Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) is a therapeutic endeavour within positive psychology to broaden the scope of traditional psychotherapy. Its central premise is to address positive resources of clients such as positive emotions, character strengths and meaning — in addition to treating symptoms—in treating psychopathology.

Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) Training

• European Conference on Positive Psychology, Innsbruck, Austria, July 2024.
• Eurasian Congress on Positive Psychology, Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey, September 2022.
• American Psychological Association (APA), Annual Convention, Continuing Education Workshop, CE Excellence Award, Virtual, August 2020 (
• Swiss Positive Psychological Association (SWIPPA), Virtual, November 2021.
• International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), 6th World Congress, Melbourne, Australia, July 2019.
• Association of Psychologists in Newfoundland & Labrador (APNL), St. John’s, NL, June 2019.
• European Positive Psychology Conference, Budapest, Hungary, June 2018.
• Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada, May 2016.
• International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), 4th World Congress, Orlando, USA, June 2015.
• World Congress of Positive Psychotherapy, Antalya, Turkey, November 2014.
• McGill University, Montreal, Canada, December 2014.
• International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), 3rd World Congress, Los Angeles, USA, June 2014.
• University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, April 2014.
• Western Psychological Association, Wyoming, USA, October 2013.
• American Psychological Association, Annual Convention CE Workshop, Washington, DC, August 2013.
• King’s College, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK, January 2013.
• University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands, January 2013.
• Hong Kong Health Authority, Hong Kong, January 2012.
• Asian Applied Positive Psychology Conference, Hong Kong, January 2012.
• University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, December 2011.
• Long Island Jewish Medical Centre, New York, USA, November 2011.
• University of Paris, Paris, France, January 2011.
• McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, April 2010.
• William Osler Health Centre, Brampton, Canada, October 2010.

Miscellaneous Mental Health Training

• Ministry of Health, 2-day Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, Berbice, Guyana, March 2024
• Ministry of Health, 4-day Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, Georgetown, Guyana, February 2024
• Canadian Association of College & University Student Services (CACUSS), Calgary, Canada, workshop on Circle of Care, June 2019
• Values in Action Character Strengths Applications, Two-Day Intensives, San Francisco, August 2010 and Toronto, November 2010
• Monroe Community College, NY, Incorporating Character Strengths in Working with Students, 2-half day training with Student Services Staff, May & October 2008.

Equity & Inclusion Training

Gender Equity: From a Strengths-Based Perspective: Workship, topics included What is Gender-Based Discrimination, how it shapes and is internalized, institutional and cultural practices including patriarchy and masculinity, ways to soften heteronomous approach and cultivating hybrid masculinities

• Workshops: Combatting Racism: From Bystander to Upstander: Workshop, this series of four workshops created a safe and inclusive space to explore different dimensions of inequities that have created psychological distress and maintained cyclical deprivation. Each workshop focused on a specific topic with strategies to move from bystander to upstander—in combatting anti-Black Racism, anti-Indigenous Racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of oppression, 2022

Intercultural Communication: Skills & Strategies – Delivered a comprehensive workshop for the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) and Toronto Police Services (CPEU) on effective communication in diverse cultural contexts, particularly in crisis situations. Topics covered included high vs. low-context cultures, cross-cultural communication challenges, language differences in crisis response, cognitive vs. emotional empathy, perspective-taking to reduce bias, and strategies to mitigate secondary trauma and compassion fatigue. The workshop emphasized compassionate and culturally competent crisis communication, using real-world scenarios, role-playing exercises, and video illustrations to enhance participants’ ability to navigate sensitive and high-stress interactions effectively.

• Crisis Communication: Strategies to Create Compassionate, Effective and Culturally Responsive Interactions. Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams; Toronto Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit (CPEU), Toronto Police Services, May 2022
• Responding to Distress: With Resilience and Dignity – Cross-cultural Considerations: Trained 30+ counselling managers in supporting counsellors facing on-call distress, August 2021
• Making Clinical Practice Effective, Accessible, Inclusive, Ethical & Integrative: Presentation at the Evidence in Action, International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) conference, March 18 & 19, 2021.
• Combatting Racism: From Bystander to Upstander: Developed a ten-part workshop series addressing inequities and strategies to shift from being a bystander to an upstander in combatting anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of oppression. This initiative received the U of T Excellence in Innovation Award in December 2021.
• Indigenous Resilience & Wellbeing Interventions: In collaboration with Ontario’s Ministry of Education in 2019, worked with Indigenous mental health elders and scholars in Thunder Bay to develop the “Indigenous Wellbeing” curriculum. This curriculum incorporates spiritually cantered approaches to mental health and resilience from an Indigenous perspective. It emphasizes the importance of cultural interventions such as sweat lodges, gratitude rituals, and storytelling circles, demonstrating culturally responsive teaching aligned with Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices. Link to a Presentation: https://youtu.be/BRFl1_V7tSY?si=36mwX4B0NJxLm1b9