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About Louisa Jewell

#truthbomb:
It’s not your circumstances or life events that cause happiness.

It’s your mindset.

If you’ve struggled with feelings of depression, motivation, confidence, or to feel truly happy in your life, this might sound overly simple – or even ridiculous. But it’s true. You have the power to re-wire your thinking – and re-create your reality. And I can teach you how to do it. I’m Louisa Jewell, founder of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association (CPPA), and a speaker and author who helps people understand the science of positive psychology – and how to use it to improve their lives.

I do this by translating the latest research into practical and simple strategies to reduce anxiety, build resilience, discover true happiness, and flourish in life and at work – and then I teach people to use them in an engaging, relatable (and sometimes really funny) way.

How I can help you ...

If positive psychology is a new concept for you, a great starting point is my book, Wire Your Brain for Confidence. You can also browse the free advice on my blog, and/or sign up to receive my Weekly Juice emails full of proven strategies and exercises right in your inbox.

I’m also working on creating online courses that will take a deeper dive into specific aspects – and applications – of positive psychology. If you’re on my list, you’ll be the first to know about them when they’re available.

How I can help your organization ...

I offer interactive workshops and keynote speeches where I dole out evidence-based advice using relatable anecdotes and real-life stories.

To date I’ve spoken in front of more than 50,000 people in a variety of settings and sectors including corporate, non-profit, government, and educational – and I’d be thrilled to share my message with your group too.

Click here for more information, or here to get in touch.

my story in script

I discovered positive psychology when I was a young mother, at home with a small child and a deep case of depression. One day during this dark period in my life, I caught an interview with a psychologist on a daytime talk show (The Marilyn Denis Show, for all my fellow Canadians).

His message intrigued me – so I made an appointment to see him, in hopes he could help me. During our sessions, he would reframe the negative things I’d say – and over time I started to see things differently – and to feel better because of it. The problem was, every time I took a break from my treatments, my depression would return.

I decided I had to learn what he knew – so I could apply the principles on my own. He gave me a copy of the book Learned Optimism by renowned psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, which I found fascinating. In it, Dr. Seligman mentions a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology – a program he created and leads through the University of Pennsylvania.

I felt strongly called to go. So I applied – and was accepted.

What I learned there changed both my life (my depression is now a thing of the past) and my career. I shifted my focus to sharing my knowledge about positive psychology and how it can be used to improve people’s lives and organizational performance.

Since then I’ve delivered live keynote speeches and small group workshops to tens of thousands of people. In 2012, I founded the Canadian Positive Psychology Association (CPPA) a registered non-profit organization dedicated to improving the psychological health of Canadians through the research and application of positive psychology.

In the fall of 2017, I published my first book, Wire Your Brain For Confidence, The Science of Conquering Self-Doubt.

When I’m not busy doing this work that I love, you’re most likely to find me spending time with my two daughters, doing hot yoga and CrossFit and spending time with the best girlfriends on the planet.

I hope you find the science of psychological well-being as fascinating – and life-changing – as I do. If you have any questions at any time, I’d love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Professional Biography

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Louisa Jewell is a speaker, author, and Canada's leading expert in positive psychology. She has taught thousands of people to flourish – both at work and in their personal lives – using positive psychology.

In 2012 Louisa founded the Canadian Positive Psychology Association, an organization that brings together leading-edge researchers and practitioners from across Canada to disseminate the knowledge of positive psychology and improve the psychological health of all Canadians.

Louisa is a graduate of the ground-breaking Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania which is the first master's program in the world that offers in-depth study of the science of psychological well-being, led by renowned psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman. Louisa is a professor of positive psychology at the University of Texas and was an instructor at the University of Toronto and regularly delivers webinars and workshops to positive psychology practitioners around the world. Louisa co-hosted a weekly radio show for three years on CIUT.FM where she interviewed a wide range of interesting guests on the topic of 'energizing organizations'.

Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Huffington Post, Canadian Living Magazine, Live Happy Magazine, Chatelaine, Psychology Today, Women's Agenda, Toronto Sun, CHCH TV, Zoomer Magazine, Shape Magazine, to name a few. She has been a contributing author to the European Handbook of Positive Psychology, Positive Psychology at Work and Positive Psychology News Daily.

Her latest book Wire Your Brain for Confidence, The Science of Conquering Self-Doubt hit the book shelves on September 21, 2017. You can order it now on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

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What Others Are Saying...

Tal Ben-Shahar

Tal Ben-Shahar

New York Times bestselling author of Happier

On our path towards a happier life, there may be no more important journey than the one from self-doubt to self-confidence. In Wire Your Brain for Confidence, Louisa Jewell provides an easy-to-use yet well-researched map that you can use for this important journey.

Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark

CPC Health Coach – Sesa Coaching

The flourishing 101 course was an eye opener. When you look for the positive around you, guess what you actually find more of the positive. It?s the power of intention. I discovered how I could use my top strengths to create more success in my personal life and career. Sometimes what we are naturally good at we take for granted. This course will change how you interact with others and bring more positivity your way!

Annalise Iten

Annalise Iten

Director Job Search Program

Let me just say WOW, WOW, WOW!!! You are a pleasure and a joy! Everybody loved your presentation, your warmth, kindness, approachability, and collaborative approach! Thank you so much for a phenomenal conference. The afternoon portion was also fantastic and more intimate which was really lovely, and it got all of us to breathe and connect more with one another. I cannot wait until our next opportunity to meet again, it was a very moving and concrete presentation, you are a natural and your delivery is so very genuine!

Karen Galley

Karen Galley

President, Patient News 

The Resilience for High Performance seminar delivered by Louisa Jewell to our sales and services teams at Patient News was interesting, entertaining and highly effective. Louisa clearly has full command of the subject. She delivered the content, true to the theme of her book, with total confidence, wit and rigor. Leading up to the session, Louisa took the time to really get to know our company, team and objectives and brilliantly structured the afternoon to meet our specific needs. From individual character strength identification to uncovering the 6 pillars of wellness, the content really engaged and I received many overwhelmingly positive comments from session participants. What really resonated were the “actual tools” Louisa introduced to help attendees incorporate the learnings into real practice. I even heard one of our senior sales executives on the phone with a prospective client saying “I work with an amazing organization that really cares about people. We recently had an expert in Positive Phycology here to coach us on how to been more effective, productive and happy. She was fantastic”. I highly recommend Louisa Jewell to any organization wanting to enhance the performance and interconnectedness of their teams. The Resilience for High Performance program is for you!

Diane Pincus

Diane Pincus

The Watercooler sessions that you offer have meant the world to me during this most challenging time in our lives. From the coronavirus to the Black Lives Matter movement, to political unrest, this is an unprecedented time in history. I am so thankful for your generosity and your teachings. You truly are a gift! Your sessions have kept me grounded and working towards being resilient, with a new awareness around the importance of well-being in everyday life and in the most trying of times. The tools you share and the way you explain them and then allow us to practice them, has been invaluable. What you’ve taught me, I’ve passed along to friends and family and in turn, helped them too. So your teachings are multiplied and touch more people than you know! A heartfelt thank you to you, Louisa!

Steffi Black

Steffi Black

Life/Career Coach & Kindness Advocate for Schools – Steffi Black Coaching

Thank you for a great course! It was a wonderful class – full of useful and thought-provoking information. And, I liked the balance of classroom learning (which I love) and some exercises to apply what we talk about. You are also able to handle all sorts of questions well. I was so curious – I hope I did not bombard you with too many questions as I was loving what we discussed and wanted to learn more! Kudos to you on your continued success with all the work you do. Warm Regards and continued success – it is well-deserved.

Helen Gin

Helen Gin

Middle School Principal

Comments from two participants (faculty and staff):

1) I felt that the PD with Louisa Jewell really had an effect on me in a very positive way. I could not stop talking and thinking about her discussions for a week or more after. It had such an impact on me that I spoke to my friends about that PD. I feel that our school needs these kinds of reminders in order to put ourselves on track and keep us conscious about our behaviors. I would love to continue to have her and listen to her and work. The best speaker and the most interesting topic I can remember.

2) I loved this PD session – more than any other previous PD. What made it unique was the universal applicability to all facets of life – family, work & personal. Ultimately, all of us working on personal growth and self-awareness will make us better role models, teachers, friends, parents, staff members and people. Louisa had great ideas and presented them very effectively. I would love to continue working with her as a school!

Jen Tigno

Jen Tigno

Manager, Advising & Learning Skills Services, Academic Advising & Career Centre

Louisa delivered a fantastic workshop on the topic of personal resilience and learning to embrace failure. Her session was refreshing, entertaining and very pertinent to our work with students.
The strategies she provided are ones we can apply right away. Our time with her simply flew by! I highly recommend Louisa as she is both an expert on and shining example of the power of positive psychology.

Christopher Cecchini

Christopher Cecchini

Vice President, Employee Experience and Chief Human Resources Officer
Southlake Regional Health Centre

Louisa was asked to present a full day workshop to our leadership group on Building Resiliency.   Louisa’s professionalism,  expertise,  engaging and interactive style, together with a unique sense of humor made the day not only very enjoyable and worthwhile, but very informative.  I had many leaders express gratitude and appreciation for the learnings  Louisa provided. In addition, prior to the workshop Louisa was very accommodating and flexible, working behind the scenes to help make the day productive.  If you are looking to educate staff or leaders on the topic of building resiliency, I  would definitely not hesitate in recommending  using  Louisa as your facilitator.  You will not be disappointed.

Glendale Reyes

Glendale Reyes

Bboy League

You can’t help but feel better about yourself after spending some time with Louisa. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious, mix that with her engaging teaching style and you have the ideal learning environment for anyone interested in positive psychology. I have been blessed to learn from Louisa in a classroom and conference setting and I can honestly say that she has changed my life.

Brian Benn, M. Ed.

Brian Benn, M. Ed.

Associate Director, Organizational Development

Plain and simply speaking, you were a hit! Your morning keynote address set a meaningful, happy, and upbeat tone for the rest of the conference. Our staff responded to your presentation style and message because it is what we needed to hear and feel at this time. We are a great College, with great staff, and May is the end of a full and active year of classes and programs, successes and challenges. Thank you for helping to make our conference a great success.

Phoebe Atkinson

Phoebe Atkinson

Trainer Educator Practitioner

I love your video blogs and your recent talk to entrepreneurs you have a way of distilling the science into real actionable interventions. Also the talk you did re contingent self esteem was a Wow and my clients have really benefitted from learning about it.  You take the ivory tower to main street.  I also really admire your authenticity and use of self.  You are an exemplar.

Erica Sprules

Erica Sprules

Manager – The Sterling Hall School

Thank you very much for taking the time to present to us here at Sterling Hall on Tuesday. I have had numerous teachers, parents, and administrators say what an incredible session it was. All of our brains are brimming with programming and activities we can implement both at home and at school to help our students and children realize their character strengths and use them to help build their resiliency. So, thank you again.

Barbara Santen

Barbara Santen

Registered Midwife & Relationship Coach

Louisa was my instructor for The Flourishing Center’s CAPP (Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology) course held in Toronto Canada. She was excellent in her delivery and included many different approaches to teaching and learning which helped me retain the information better than any other course I have taken. Her enthusiasm and commitment to her work is an inspiration and she is brilliant at what she does. Thank you Louisa for opening up the world to brand new possibilities for me. You are a gem in the world of positive psychology and beyond!!!!

Tom Rath

Tom Rath

#1 New York Times bestselling author of How Full is Your Bucket?, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Eat Move Sleep & Are You Fully Charged?

Louisa Jewell has written a brilliant book that is steeped in research, filled with novel ideas, and memorable stories. I learned things from this book that I will use for years to come.

Roz Baker

Roz Baker

Project Director, Signature Events

Louisa has the unique ability to engage a diverse audience with her expertise, humour and engaging style. As our key note speaker she enlightened the audience on the science of happiness and how happiness effects our well-being. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive; guests were inspired and delighted to listen to such a knowledgeable professional about a topic that everyone craves to know more about. I would recommend Louisa as a key note speaker, she is truly one of a kind!

Marci Shimoff

Marci Shimoff

#1 NY Times bestselling author, Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul

Wire Your Brain for Confidence offers a practical step-by-step guide to achieving goals for anyone who has struggled with self-doubt. Louisa Jewell demystifies the science behind action-oriented confidence and makes it accessible to all. This book will empower you to go for your dreams and live your happiest life.

Shirin Khamisa

Shirin Khamisa

Career counsellor & Certified ICF Coach – Careers by Design

It would have taken me months of independent study to learn what I have learnt in just six short weeks. The classes were lively, engaging and down to earth. The practical examples and stories made the research come alive.

I especially loved the home happiness boosters turned my A-ha Moments into easy action steps with big impact. Flourishing 101 made a positive impact on my life and has given me powerful resources that I will continue to use daily.

Louisa is as generous as she is knowledgeable. If you want to be happier, don’t miss this chance to learn the secrets of flourishing from a leader in the field of Positive Psychology!

Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor

NYTimes bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage

Timely and well-written, Jewell helps translate complex research into a book that is understandable, practical, and vital for not just surviving the modern world, but remaking it. Amidst all the competition, demands upon our time, and societal pressure, Jewell provides a clear path forward, not only for you but for girls and women everywhere striving to define success and worth for themselves.

Carolyn Meacher

Carolyn Meacher

Innovation Leadership Coach

Thank you again for another great webinar. You and Shannon are both so engaging. It is rare in a webinar to actually feel that we are all in the room together. Somehow you both pull it off with your deep knowledge, warmth and energy. Your sessions offer a lot of value. The content is clear and compelling, and the exercises are highly relevant and immediately useful. I’m really enjoying taking the time to immerse myself in this more fully. I have taken webinar courses from other organizations and they could learn a thing or two from you and Shannon about effective webinars! You are doing important work. Nicely done.

Adam Grant

Adam Grant

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg

After spending years studying the roots of confidence, Louisa Jewell offers a toolkit for building and rebuilding it.

Brenda Bojorquez

Brenda Bojorquez

Senior Manager – Scotiabank

The workshop is very dynamic and time flies. It definitely gave me more consciousness of what I think, I feel, do and how I can do a much better job. The content is powerful and so are the exercises and resources provided. I do think that this is the first step to a happier, fulfilling life. I would love to take more workshops about this subject. Thank you Louisa so much for this opportunity. I had the best 6 weeks.

Valerie Ward

Valerie Ward

Co-Developer and Owner – Employment Readiness Scale

Thank you again so much for the excellent session! It is so valuable and pertinent and, as I mentioned at the beginning, theoretically grounded and also practical – a rare and wonderful combination.

Kristy S. Simpson

Kristy S. Simpson

I loved Louisa Jewell’s Flourishing 101 workshop series. I learned so much about happiness, positivity and how to increase both. I have so many new tools to use and am able to refer to them whenever I need to. It’s been extremely useful and I recommend it to anyone!

Collette Johns

Collette Johns

I had long struggled with my lack of motivation and my fear of the world. I didn’t have enough confidence in myself to start conversations with strangers or to try new things. I was unhappy with the small and empty way I was living my life and I wanted to make a change, but I didn’t know how or if I could. I found the answers I was looking for in this course. It opened my eyes to the traps I was falling into and it gave me the knowledge and more importantly, the strategies I needed to overcome them. Once I started to apply some of those strategies and to do the exercises, I started to have a more positive outlook. With that new attitude, I embraced the findings and philosophies the workshop presented and gained the courage I needed to grow into a more productive and resilient person. Now I feel more in control of my life and hopeful for my future. Friends and family have told me I’m lighter and more confident. I have mended bad relationships and accomplished long-term goals. I feel like I’ve finally left my state of arrested development behind and entered adulthood. I owe that to Louisa and Flourishing 101.