April 7, 2022 from 7:00-8:30 pm
Maria Sirois
Author of: A Short Course in Happiness After Loss (and Other Dark, Difficult Times)
Please join me in welcoming Maria Sirois, Psy.D. on
Beauty and the Best of Resilience
“Beauty awakens the soul to act.” Dante Alighieri
It is difficult to love our lives and build a stronger template of wellness in the presence of ongoing uncertainty, threat, and loss. Yet, this is exactly what resilient folk do: leverage moments of difficulty to expand healthier practices that, over time, elevate happiness. This conversation focuses our attention on the benefit of approaching our lives through the lens of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, a potent character strength that enhances a perspective of gratitude and solidifies attention to skill, excellence and moral goodness. As we increase gratitude we build positivity, connection, and reduce traumatic effects. As we attend to skill and excellence, in ourselves and others, we activate a growth mindset. As we take notice of evidence of virtue in action, we are elevated, inspired to become better human beings and transcend the strain of the moment. The combination of these factors enable us to create a life that we love more, while strengthening our capacity to endure well.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Maria Sirois is an inspirational speaker, consultant, and licensed clinical psychologist who has worked in the fields of wellness and positive psychology for twenty years. As a lecturer and motivational speaker, Maria has been invited to keynote at conferences for wellness organizations, businesses, hospitals, hospices, religious and philanthropic institutions internationally. A master storyteller, her lectures and workshops combine powerful and moving anecdotes with rigorous research to enable teams, families and individuals to build a work life and a home life of capacity, grit, meaning and happiness. Addressing topics as diverse as “The Art and Science of Resilience,” “Flourishing No Matter What,” and “A Course in Happiness,” she has been called both a “true teacher,” and “an orator of great power and beauty.”
Recently, she has created a webinar series for presenters, keynoters, teachers and workshop leaders who seek to enable audiences to successfully sustain positive transformation. Teaching for Transformation combines the wisdom of positive psychology with the art of mastery teaching and attendees from around the world have begun to implement her understandings of how to craft a program so that audiences are informed, deeply inspired, and motivated to integrate habit change.
Her clinical work brings the bounty of positive psychology and mind/body medicine to families and children facing terminal illness, and to the staff who care for them. Trained at the New England Deaconness Mind/Body Clinic (Boston, Mass.) and at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, Mass.) she currently works as a consultant to families, psychology staffs and hospital and hospice organizations. She received her doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in 1993.
An author as well, Maria has published two works: A Short Course in Happiness After Loss (and Other Dark, Difficult Times) brings together the science of positive psychology and the art of resilience to offer a curriculum of sorts for those who are seeking strength, uplift and meaning while wrestling with the harshness of life. Each reflection offers wisdom and practical guidance for those who are suffering from pain, loss, shock, managing chronic stress, or experiencing the disappointments and loneliness of life.
Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith and Resilience From Children Facing Illness is the tale of Maria’s psychology internship at Dana-Farber. Every Day Counts brings to us the wisdom of the children she treated, wisdom that reminds us in essence that there is no time but now to live life with an open heart. Fearless when facing the suffering of our children, and determined to bring forth the gifts they offer, it is a book, as Paul Newman has written, “{of} great courage, something to lean on in tough times.” Compassion abounds in this book, for the children, for those that love them, and for the caregivers of our world.
Armed with her B.S. Degree in Biology from The College of William and Mary, Catherine enjoys debunking fitness and nutrition myths to help her clients achieve lasting results and uncover the many benefits of an active lifestyle. Catherine has been quoted for her expertise in WebMD magazine, on SparkPeople.com, LiveStrong.com, EmpowHER, Fitbie, and WorldLifestyle, and writes as a blogger for the Huffington Post. Catherine has zero tolerance for diets, supplements, and detoxes (and not just because she’s a huge fan of gluten-full bread!), but lots of love for those new to fitness. An avid runner, she has competed in races from the 1500m to the full marathon, and loves helping others start a running routine. While no longer a classroom teacher, Catherine enjoys using her Master’s in Education from The University of Connecticut to promote literacy as a volunteer tutor in local schools.
“Happiness in Dark Times”, Happiness and Its Causes, 2017
“A Meaningful Life”, ABC Australia, featuring Michael Steger and myself
TEDx talk: “Living An Authentic Life!”
Maris Sirois Links and Contact Information
http://mariasirois.com/site
Author page: http://mariasirois.com/books
mariasirois1 -at- gmail -dot- com
Speaking Agent Phone: 215-693-1925
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We are meeting in person!
Please note the change in venue to:
Tumble Brook Country Club
367 Simsbury Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Masks must be worn indoors following protocol at Tumble Brook.
Or join us on Zoom:
Click for Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 832 7439 0958
Password: Happy
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All are welcome!
Best in happiness and love,
Audrey
Hartford Happiness Club
audreyabc77@gmail.com
860.841.5894
R.S.V.P. Appreciated but optional.
7:00 – 8:30 pm