Positive Psychology Tools
Meditation
Various Personal Practices
Discover your path to greater happiness and less stress
Symptom Checklist
Have you experienced any of the following?
-
Lingering feelings of happiness or good humor for no apparent reason
-
Chronic open-mindedness and curiosity
-
Tendency to adapt well to new situations or unexpected events
-
Rapid recovery from stressful situations
-
Significantly decreased feelings of rage or anger
-
Increased sense of compassion
-
Repeated episodes of gratitude or generosity
-
Reduced sensations of overwhelm or stress
-
Spontaneous episodes of guilt-free self-care
-
Unexpected ease and connection in social interactions
-
Expanded intimacy, honesty, and trust in close relationships
-
Uncontrolled urge to feel calm and content
Would you like to?
You Can!
Over the past 20 years, research in cognitive neuroscience, medicine, and psychology has proven beyond doubt that it’s possible for us to intentionally change our minds — to calm the brain in ways that reduce stress and anxiety, and build a much greater sense of well-being and happiness.
Numerous practices and approaches achieve this.
They work in different ways and can support different goals:
-
Some practices build resilience or other personal strengths
-
Some build loving connections, kindness and compassion
-
Some calm mental chatter
-
Some reduce feelings of stress and anxiety
Different practices influence the brain and body in different ways.
And, no surprise, people are drawn to different practices or find that some work better for them than others.
The Challenge
It’s hard to guess which of the many different approaches you might want to learn about and try, and it's challenging to figure out where you can get the teaching and guidance you would like from a qualified professional.
My Role as Your Well-Being Mentor
With my support as your well-being mentor, you can sample, explore and discover which approaches actually work for you!
Together we’ll identify areas you would especially like to cultivate, such as:
-
Learning to meditate
-
Reducing stress
-
Strengthening relationships
-
Building positive traits
-
Something else that is important to you
Approaches include
Positive Psychology tools
Various meditation styles
Guided and interactive meditation
Mindfulness practices
Positive neuroplasticity techniques
Lifestyle balancing
Building resilience
Journaling
Gratefulness
Strengthening relationships
Building secure attachments
Awakening joy
And more....
About
I’m Dr. Anne Dunlea.
I’m a cognitive and developmental scientist, and branched into positive psychology when the new field emerged in the 21st century. For nearly four decades I’ve worked as a professor and researcher at universities and research centers in the United States and Europe. Throughout this time, I’ve also practiced and taught meditation and other forms of inner cultivation and have empowered thousands of clients and students to develop skills that enhance life satisfaction and reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm.
Today, my greatest pleasure is working as a mentor, guiding people to flourish by discovering their own most effective path toward greater happiness with much less stress and anxiety.
Inner work
I tried to teach myself how to meditate as a young teen. I lit a candle, sat before it with a hazy gaze and waited for magic to happen. It didn’t. My own path to greater well-being and inner peace began in 1976 when I studied meditation with my first teacher, Swami Satchidananda Saraswati. Since then, I have been fortunate to learn from many other skillful practioners of various traditions, including those who teach the Buddhist dharma and the rich gratefulness practices of Brother David Steindl-Rast. I have earned advanced training and certifications with several renowned teachers including Rick Hanson, James Baraz, and Jack Kornfield.
Science
My academic career began with an MA in psychology from the University of London, followed by a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Southern California. I spent 20 years on the faculty at USC with appointments in Health Sciences, Linguistics and Social Sciences. I was also a scientific staff member at the Max-Plank-Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen Holland and a visiting scholar at the Max-Plank-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig Germany. Most recently, I taught in the psychology department at UC Davis and served as a visiting professor at the University of the Pacific. My research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, The March of Dimes and the American Honda Foundation.
As you may imagine, I have taught many, many courses at undergraduate and graduate levels spanning subjects such as Human Cognition, Cognitive Development, Brain and Behavior, Social Development, Emotions and Personality, Language Acquisition, Atypical Language, Psycholinguistics, Biosocial Foundations of Human Occupation, Positive Psychology and many more.
Mentoring Others
I have always been deeply committed to making our ever expanding range of scientific information easily accessible and applicable for the broader community and have done this in part by offering workshops, initially related to child development, but over the last 10 years on topics that support inner growth, including mindfulness, neuroplasticity, positive psychology, growing compassion, building resilience, awakening joy and others.
Today, I draw on decades of work as both a scientist and a longtime teacher of meditation and inner practices, to bring a rare blend of scientific insight and contemplative wisdom to my clients and students. My approach as a mentor is multi-disciplinary and deeply personal. I offer thoughtful guidance and education that is customized for each individual client, or each group, in a warm supportive environment. I help individuals navigate the many proven practices that reduce stress and increase life satisfaction, guiding them as they sample, explore and discover what truly works for them. I suggest tools, techniques and practices that are targeted to their particular interests and are grounded, practical and informed by the latest research in cognitive neuroscience and well-being, as well as in long established contemplative traditions.
For my clients, our work together is a doorway to their many inner strengths and gifts.
Ready to learn more?
Articles
