)
K-21 licensed school administrator in the state of Oregon
Doris Bowman - M.S. in Education/Special Education
Graduate Certification — Applied Educational Neuroscience (AEN)
Advanced Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner – Education & Clinical (ACTRP-E/C®)
Certified “Stress & Well-Being Assessment” Provider, HeartMath
Certified Trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving®(Think:Kids, Massachusetts General Hospital)
K-21 licensed special educator and school administrator in the state of Oregon
What Educators, Authors & Leaders Are Saying
A sampling of voices from classrooms, districts, and thought leaders who have seen this work transform kids — and adults.
"This book will be your go-to guide for writing trauma-informed FBAs that can actually make a difference in the lives of those students who need the most help."
— Nina E. Frankman | Director of Educational Services, Olive Crest, Santa Ana, CA
"Doris and Rick are the real deal, and their approaches work like no other. Based on 60+ years of modern brain science and the success of thousands of kids, this book gives you a roadmap for proven success."
— Chris Reavis | Bestselling Author, "Boost Your Bullsh*t Resilience At Work"
"A much-needed book for our time. Moving beyond behavior management, the Bowmans reveal how children's underlying trauma and chronic stress trigger behavior — and offer ways for educators to help these children's nervous systems shift from self-protection to connection."
— Diane Dreher, PhD | Professor Emeritus, Santa Clara University
"Rick and Doris don't just deliver trauma-informed, neuroscience-based insights — they do so with a clarity and passion that make their message unforgettable. A game changer."
— Debra Ann Afarian | Certified CPS Parent Coach & OC CHADD Coordinator
"What sets this book apart is its actionable content that can be seamlessly incorporated into daily educational practices. A transformative resource that will invigorate your practice with renewed purpose."
— Jim Sporleder | Author, "The Trauma-Informed School"; Principal of Lincoln High School, featured in Paper Tigers
"This is a must read for every educator who wants to design meaningful learning opportunities and ensure that students build essential skills and reach their full potential."
— Dr. Diane Lew | Educator, Administrator & Educational Consultant
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Regulation. Connection. Cognition.
Website: www.bowmanconsultgorup.com
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