Finding the Personal Qualities and Social Supports We Need to Thrive (Even during a pandemic)
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021
Presenter: Michael Ungar, Ph.D.
Host: Malka Hershon
Throughout this fast-paced, story-filled presentation, Dr. Ungar will show that resilience is much more than just personal ruggedness in the face of adversity. It is instead a reflection of how well individuals, families, educators and employers work together to create opportunities for us to find our way to the resources we need for well-being while making those resources available in ways that we experience as meaningful. Based on Dr. Ungar’s research around the world and his clinical practice, this presentation uses examples from his new book Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success to explore how those who help others can avoid burnout and maintain their own career and life resilience when stressors pile up at home and on the job. Twelve factors that make us more resilient as adults will be discussed, along with practical tools participants can use to find the resources they need to cope successfully in culturally and contextually relevant ways, even during a pandemic. Dr. Ungar will also show how these same factors can help the people we work with achieve their life goals, and the value of continuing education as a resource for resilience. Finally, Dr. Ungar will talk about vicarious resilience, the positive impact we experience as helpers when we nurture resilience in others.
Specifically, this presentation will:
- Show that resilience involves being both rugged and resourced.
- Discuss 12 factors associated with resilience.
- Identify strategies individuals can use to make themselves more resilient, even during times of extreme stress.
Biography:Michael Ungar, Ph.D., is a Family Therapist and Professor of Social Work at Dalhousie University where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience. Since 2002, Dr. Ungar has directed the Resilience Research Centre, designing multisite longitudinal research and evaluation projects in collaboration with organizations such as The World Bank, The Red Cross, and national public health agencies. With over $10M in funded research, Dr. Ungar’s clinical work and research spans more than a dozen low, middle, and high-income countries, with much of that work focused on the resilience of marginalized children and families, and adult populations experiencing mental health challenges. Dr. Ungar has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on the subject of resilience and is the author of 16 books for mental health professionals, researchers and parents. These include Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success, a book for adults experiencing stress at work and at home, Working with Children and Youth With Complex Needs, a book for professionals, and Multisystemic Resilience: Adaptation and Transformation in Contexts of Change, an edited volume with over 40 contributing chapters from diverse disciplines. His blog, Nurturing Resilience, can be read on Psychology Today’s website.
