Want to know what happened at past events?
You can find summary posts, links to recordings and more on Silvia's LinkedIn page
IPCD 2022 - 9th International Psychology Conference Dubai
15-16 October 2022
For the first time since the pandemic, the IPCD was in person again. IPCD 2022's theme is: Understanding resilience in its wider context.
I'm delighted to present with my colleague, Roberta Pagliarulo, a short workshop about "How intercultural skills can increase resilience" in our VUCA world.
Join us at Heriot-Watt University's Dubai campus
Webinar: Why are they doing that?
28 September 2022
Working in multicultural teams and with clients from around the globe has been a reality for many – but for some this has become a new challenge in the wake of the pandemic and remote working. Even if you are an experienced coach, mentor or leader, you may still find yourself asking questions in your cross-cultural encounters like:
- Why aren’t they getting what I am saying?
- What is it I/they are not seeing here?
- Why do outcomes continue to fall short of expectations?
If your frustration is building and you are looking for a possible explanation for what you are experiencing, then this webinar might be for you.
In this free 45-minute webinar we will explain
- How our own cultural lens impacts on how we give and receive information
- How our brain tries to help process information and gets it wrong in cross-cultural contexts
- Why we need more cultural sensitivity & cultural intelligence to engage for better outcomes
Webinar: The cross-cultural way of being for coaches
14 September 2022
Cross-cultural interactions can be fraught with challenges: "Should I shake hands?", "Is it ok to say that?" or "Shall I just get to the point and avoid misunderstandings?"
Ethics and culture are deeply linked because they affect what drives human behaviour and how we answer questions like the above. Ethics frameworks aim to support professionals through rules that are meant to apply cross-culturally. Yet to do that, they need to be broad - and that leaves contextual interpretation to the professional.
- So, how should we apply ethics in our everyday life as multicultural coaches, mentors, and leaders?
- Is it enough to follow the rules to consider ourselves ethical cross-cultural practitioners?
In our opinion, we need to develop a cross-cultural Way of Being - and ethics can form the skeleton of this being. In this free 45-minute webinar we will explore
-
- How a mindset of avoiding punishment may work against us in cross-cultural settings
- How our brain processes the interpretation of reality and produces bias
- How cross-cultural skills can help us practice more ethically
Leveraging Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with Character Strength & Positive Psychology
I am grateful to the American University in the Emirates (AUE) for their invitation to speak to staff, students and the public in this free workshop on how we can experience diversity as a strength, and use positive psychology tools for more equity and inclusion in education and workplaces across the UAE.
Middle East Psychological Association (MEPA) Annual Conference,
18-19 March 2022
I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s MEPA conference twice!
In my practical workshop "Leveraging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Character Strengths & Positive Psychology", I will explore how positive psychology interventions and working with character strengths can foster a climate for DEI and help us develop our own skills to become more inclusive.
Later in the day, I will participate in a panel discussion moderated by the fabulous Dr Louise Lambert on the role of the media and how we can make positive psychology useful beyond the individual. I look forward to bring together two of my passions here: communication & media and positive psychology. Join us to find out more about constructive media and how they may impact wellbeing beyond the individual.
“A different kind of happy – positive psychology and coaching psychology in the Middle East”
with Silvia King & Dr Louise Lambert
Webinar hosted by SIETAR Europa in April 2021
In this free webinar, Dr Louise Lambert and I share experiences and insights around positive psychology and positive psychology coaching in the Middle East. Based on scientific research, we explore how something as seemingly universal as "happiness" can mean something quite different in non-Western contexts.
We also look at the implications this may have for positive psychology coaches and coaches in general aiming to work in the Middle East or with clients from a Middle Eastern culture.
You can find the recording of this webinar here!
NEW COURSE: Develop your cultural sensitivity for successful cross-cultural coaching, mentoring & leadership
Start dates: 7 November 2020 or 6 February 2021
Anyone can engage globally, but can you engage successfully?
This course is for coaches, mentors and really anyone working with colleagues or clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Challenge your thinking about culture in this ICF-certified CCE course & develop the skills to work successfully with culture in global teams & with global clients.
This online course is live & interactive, instructor-led in 6 modules of 2 hours each. ICF-accredited coaches will gain 12 CCE units on successful completion (attendance and course-work completion required).
Spaces are limited, so secure your spot now! Find out more and register here!
IPCD 2020 - 7th International Psychology Conference Dubai,
3 October 2020
I will be moderating a panel discussion on the question: Do we need indigenous Coaching Psychology for the Middle East? Coaching is a Western practice, is supported by mainly Western research and taught to Western standards. But not everyone is a Westerner! The question about consideration for cultural differences in how coaches and positive psychology practitioners work has never been more important than it is now!
An exciting panel of experts with Prof Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Dr Alia Al Serkal, Lina El Assaad and Maya Mattar explores what works in the Middle East region for coaches and those being coached. What can we learn from the experiences in the Middle East that might be relevant for other parts of the world?
IPCD 2020's theme is: Social Identity: Co-existence in a Changing World.
It's an all-day free online conference: register here!
Klopf-Kongress 2020, 25 January
2 February
I’m back at this year’s German-language Tapping Conference with an interview about fear and anxiety when speaking in a "public" setting. For free registration for the conference, click here.
Klingt das vertraut? Wenn's drauf ankommt, versagt die Stimme und die Gedanken werden wirr. Dabei kommt es oft nicht mal drauf an, ob man vor einer Gruppe oder nur im kleinen Kreis spricht!
In diesem Interview, das für den Kongress 2018 aufgenommen wurde, diskutieren wir Tipps und Übungen für solche Situationen. Hier geht's zur kostenlosen Registrierung
Positive Psychology & Happiness Conference,
13-14 November 2019
I will be presenting two workshops and talks at this conference in Dubai, make sure you don't miss it! In the first one I will talk about one of my favourite topics: humour, laughter and playfulness - and ways to harness them for improves wellbeing. In the second I will consider what has been labelled Positive Psychology 2.0 or 2nd wave. Critics argue that Positive Psychology creates a tyranny of happiness, where people feel they must be happy. But let’s face it: Nobody can be happy all the time. Positive Psychology 2.0 urges us to create space for the challenges in life. Longer-term these “negatives” may offer valuable contributions to wellbeing and happiness too.
1st Lebanese Positive Psychology Conference,
17 March 2019
I’m delighted to be speaking at the first Positive Psychology conference in Lebanon about the effect of laughter on our wellbeing. Laughter is intrinsically linked to happiness, both as expression as well as source of positive emotions. Various physiological and psychological benefits of laughter have been reported, including for the cardiovascular and respiratory system, stress reduction, mental function, reduced depressive symptoms, increased mood and self-esteem. Voluntary laughter can be introduced through Laughter Yoga. It offers a way to release negative emotions and tension while increasing positive emotions as initial studies have shown (e.g. Weinberg, Hammond, & Cummins, 2014). This session comes with a “health warning”: Laughter is contagious!
Middle East Psychological Association (MEPA) Annual Conference,
14-16 March 2019
I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s MEPA conference about Positive Psychology and positive emotions. According to the Broaden and Build Theory, positive emotions broaden attention and cognition, and – in an upward spiral – improve emotional wellbeing and resilience longer-term. Strength-based Positive Psychology coaching, for example, works with humour and laughter as one of 24 character strengths to support individuals to reach their goals. In my workshop, we will be looking at ways to harness positive emotions.
The German-language Tapping Conference
21-29 July: Klopf-Kongress 2018!
I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s Klopf-Kongress about fear and anxiety when speaking in a public setting – whether it is at work or at your children’s school or even a conference. To register for the conference, click here.
Ich freue mich ganz besonders, dieses Jahr eine der Referentinnen am Klopf-Kongress 2018 zu sein. Mehr zum Thema und wie Du Dich anmelden kannst, erfährst Du hier.
