Dr. Kristen Lee

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, known as “Dr. Kris”, is an internationally recognized, award-winning behavioral science clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and comedian from Boston, Massachusetts. As Behavioral Science Faculty at Northeastern University, Dr. Kris’s research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. Dr. Kris works with organizations and leaders around the world on how to use the science of behavioral change and human potential to build healthy mental health cultures that help prevent burnout and promote organizational and human sustainability.

Dr. Kris is the author of "RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress," Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015; best-selling "Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking-Learn What it Takes to be More Agile, Mindful and Connected in Today’s World," and "Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World," a 2022 The Next Big Idea Book Club nominee and and Nautilus Book Award Silver Medal Winner. She is a regular contributor for Psychology Today and Thrive Global. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR, Ted, Forbes Fast Company, and CBS radio.

She is the host of Crackin’ Up: Where Therapy Meets Comedy. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR, Ted, and CBS radio. Her Ted X talk, “The Risk You Must Take” has over 427K views. In 2022, she received a First Place MVP award from EdTech for her work with Pathify on addressing mental health challenges in higher education Her signature ability to engage with a diverse range of audiences has led her to be invited to speak nationally and internationally to students, educators, health and mental health professionals, business leaders and general audiences. Some of the venues she speaks at include Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Nationwide, Snapchat, American Chemical Society, Virgin Pulse, and Johnson and Johnson.

Dr. Kris is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker known for her advocacy in promoting increased mental health integration in social policies and institutions to facilitate access and improved health outcomes in the U.S. and across the globe. She has served as a U.S. federal grant reviewer for the Departments of Minority Affairs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and Health and Human Services. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychological Association. She holds a BS from Worcester State University, MSW from Boston University and an Ed.D. from Northeastern University.

In 2011, Dr. Kris was the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award from Northeastern University for her “depth of knowledge” and “engaging teaching style”. In 2023, she was honored with an honorary doctorate in humane letters, and in 2015, the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from Worcester State University as “a leader who lives by the highest intellectual and ethical standards”.

In her spare time, she can be found out on the running trails, attempting tricky yoga poses, eating peanut butter cups and drinking kale juice—but not all at once.