FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
August 6, 2013

Issued by International Network on Personal Meaning

Psychologist unlocks nature’s secret to mental health

The answer to meeting society’s increasing mental health needs is not more diagnoses, more pills, and more psychiatrists, but applying nature’s way to manage symptoms and increase well-being, according to Dr. Paul T. P. Wong, a renowned Toronto psychologist.

Dr. Wong will present a radical approach to treating mental disorders and enhancing community mental health at the INPM Summer Institute, held at the Delta Toronto East Hotel, August 16-18, 2013. His approach is internationally known as Meaning Therapy. 

“Just as physical health depends on proper nutrition, regular exercise, and clean air, so does mental health depend on meaning, love, and engagement in a supportive community,” says Dr. Wong. The secret to effective Meaning Therapy is to release the inherent human capacities for meaning-making, attachment, and active engagement of the mind, in a safe environment. This approach empowers clients to access their own natural processes for healing.

Recent research by Drs. Barbara L. Fredrickson and Roy F. Baumeister has demonstrated that people need meaning to flourish. Their research findings, which have grabbed media attention, confirm three decades of research documenting that meaning-making is the most versatile human capacity to reduce suffering and increase happiness. Meaning Therapy makes judicial use of the science of meaning.

Dr. Wong has been conducting the popular Meaningful Living Group in Toronto, in which he not only teaches the scientific principles of meaningful living, but also fosters a sense of belonging in a community where people feel safe and support each other on their journey from healing to wholeness.

At the Summer Institute, Dr. Wong will teach mental health professionals not only how to use meaning-based interventions, but also how to facilitate Meaningful Living Groups as a grassroots mental health movement. The Summer Institute is also open to individuals interested in learning the scientific principles of meaningful living.

The INPM Summer Institute is organized by the International Network on Personal Meaning. Registration information can be found at www.meaning.ca/conference/summer-institute/. For interviews, contact Dr. Paul T. P. Wong at drpaulwong@gmail.com.