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Research-based Workshops, Presentations, Coaching and Consultation Services                                                                               

Workshop and Presentation Offerings for Winter-Spring 2010

Practicing 'Safe Stress': A Recipe for Resiliency (two hour, half day or full day sessions)
Modern life requires us to constantly deal with pressure, change and conflict. This creates disruptions in our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical health.  How can we effectively cope? This workshop/presentation centres around the consistent finding that psychological resiliency impacts ability and willingness to cope with stress in our lives, both in at home and at work.  Through approaches such as challenging and replacing maladaptive thoughts, problem and emotion-focused coping, biofeedback, relaxation techniques and mindfulness strategies, during this interactive session you will learn how to more resiliently respond to work stressors such as anger, anxiety, frustration and conflict.

Happiness: How to Build Up Your 'Bank'  (one, two hour and half day sessions)
This workshop introduces participants to what current research says we can do to build our "happiness banks" -- so that when our lives get challenging, we have enough in there to carry us through without significantly impairing our life satisfaction. Based on the extensive research of world renowned psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman (author of Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment), the three currencies in the "happiness bank" will be introduced and practical strategies for building these "funds" discussed.

The Time Balm: Bringing Balance to Your Life (two hour, half day or full day sessions)
The objective of this interactive workshop is to identify and then learn how to work toward valued and realistic goals in ways that enhance both productivity and health. Tackled from both psychological and physical health approaches, participants will learn techniques for alleviating the experience of time pressure and how to reduce common time thieves such as procrastination, distractions and home-work interference.  In addition, each participant will leave the workshop with a concrete plan for achieving balance.

One to two hour presentations are also available for many psychology-related topics including creativity, adolescent behaviour, memory and motivation.

Personal Coaching Sessions

In Control: It's All in Your Head
Building upon a 'rational emotive' approach, these personal coaching sessions will allow you to identify persistent themes in your thoughts and beliefs that negatively impact your resiliency, emotions and ability to cope.  Learn how YOU most certainly DO have the ability to alleviate and control intense emotions such as anxiety, sadness and anger.  Take charge of your reactions to situations at work (such as dealing with unpleasant colleagues, time pressure and conflict) and at home (such as arguments with children and partners and overwhelming demands on your time).  As the founder of the rational emotive approach, Dr. Albert Ellis' basic message is that all of us are born with a talent “for crooked thinking” - distortions of perception that sabotage our innate desire for happiness. But we have the capacity to change ourselves -  to accept ourselves as we are and then to learn how to refrain from destructive emotions.  We can “establish new ways of being and behaving.” Coaching sessions are completely confidential, offered in person or over the internet via Skype and include practical worksheets.  As this approach is absolutely invaluable and should be taught - just as we teach the fundamentals of math and reading - to everyone from an early age, sessions are very reasonably priced.

About the Presenter:
Carla Gunn, B.A., M.A. (Psychology): In addition to her work through PsychEd, Carla teaches psychology courses at St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick, where her students have nominated her for teaching awards.  As a partner in the former Cogent Consortium Inc., along with conducting program evaluations and needs assessments, she facilitated workshops for the government of New Brunswick, Bayshore Home Health, Atlantic Health Sciences, the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, the New Brunswick Environmental Network, St. Thomas University's Leadership Program, the University of New Brunswick's College of Extended Learning, Dartmouth College (Tuck School of Business), Human Resources New Brunswick, Maritime College of Forest Technology, NB Power, along with other businesses and organizations. Carla is also a writer, with numerous articles in the Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Reader and heard on CBC radio. Her debut novel, 'Amphibian,' was recently short-listed for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Canada and the Carribbean) (www.carlagunn.ca).

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                                                      Photo: Tim Fraser