Morning Workshops               9:00 - 12:00
Choose one morning workshop

Workshop 1: Positive Psychology and Positive Education

with Dr Martin Seligman, Director,Centre for Positive Psychology,  Best-Selling Author: Authentic Happiness Positive Psychology is the study of four modes of “happiness:” the Pleasant Life, The Engaged Life, the Meaningful Life, and Positive Relationships. Each of these is separately measurable and each is buildable. A “Full Life” has all these elements although there are tensions among them. Random assignment, placebo controlled tests of the efficacy of positive interventions to enhance each of these modes is well underway. Findings from education are encouraging in building life satisfaction along with traditional workplace skills. I suggest that psychology in the coming decade will supplement its focus on healing mental illness with a new focus on understanding and building what makes life worth living. National prosperity consists not just of wealth, but of well being, and public policy must be aimed to build both, and the place to start is with children. Results of research in Australia and the UK will be presented. > To register for this workshop click here

Workshop 2: Mind your Mind - Reducing the Risk of Dementia

with  Dr Maree Farrow, Research Fellow, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic and Dementia Collaborative Research Centre 2: Prevention, Risk Reduction and Early Intervention Mind your Mind is Alzheimer’s Australia’s dementia risk reduction program, and is based on the evidence that a number of modifiable health and lifestyle factors impact on the likelihood of developing dementia. There is growing evidence that mental stimulation, social engagement, healthy eating, physical exercise and prevention or treatment of cardiovascular risk factors may reduce the risk of developing dementia or delay its onset. In Australia and worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is expected to rise rapidly as the population ages. By 2050, there is predicted to be well over 100 million people living with a diagnosis of dementia. While dementia remains incurable, addressing modifiable risk factors provides the best strategy for reducing these numbers. In this workshop, dementia will be explained, the current evidence for risk and protective factors will be presented, and the seven Mind your Mind signposts – Mind your Brain, Diet, Body, Health Checks, Social Life, Habits and Head, all pointing the way to reducing your risk of dementia – will be explored. > To register for this workshop click here

Workshop 3: An Introduction to Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

with  Dr Bruno Cayoun, Clinical Psychologist, Macquarie Psychology; Director, Mindfulnessintegrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Institute, Hobart Mindfulness is a mental state that requires deliberate and continual attention to whatever is experienced in the present moment with a non-judgemental and non-reactive attitude. Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MiCBT) uses a 4-stage model that integrates mindfulness meditation and the core principles of traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to address crisis and help prevent relapse in a wide range of acute and chronic disorders. In this workshop, MiCBT will be explained from its neurobehavioural basis, illustrated with latest research in neuroplasticity and Neural Networks Theory. Participants will gain familiarity with the various stages of mindfulness meditation leading to neuroplasticity, learn how thoughts and body sensations interact to promote reactivity, and how we can eliminate long-lived unwanted behaviour and promote wellbeing. No experience of mindfulness assumed.   > To register for this workshop click here

Workshop 4: Whole Brain Thinking

with Michael Morgan, CEO, Herrmann International Asia The average human being has over 60,000 thoughts a day. That’s the good news. The bad news is that 95% of those thoughts are the same as they had yesterday. Imagine being able to change your mind! Imagine being able to think in new and different ways! Imagine being able to expand the number of new thoughts and ideas you have from 5% to 15% and beyond. If two heads are better than one, imagine what you could do with four! At the end of this workshops participants will be able to:    describe what “Whole Brain Thinking” is    recognise the four dominant thinking styles    recognise their own thinking styles    recognise the thinking styles of others    use “Whole Brain Thinking” as a way of:    1. solving problems    2. making decisions    3. planning    4. communicating This fun packed, highly experiential session, really will change the way you think. > To register for this workshop click here

Afternoon Workshops           14:00 - 17:00
Choose one afternoon workshop

Workshop 5: Revealing Concealed Emotions

with  Dr Paul Ekman, Professor Emeritus, University of California, USA; Director, The Paul Ekman Group; Author: Telling Lies; Emotions Revealed and Co-Author with His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Emotional Awareness In 2001 Dr Paul Ekman was named by the American Psychological Association as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century for his ground breaking work on the recognition of emotions across cultures. For the last thirty years Dr Ekman has also been studying deceit. Currently, he is the director of a small company that produces training devices relevant to emotional skills, and is initiating new research relevant to national security and law enforcement. This workshop is your opportunity to learn from the world’s leader in the field of recognition of emotions.       Why do people try to conceal emotions?     How concealed emotions may be revealed in both micro and subtle expressions     Demonstration of tools for learning to recognize micro and subtle expressions     Recent findings on the benefits of learning to recognize concealed emotions     Cautions about invasion of privacy   > To register for this workshop click here

Workshop 6: Spark! The science of exercise and the brain

with Dr. John J. Ratey, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA; Best-selling Author: Spark: the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Exercise, movement and play have transformative, integrative, and creative purposes. When bathed in their healing balm the brain works better, is more optimistic and creative, exploring by trial and error to not only survive but thrive. Exercise and play connect us with our ancient past. Exercise quiets our nerves, allows the mind to be at peace, seeing the world optimistically, releasing the flow of creativity. Movement is primal; to understand movement is to understand the self. When we learn self-movement it creates a structure for knowledge of the world. We think in motion. This gift lights up the brain; fosters learning, innovation, flexibility, adaptability and resilience. Movement fills an empty heart. Rough and tumble play aides the development of social awareness, cooperation, fairness, and altruism. The workshop will include a review of current studies on attention, stress, mood, cognition, aging and creativity.   > To register for this workshop click here