QUICK LINKS
13 Ballyconnor Court, Toronto, Ontario M2M 4C5, Canada
416-546-5588 • drpaulwong@gmail.com
www.drpaulwong.com • www.meaning.ca • www.existentialpsychology.org • www.inpm.org
Ph.D., University of Toronto (Psychology) | 1970 |
M.A., University of Toronto (Psychology) | 1968 |
B.A. Honours, Carleton University (Psychology) | 1967 |
B.Th., Toronto Bible College (now Tyndale University College and Seminary) (Theology) | 1964 |
Dr. Wong is the Founding President of the Meaning-Centered Counselling Institute, Inc. (MCCI) and the originator of meaning-centered counselling and therapy (MCCT), an integrative existential positive psychotherapy. As the Founding Director of the Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology at Trinity Western University, he has trained many counsellors and psychotherapists in applied behavioural analysis and therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, existential therapy, and cross-cultural counselling. As a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario for over 40 years, he has very broad experience in working with various kinds of behavioural and psychological problems. He has served on federal government agencies, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Washington, DC (1981-1986) and the National Advisory Council on Aging for the Canadian Minister of Health in Ottawa, ON (1994-1997).
Dr. Wong has been registered in Ontario as a Clinical Psychologist since 1972. (Registration No. 819)
Resolving problems and predicaments: Depression, anxiety, stress, pain, injury, abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, adjustment problems, relational difficulties, grieving, rehabilitation, mid-life crisis, aging, and terminal illness.
Realizing potentials for personal growth: Academic and career planning, premarital counselling, marriage enrichment, the quest for meaning and purpose, pathways to inner freedom and peace, life strategies and skills for success, and leadership development.
Practicing Meaning Centered-Counselling and Therapy (MCCT): MCCT is an evidence-based integrative existential positive psychotherapy. MCCT incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, logotherapy, and humanistic-existential therapy with a positive and spiritual orientation.
Independent Practice | 1975 – present |
Professor Emeritus Trent University |
1996 – present |
Professor Emeritus Trinity Western University |
2005 – present |
Professor of Psychology & Chair of Division Social Sciences & Business Administration, Tyndale University College |
2006 – 2009 |
Professor & Research Director Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology, Trinity Western University |
2001 – 2005 |
Professor & Program Director Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology, Trinity Western University |
1994 – 2001 |
Professor Trent University |
1972 – 1996 |
Visiting Professor University of British Columbia |
1994 – 1995 |
Professor Centre for Studies of Aging, University of Toronto |
1989 – 1995 |
Visiting Scientist University of California at Los Angeles |
1978 – 1979 |
Visiting Assistant Professor York University |
1971 – 1972 |
Research Associate University of Texas at Austin |
1969 – 1971 |
Outstanding Reviewer Psychiatry Research, Elsevier Journals |
Dec. 2017 |
Carl Rogers Award from the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) American Psychological Association, Washington, US |
2016 |
Honoured Professor Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, RU |
2015 |
Honourable Lifetime Member International Association of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, Vienna, AT |
2014 |
Lifetime Achievement Award in Life Education National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science, Taipei, TW |
2013 |
The Rising Great Compassion Buddhist Lotus Hospice Care Foundation, Taipei, TW |
2013 |
Global Love of Life Medal (12th) Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, Taipei, TW |
2008 |
Lifetime Achievement Award International Network on Personal Meaning, Toronto, CA |
2008 |
Distinguished Alumnus Award Tyndale University College and Seminary, Toronto, CA |
2004 |
Paul Wong Center for Research in Counselling Psychology Established by the Board of Governors, Trinity Western University, Vancouver, CA |
2002 |
Statue of Responsibility Award Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, Vienna, AT |
1999 |
VanCity Cultural Harmony Award Society for Community Development, Vancouver, CA |
1997 |
Leave Fellowship Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Ottawa, CA |
1979 – 1980 |
Numerous Merit Awards for Teaching and Research Trent University, Peterborough, CA |
1971 – 1993 |
Graduate Scholarship National Research Council, Ottawa, CA |
1967 – 1970 |
Review Editor Frontiers in Psychology: Positive Psychology Specialty Section |
2021 – present |
Editorial Board Member Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry research |
2020 – present |
Consulting Editor Journal of Humanistic Psychology |
2017 – present |
Book Review Editor International Journal of Well-being |
2011 – present |
Member Advisory Panel of the Positive Psychology Institute, Sydney, Australia |
2008 – present |
Editorial Board Journal of Humanistic Psychology |
2008 – present |
Member International Advisory Council of the Statue of Responsibility Foundation, San Francisco, US |
2006 – present |
Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy |
2005 – present |
Editorial Board PsychCRITIQUES (Contemporary Psychology: APA Journal of Book Reviews) |
2005 – 2008 |
Member National Advisory Council on Aging to the Minister of Health, Ottawa, Canada |
1994 – 1997 |
Editorial Board Stress Medicine |
1993 – 2003 |
Editorial Board Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science |
1990 – 1994 |
Member Behavior/Biological Review Panel, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, US |
1981 – 1986 |
Dr. Wong has supervised numerous M.A. and Ph.D. theses and served as the external examiner of Ph.D. dissertations for many universities.
He currently mentors the following post-docs:
Dr. Pooja Anand | Dr. Gokmen Arslan | Dr. Lilian Jans Bekens |
Dr. Victorial Bower | Dr. David Carreno | Dr. Nikolett Eisenbeck |
Dr. Rongwei Zhang |
He currently mentors the following MA level researchers:
Arantxa Arredondo | Andrew C. H. Chen | Mega Leung |
Fizza Sharma | Nantita Sharma |
Dr. Wong has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous granting agencies and journals.
Dr. Wong is a part of the University of Chicago’s research group on Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life with principal investigators Dr. Candace Vogler (University of Chicago) and Dr. Jennifer A. Frey (University of South Carolina). This project is generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation with $2.1 million.
Dr. Wong has received over $600,000 in research grants from various granting agencies, including Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) since 1973. His major grants include:
Dr. Wong has also received numerous university-based grants, including $30,000 from Trent University’s President’s Academic Innovation Funds to study “Quality of education and retention of first year students” (1991-1993).
Meaning-centered counselling & therapy, positive psychotherapy, existential-humanistic therapy, logotherapy, narrative therapy, posttraumatic stress disorder, grief counselling, leadership & management, personal growth, death and dying, and the quest for meaning and purpose.
The positive psychology of meaning, spirituality, optimism, death acceptance, effective coping, and post-traumatic growth. Multicultural competencies in counseling and supervision. My publications on stress appraisal, reminiscence, personal meaning, successful aging, death attitudes, and grieving have been widely cited in journal articles and textbooks. Many of the papers have been included in various anthologies of readings.
Dr. Wong has been consulted and interviewed by major TV and radio stations, including ABC, BBC, CBC, CNN, CTV News, and Global News, on a variety of psychological issues, such as the Stockholm Syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth, transformative grieving, and positive psychology. Dr. Wong has also been consulted and interviewed by major newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Post, Huffington Post, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Peterborough Citizen, Psychological Monitor, Readers’ Digest, and Good Housekeeping on a variety of psychological issues, from positive parenting to positive psychology.
Select Recent Interviews and Press Coverages
Campanella, E. (2017, January 15). Why you should search for meaning instead of happiness this year. Global News. Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca/news/3174787/why-you-should-search-for-meaning-instead-of-happiness-this-year/
Palermo, E. (2017). Quest for a meaningful life. The Link. Retrieved from http://www.the-link.ca/wellbeing/quest-for-a-meaningful-life/
Xu, Y. J. (2017). Hunluan shidai, ruhe zhaodao rensheng yiyi? [The how of meaning in turbulent times]. UK Chinese Times. http://www.ukchinese.com/News/2017-04-14/21487.html
Hoekstra, P. (2014). My greatest happiness is to bring happiness to the suffering people. Nieuwsbrief van het Nederlands Instituut voor Logotherapie en Existentiële Analyse, 2(2), 6. Retrieved from http://viktorfrankl.nl/nieuwsbrief/Nieuwsbrief%20NILEA%202014-2.pdf
Wong, P. T. P. (2012). How best to prepare missional leaders. In P. Au (Ed)., Glorious ministry: A festschrift dedicated to Rev. Dr. John Kao (pp. 263-267). Toronto, ON: Association of Canadian Chinese Theological Education.
Wong, P. T. P. (2007). The positive psychology of suffering and tragic optimism. In P. T. P. Wong, L. C. J. Wong, M. J. McDonald, & D. W. Klaassen (Eds.), The positive psychology of meaning and spirituality (pp. 235–256). Abbotsford, BC: INPM Press.
Dr. Wong has published more than 150 articles; only recent and selected papers are listed below.
Wong, P. T. P. (2015). Meaning therapy: Assessments and interventions. Existential Analysis, 26(1), 154-167.
Ho, J. C. W., Wong, P. T. P., & Wong, L. C. J. (2010). What helps and what hinders thesis completion: A critical incident study. International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy, 3(2), 117-131. Retrieved from http://journal.existentialpsychology.org/index.php/ExPsy/article/view/159
The following is a representative sample of publications published before 1982.
Consulting Editor Journal of Humanistic Psychology |
2017 – present |
Member Advisory Panel of the Positive Psychology Institute, Sydney, Australia |
2008 – present |
Editorial Board & Book Review Editor Journal of Humanistic Psychology |
2008 – present |
Member International Advisory Council of the Statue of Responsibility Foundation, San Francisco, US |
2006 – present |
Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy |
2005 – present |
Editorial Board PsychCRITIQUES (Contemporary Psychology: APA Journal of Book Reviews) |
2005 – 2008 |
Member National Advisory Council on Aging to the Minister of Health, Ottawa, Canada |
1994 – 1997 |
Editorial Board Stress Medicine |
1993 – 2003 |
Editorial Board Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science |
1990 – 1994 |
Member Behavior/Biological Review Panel, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, US |
1981 – 1986 |
Dr. Wong has supervised numerous M.A. and Ph.D. theses and served as the external examiner of Ph.D. dissertations for many universities.
He currently mentors the following post-docs:
Dr. Pooja Anand | Dr. Gokmen Arslan | Dr. Lilian Jans Bekens |
Dr. Victorial Bower | Dr. David Carreno | Dr. Nikolett Eisenbeck |
Dr. Rongwei Zhang |
He currently mentors the following MA level researchers:
Andrew C. H. Chen | Mega Leung | Fizza Sharma |
Nantita Sharma |
Dr. Wong has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous granting agencies and journals.
Wong, P. T. P. (2017, July). What is existential competency? Why do we need it in therapy? Invited keynote at the International Meaning Conference, London, UK.
Wong, P. T. P. (2016, August). Meaning-centered approach to research and therapy, second wave positive psychology, and the future of humanistic psychology. The Carl Rogers Award Acceptance Address presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Denver, CO. (Partially supported by the research grant on Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life from the John Templeton Foundation)
Wong, L. C. J., & Wong, P. T. P. (2015, May 15). The safe and effective use of self in psychotherapy. Invited seminar presented at the World Congress for Existential Therapy, London, UK.
Dr. Wong has presented more than 150 papers in scholarly conferences. Only recent and selected presentations are listed below.
Dr. Wong has served at multiple churches and preached many sermons. This list is under construction.
For a full list of Dr. Wong’s instruments, please click here.