The International Network on Personal Meaning (INPM) is pleased to announce the 7th Biennial International Meaning Conference to be held July 26-29, 2012 in Toronto, Canada. The main conference theme is: A Positive Global Vision of Healing and Flourishing through Meaning.
Click here to go to the conference site
In today’s climate of global economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflicts, ecological crisis, and the widening gap between haves and have-nots, the meaning perspective offers a promising vision to resolve these challenging global issues and achieve sustainable growth for both individuals and society.
The conference will highlight the role of meaning in well-being, flourishing, character strengths, resilience, post-traumatic growth, spirituality, psychotherapy, healing, recovery, and positive organizations. It will emphasize both cutting edge research and the application of research findings to meaningful living.
We will host a number of summits involving the most creative minds and best known experts to explore new frontiers and find new solutions. We believe that the meaning-mindset offers an alternative global vision for developing healthy communities and living rewarding lives. The pre-conference professional workshops will cover the latest developments in counselling and psychotherapy.
The conference will place a premium on providing delegates with opportunities for interactions with participants from different theoretical camps and cultures. Through cross-fertilization, integration and networking, we hope that we can find new pathways to make life better for all.
In order to make this conference more accessible, we will offer the option of Virtual Attendance through online conferencing.
CEU credits will be available to psychologists and counsellors.
Confirmed keynote speakers:
- 1. Christopher Peterson, PhD – Meaning and Mattering: Perspectives from Positive Psychology
- Laura King, PhD – Noticing Meaning in Everyday Life: Pleasure, Intuition, and Magic
- Robert Neimeyer, PhD – Mourning and Meaning: The Narrative Arc of Traumatic Loss
- Jordan Peterson, PhD – Redemption and Psychology in Christianity
- Mark Kingwell, PhD – Happiness and the Art of Play
- Todd Kashdan, PhD – The Science of Spirituality: Essential and Impossible
- Salvatore Maddi, PhD – Hardiness Protects Against Internet Addiction and Excessive
Consumer Spending - Emmy van Deurzen, PhD – The Meaning of Suffering: Emotional Life and our Reasons for Being
- George Bonanno, PhD – Trauma, Flexibility, and Meaning
- Alan Waterman, PhD – Identity and Meaning: Contrasts of Existentialist and Essentialist Perspectives
- Paul T.P. Wong, PhD – The Meaning-Mindset as the Foundation for Healing and Flourishing
(More names will be added when confirmed).
Confirmed workshop leaders:
- Stanley Krippner, PhD – Finding Meaning in Dreams: The Use of Dream Reports in Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Robert Neimeyer, PhD – Techniques of Grief Therapy: Narrative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved
- Emmy van Deurzen, PhD – Living with your Emotions
- George Bonanno, PhD – Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience
- Salvatore Maddi, PhD – Hardiness Training
- Paul T. P. Wong, PhD – Assessment and Intervention in Meaning Therapy
(More names will be added when confirmed).
Call for papers:
We welcome submissions in a wide variety of areas related to the role of meaning/purpose in positive psychology, existential-humanistic psychology, psychotherapy, counselling, and social-personality research. However, we will also consider any submissions related to positive psychology and existential psychology.
Presentation types: Poster, symposium, and workshop. Abstracts for poster submissions should be about 500 words. Proposals for symposia should include a 500-word overview and short abstracts (about 200 words) by individual participants. Proposals for workshops should include a 1000-word overview. Please submit all abstracts to the Conference Chair, Dr. Paul T. P. Wong: drpaulwong@gmail.com.
Student contest: We particularly welcome submissions from graduate students. Students who are the first authors of posters accepted for the Conference will have their registration fees waived; they will also be considered for awards to the best three student submissions.
Deadline for abstract submissions: May 1, 2012
Notice of acceptance: Before June 1, 2012
Registration information: Will be available soon!
For any additional questions, contact Dr. Paul T. P. Wong, Conference Chair at drpaulwong@gmail.com. For questions regarding the student contest, please contact Dr. Kenneth Hart, conference co-chair at kenhart@uwindsor.ca.
Mark your calendar for July 26-29, 2012 and register for the conference online, at www.meaning.ca. The deadline for the Early Bird discount is Sunday, June 15, 2012.