Spotlighting Toronto Metropolitan University’s Thriving in Action Program
The Best Practices Network is hosting two webinars spotlighting Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Thriving in Action (TiA) program.
TiA was developed by Dr. Diana Brecher (Clinical Psychologist) and Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer (PhD) and has been peer-reviewed and rated as a “Best” practice for the Best Practices Library. TiA guides learners through key habits, mindsets, and tools for personal and academic resilience, drawing from Positive Psychology practices, CBT insights, and wholistic learning strategies. TiA is an upstream, early alert program for equity-deserving students who struggle academically and personally.
Session 1: Cultivating Campus Flourishing: The Thriving in Action Story
In this webinar, Dr. Brecher and Dr. Shaffer will share the evolution of TiA, showcasing how thoughtful conversations between colleagues blossomed into a framework supporting diverse learners across Canada. Attendees will discover TiA’s approach that combines the Five Factor Model of Resilience with the Five Features of Wide Awake Learning, and creates spaces where all identities and learning paths are honoured. Dr. Brecher and Dr. Shaffer will illustrate how TiA fosters both academic success and personal flourishing through research findings and student voices—delving into how these elements might enrich attendees’ own educational context.
Presenters
Dr. Diana Brecher – Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Faculty, Toronto Metropolitan University
Diana Brecher (she/her) a clinical psychologist, began her work at the TMU Counselling Centre in 1991. She served as the clinical director from 1994 to 2011 and is also an adjunct faculty member in the TMU Psychology Department and the MBA program. In 2016, she launched the ThriveTMU initiative, incorporating best practices from the emerging field of Positive Psychology. Her Thriving in Action program, co-founded with Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, aims to enhance postsecondary student mental health by integrating positive psychology interventions and holistic learning strategies. This work has recently received Best Practices designation and Health Equity Icon from the Best Practices Network.
Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer – Founder & CEO of Awakened Learning; Adjunct Faculty, Toronto Metropolitan University
Deena Kara Shaffer (she/her) is the Founder of Awakened Learning, providing holistic learning strategies to students, parents, and educators. A TEDx speaker, 2x best-selling author of “Feel Good Learning” and “Raising Well Learners,” award-winning edu-entrepreneur, and Adjunct Faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University, teaching their popular “learning+happiness” course, Deena is driven to create less suffering in learning and teaching. She was a two-term President of the Learning Specialists Association of Canada, a former learning strategist for students with disabilities and a skilled certified high school teacher. In celebrated collaboration with Dr. Brecher, Deena is the co-founder of the now international Thriving in Action academic resilience intervention and co-author of Thriving in Action Online. Deena holds a doctorate in transformative learning strategies, is a trained yoga and mindfulness meditation teacher, a published poet, and a keynote speaker on well-learning. Deena’s most recent project is launching Lived Wisdom, a low-cost, high-impact micro-speaking agency by and for game-changing educators. Deena’s ideal day is spent outdoors getting muddy with her family.