We are excited to announce the next Meaning Conference, to be held in Toronto, July 24-27, 2008, at the Courtyard by Marriot Hotel, in the heart of Downtown Toronto. The main conference theme is: Living well and dying well: New frontiers of positive psychology, therapy and spiritual care. It addresses the existential/spiritual issues that confront individuals in their journey through life and the character strengths they need to survive and flourish in trying situations.

This Conference is organized by the International Network on Personal Meaning (INPM) and the Psychology Department of Tyndale University, and co-sponsored by James Madison University, The Milton Erickson Foundation, Tyndale University College, Trinity Western University, and The University of Windsor.

With the success of this year's conference, many attendees on presenters have been e-mailing in their thanks, as well as favourite memories.
Click here to read some of the praise.

Living Well and Dying Well is such an important issue to so many today, it should be no surprise to see articles in both major local and national publications.

Article on Positive Psychology News Daily
http://pos-psych.com/news/guest-author/20080804925

Article in the National Post - Facing the Inevitable
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=681230

Article in the Toronto Star - Living well is the best revenge for death
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/465915

Article in the Toronto Star - Face anxiety head-on
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/466921

Article in the North York Mirror - North York college hosts conference on dying
http://insidetoronto.com/article/52086

Call for Papers
A special issue of Death Studies on Death Acceptance: Theory, Research and Applications. (More information)

Paul T. P. Wong  wins the Annual Global Love of Lives Medal
Dr. Paul T. P. Wong, Professor of Psychology at Tyndale University College will receive the 12th Annual Global Love of Lives Award from the Ta-Kuan Chow Cultural & Educational Foundation at a luncheon reception during the Meaning Conference.
(More Information)

Results of the student competition
Despite the short notice, we received sixteen entries. The winners have been selected, and the results can be found here

Earn up to 32.0 Continuing Education Credit Hours
This  program is co-sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation.  The Milton  H. Erickson Foundation is approved to provide Continuing Education Credits for Physicians, Psychologists, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Certified Counselors, and Nurses. (More information)

Keynote Speaker delivering Distinguished Public Lecture:

Pamela Wallin, Journalist, television personality, diplomat, and writer. Author of three books and recipient of many honourary doctorates, arguably one of the most recognized faces in Canadian television. Friday July 25th, 6:00-8:00pm

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

1. Thomas Attig, Author of Applied Philosopher, Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, currently an adjunct faculty of thanology, King’s College
2. Roy Baumeister, Professor of Psychology, South Florida University, author of numerous books, such as Meanings in life, Evil, and The Cultural Animal
3. William Evans, President, INPM, Associate Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, and a Colonel in the United States Air Force (Air National Guard), serving as a military chaplain
4. Salvatore Maddi, Professor of Psychology and Social Behavaior, University of California at Irvine, and Founder of the Hardiness Institute
5. Robert A. Neimeyer, Dunavant University Professorship in the Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, and Editor of Death Studies.
6. Kirk Schneider, a licensed psychologist, an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook Graduate School and the California Institute of Integral Studies, current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute and editor of Journal of Humanistic Psychology
7. Victor Shepherd, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. He was unanimously awarded The Best Preacher Award recently by the Centre of Mentorship and Theological Reflection.
8. Ernesto Spinelli, a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, professor at Regent's College London, author of various books and texts, journal editor, researcher, and founding member of the International Society for Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy.
9. Paul T. P. Wong, a licensed psychologist, Professor and Chair of Psychology at Tyndale University College, Founder of the International Network on Personal Meaning and the International Society of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy, architect of the International Conferences on Personal Meaning
10. Jeffrey Zeig, a licensed psychologist and marriage & family therapist, Founder and Director of Milton H. Erickson Foundation, architect of The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conferences, President of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen behavioral sciences publishers, an invited speaker at major universities and teaching hospitals.

Viktor Frankl Public Lecture Event:

Alexander Vesely, Dr Viktor Frankl's grandson. Licenced psychotherapist, and also a film and television producer, as director of photograhpy as well as production assistant. He will be talking about Frankl's life, particularly his final years.

Confirmed invited speakers include:
Adam Blatner, Victor Cicirelli, Chris Davis, Grafton Eliason, Kenneth Hart, Marnin Heisel, Mark Landau, Dmitri Leontiev, Israel Orbach, Michael F. Pare, Jordan Peterson, Nancy Reeves, Gary T. Reker, Adrian Tomer, Ryan Niemiec, Chi Chieh-Fang, Elizabeth Robinson, Daniel W. Brown, Karen Liberman, David Levine, Kerry W. Bowman, and H. T. Tseng

The forthcoming Meaning Conference will also offer many professional workshops, such as Logotherapy, Meaning-Centered Counselling and Narrative Therapy, Humanistic-Existential therapy, Play Therapy, Expressive Therapy, and Grief Counselling.

The Conference offers a unique opportunity to learn from and leading authorities about the latest developments in clinical skills, research findings, and spiritual insights on life’s big questions:

• How do we live vitally and meaningfully with the awareness of aging, illness and death?
• What is a good death? What is the role of meaning and faith in dying well?
• How is living well related to dying well?
• How do we prepare people psychological and spiritually for life-threatening events and personal mortality?
• How can we help people maintain a sense of hope, meaning and happiness in nursing homes and hospice-palliative care?
• What kind of character strengths and virtues are essential for resilience in trying situations?

INPM was founded by Dr. Paul T. P. Wong. It is home for meaning-oriented therapy and research. INPM is also the center for existential positive psychology and Christian existential psychology.
Full call for papers