Book Dr. Keating
Her Story

She Didn't Just Study Trauma. She Survived It.

From a CPS file opened at age 2 to a Times Square billboard at 34 — the full story behind Dr. Danisha Keating, PhD.

Dr. Danisha Keating carrying a briefcase and a grocery bag — scholar and caretaker
Meet Dr. Keating

The Expert Built From the Wreckage.

Dr. Danisha Keating, PhD, is a former foster youth, trauma survivor, and dyslexic scholar who turned her own crisis into a national framework for trauma response.

She holds a PhD in Psychology, a Master's in Leadership & Organizational Studies, and a Bachelor's in Psychology — earned over more than a decade while working full-time and raising her five younger siblings.

Today she keynotes for school districts, child welfare agencies, and conferences across the country. She is the creator of RESPOND™, the host of The Dr. Danisha Keating Show, and the author of three bestselling books.

"I'm not the expert who showed up to study foster care. I'm the expert who came up out of it."

Dr. Danisha Keating sitting on floor, laughing, red top
Dr. Danisha Keating with a young child in front of a brick wall
The Full Story

A Life In Chapters

1992 · Age 2

The first CPS file was opened.

What she once thought began at 15 actually began at 2. For years she didn't know — until she fought to read her own foster file. Even now, of 422 pages, fewer than 30 are visible. The rest is redacted.

Pre-K — Freshman Year

Homeschooled. Foundationally behind.

Educated at home in a way that left her without the academic foundations her peers had. Dyslexia, undiagnosed for years, made the gap deeper.

3 Days Before Her 16th Birthday

Picked up by a CPS worker.

Placed into the foster care system for the first official time. A new house. New rules. No roadmap.

Age 16 · High School

A teacher saw her dyslexia.

A high school English teacher noticed what no one had: she was dyslexic. The first time someone had ever named the reason she had to work twice as hard for half the credit.

Age 18

Pulled out of class. Told to move out — that day.

A CPS worker walked into her classroom and told her she had to leave her placement immediately. Friends took her in so she could finish high school. The system had stopped watching.

Ages 18 — 24

33 moves. A year in her car. A failed first semester.

She slept on couches, in cars, in any room someone would let her crash in. She failed her first semester of college. She kept going.

2015 · Age 24

The phone call that changed everything.

One call. Overnight, she became the legal guardian of three siblings ages 12 to 15 — plus two young adult siblings — all in a 500 sq ft, one-bedroom apartment. She was only making $18,000 a year. She kept working, kept studying, and never stopped moving forward.

2015 — 2024

8 years of bachelor's. 1 year of master's. 3.5 years of PhD.

While working full-time and parenting siblings, she earned a Bachelor's in Psychology, a Master's in Leadership & Organizational Studies, and a PhD in Psychology. Her doctoral research focused on best practices for supporting foster youth in community colleges.

2025

Times Square. Forbes. NBC. KFROG.

Her face went up on a Times Square billboard — directly next to Beyoncé. She was featured in Forbes, appeared on NBC Studio 17, interviewed on KFROG with Pepper, and was profiled in Wall Street Times, Thrive Insider, GCU News and more.

Dr. Danisha Keating on the Times Square billboard
Times Square, New York City · 2025
October 2025

She filed the lawsuit.

Dr. Keating filed a civil lawsuit against The Dwelling Place Anaheim (Vineyard Christian Fellowship) for failure to protect her as a minor from abuse by her parents — ministry leaders at the church. She also continues the fight to obtain her unredacted foster care file.

Coming Soon

33 Roofs — the documentary.

The documentary chronicling 33 moves, a year in her car, and the long road out of the system. Currently in post-production.

What She Does Now

The Work, Today.

Online Course
$295

RESPOND™

Her flagship trauma response framework. 9 modules. Real-life scenarios. Certificate included.

Enroll Now →
Speaker
Keynote

Speaking & Training

Keynotes and workshops on trauma-informed leadership, foster care, and resilience for schools, agencies, and conferences.

Request Dr. Keating →
Coaching
Doctoral Coaching

Dissertation Coaching

Helping doctoral candidates cross the finish line — coaching, editing, Zoom sessions, year-long bundles.

Get Support →
As Featured In
Inc.com Verified BBB Accredited Business

Want Dr. Keating to Speak, Teach, or Coach?

Enroll in RESPOND™ Book a Speaking Engagement Contact Dr. Keating