Elite Mental Toughness®
2-Day Virtual Intensive

Psychological Flexibility & Performance Under Stress

Strengthen mental flexibility and resilience to manage stress, perform under pressure, and navigate difficult times with advanced research-based skills.

Be the first to hear when the next live Elite Mental Toughness® training opens for enrollment.

Developed and delivered by
Dr. Yvette Curtis, PsyD
Developer of Elite Mental Toughness®

Elite Mental Toughness® is an educational training program. This is not therapy, counseling, or clinical treatment. This program is not a substitute for professional mental health services.

Build the Skills to Respond Differently Under Stress

Elite Mental Toughness® (EMT) is an eight-lesson, evidence-informed training designed to strengthen psychological flexibility, emotional regulation, resilience, and your ability to respond effectively under pressure.

EMT is not about eliminating difficult thoughts, emotions, or stress. It teaches practical skills for responding to them more effectively, whether you want to strengthen how you perform under pressure or you're going through a difficult period and want better tools for navigating stress, overwhelm, or feeling stuck.

The training is structured, active, and skills-based. You will learn and practice tools designed for use beyond the training itself, so you can apply them when stress shows up in everyday life.

When This Training Is Relevant

You manage well until stress builds and it becomes harder to think clearly or respond the way you want
You understand what to do, but struggle to apply it when stress or emotions are high
You feel overwhelmed, stuck, or worn down by ongoing stress
You’ve done therapy, training, or personal development, but want skills you can use more effectively in real time
You want to perform more effectively under pressure
You want a structured system for building resilience, not just more information

What is Elite Mental Toughness®?

Elite Mental Toughness® is an eight-lesson psychoeducational training program that teaches advanced, research-based skills for managing thoughts, emotions, stress, relationships, and difficult situations more effectively.

Rather than simply learning about stress and resilience, you will learn, practice, and apply skills during the training so you can use them when you need them in everyday life.

EMT is educational skills training, not therapy or mental health treatment.

Training Program Details

Elite Mental Toughness® delivers the full eight-lesson training in a focused, two-day virtual intensive.

Training Structure

2 consecutive days
Approximately 4 hours of training each day
Live and interactive
Small group format to support instruction and participation
Guided exercises and active skill practice
Designed to help you apply what you learn beyond the training

Training is delivered live and is not recorded.

Upcoming Training

New training dates will be announced as cohorts become available.

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What Makes EMT Different

Structured, not motivational
Active and skills-based, not passive learning
Designed for application during real-world stress
Developed through doctoral research with military populations
Built around learning, practicing, and applying skills
Designed for continued use after the training ends

Who Is Elite Mental Toughness® For?

Elite Mental Toughness® is designed for individuals who want to strengthen how they respond to stress, pressure, and difficult situations.

This training may be especially relevant for:

Military service members and veterans
First responders, including police, fire, EMS, and dispatchers
Healthcare professionals
Business leaders and professionals
Athletes and high performers
Mental health professionals
Individuals experiencing sustained stress, overwhelm, or burnout
Anyone seeking to strengthen mental flexibility, resilience, and stress-management skills

You do not need to be military, a first responder, or work in a high-stress profession to participate.

Because EMT is an educational training program rather than clinical treatment, virtual cohorts are available to participants throughout the United States and internationally.

EMT is educational skills training, not therapy or mental health treatment. Participants may take EMT while receiving professional mental health care elsewhere.

Research & Evaluation

Elite Mental Toughness® was developed through doctoral research conducted by Dr. Yvette Curtis, incorporating expert input from senior military leaders and subject-matter experts in resilience and suicide prevention. Since its development, EMT has been delivered in real-world settings, with participant feedback and follow-up evaluation providing additional insight into participants’ experiences with the training.

Within the study sample, structured expert evaluation found:

EMT: M = 6.13/7 (≈87.5%)
Standard Training: M = 4.5/7 (≈64%)
p = .0096
Cohen’s d = 2.53
Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test: Z = 17.50, p = .0156

These findings reflect structured expert evaluation within the study sample and support EMT’s relevance for high-stress operational environments.

Expert Feedback

“Elite Mental Toughness moves the needle away from suicidal ideation.”
— U.S. Senior Military Officer, Expert Panel

“If you can save one life it is worth it, and I feel that your program will save a lot.”
— U.S. Air Force Military Officer, Expert Panel

About Your Instructor

Elite Mental Toughness® was developed by Dr. Yvette Curtis, PsyD, through doctoral research focused on psychological flexibility, resilience, and performance under stress in military populations.

Dr. Curtis has more than 15 years of experience working with trauma, military personnel, first responders, and other high-stress populations. She has delivered more than 100 group training sessions across military, treatment, and community settings.

Her work brings research-informed approaches into structured skills training designed for real-world application under stress and pressure.

As the developer of Elite Mental Toughness®, Dr. Curtis personally delivers the training, giving participants the opportunity to learn the program directly from its developer.

What You'll Learn: 20+ Skills Across Eight Core Components

Regain Your Calm

Learn skills for working with intense emotions and physiological stress so you can respond more effectively when emotions run high.

Get Unstuck From Unhelpful Thoughts

Recognize thought patterns that keep you stuck, overwhelmed, or interfere with performance, and learn skills for responding to them differently.

See More Than One Way Forward

Step back from difficult situations, shift perspective, and create more options for how you respond.

Stay Focused Under Pressure

Learn to direct your attention where it matters, even when stress, distractions, or difficult thoughts compete for it.

Know What Matters Most

Clarify what matters to you so you can maintain direction when stress, uncertainty, or difficult circumstances pull you off course.

Take Action When It's Hard

Learn to keep moving toward what matters even when fear, stress, uncertainty, obstacles, or setbacks show up.

Build Stronger Relationships

Strengthen communication, navigate difficult interactions, and build more effective relationships at work and in your personal life.

Strengthen Your Support System

Strengthen the connections and resources that help sustain resilience during difficult times.

100+ Training Sessions Delivered

Elite Mental Toughness® has been delivered in more than 100 group training sessions across military, residential treatment, community mental health, and other high-stress settings.

The program has been used with participants from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, providing extensive real-world implementation experience beyond its original development and research.

What Participants Say

“Do not hesitate to do this! It’s the best training I’ve ever received.”
— Military Training Participant

“I respond to stress in a more grounded, methodical approach now at work and at home.”
— Military Training Participant

“It’s a must take course. It equips you with tools to use in all aspects of your life.”
— Military Training Participant

“Been there, done that, still doing it, because there are so many options that run the gamut from simple to complex. Pick one, and use it. It works.”
— Military Training Participant

FAQs

Is Elite Mental Toughness® therapy or counseling?

No. Elite Mental Toughness® is an educational, skills-based training program, not therapy, counseling, or mental health treatment. You will learn and practice skills in a group training environment rather than receive clinical treatment. EMT does not replace professional mental health care when it is needed.

Do I need to be military/first responder?

No. EMT was originally developed through research with military populations, but the skills are designed for anyone who wants to strengthen mental flexibility, resilience, stress management, and their ability to respond effectively under pressure or during difficult times.

What is the Elite Mental Toughness® training like?

EMT is an active, interactive group training rather than a lecture. You will learn skills, practice them during the training, and participate in structured exercises designed to help you apply what you learn in real life.

You are never required to disclose personal experiences or share information you would prefer to keep private.

How is the 2-Day Virtual Intensive delivered?

The training is delivered live online over two consecutive days, with approximately four hours of training each day. Sessions are interactive and include instruction, guided exercises, and opportunities to practice and apply the skills as you learn them.

The training is not recorded, allowing participants to engage in a live training environment with Dr. Curtis and the other participants.

Can I take Elite Mental Toughness® if I'm in therapy?

Yes. EMT is educational skills training, not mental health treatment, and participants may take the training while receiving therapy or other professional mental health care.

If you have questions about whether participating is appropriate for your individual circumstances, you may wish to discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Can my organization sponsor employees or bring EMT to our team?

Yes. Organizations may sponsor individuals to participate in an upcoming EMT training. Elite Mental Toughness® is also available as live training for military units, first responders, healthcare professionals, and other high-stress teams and organizations.

For organizational training formats, pricing, and implementation options, visit Elite Mental Toughness® for Organizations.

Ready to Build Elite Mental Toughness®?

The 2-Day Virtual Intensive includes approximately eight hours of live, interactive Elite Mental Toughness® training delivered personally by Dr. Yvette Curtis.

Investment: $600
Format: Live 2-Day Virtual Intensive
Duration: Approximately 8 hours total

New training dates will be announced as cohorts become available.

Join the priority list to be among the first to receive upcoming training dates and registration information.

⭐ Join the Priority List

Request Elite Mental Toughness® Training Information

This request is informational and exploratory. No commitment is required. If the training is a good fit for your individually for this group cohort.