Wellness advocates using science to guide those on mental health journey
Canadians unfortunately have a lot on their mind. From rising grocery costs to worries about job security, it’s no surprise that we are more stressed than ever.
In fact, one in five Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime, according to Statistics Canada. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
WellIntel Talks, a speaker collective founded by two BC-based wellness advocates, are ready to guide those on their mental health journey using an important tool: science.
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Co-founders Nicole Legg and Cynthia (Cindy) McDowell are recipients of Master of Science degrees in Psychology (clinical psychology and experimental psychology, respectively) from the University of Victoria in BC. The duo was inspired to launch WellIntel Talks after discussing how one-sided it felt to be doing research for the public, but that the public rarely got to directly hear about the research.
Nicole Legg/Submitted
“In the world of science, there is all of this amazing research happening that is producing really impactful knowledge,” Legg told Daily Hive in an interview. “However, the main ways in which the results are shared are through scientific journals and research talks at academic conferences. This is unfortunate because you need to pay to access most scientific articles and conferences, and these articles and talks are so complex and full of jargon.
“We wanted to address this disconnect and find ways to increase accessibility to high-quality scientific information. Cindy and I have been giving talks on various psychology topics for years, so it was a logical next step for us to start providing educational talks on a larger scale.”
WellIntel Talks/Instagram
Legg and McDowell created WellIntel Talks as a platform for other mental health and wellness experts to do the same. The company offers evidence-based and engaging talks on a variety of mental health and wellness topics to businesses, organizations, and community groups.
“At its core, WellIntel Talks is an education company striving to promote wellness intelligence throughout the community,” said McDowell. “Any person, company or organization can visit our website, browse our available talks and request to hire any of our speakers to deliver their wellness talk.
“We work with our clients to ensure the talk is a perfect fit for their group through customizations, and we take care of scheduling and logistics to ensure it is a seamless process.”
Cindy McDowell/Submitted
Virtual and in-person talks currently offered by WellIntell:
- What is mental health and how to promote it
- How to improve emotional intelligence and why it’s important in the workplace
- How to boost motivation and productivity
- How to be an ally and promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace
- How to create an atmosphere that promotes positive body image
- How to protect your brain health as you age
“Our mission is to ensure that the community has access to evidence-based, high-quality wellness information and to equip people with the wellness intelligence that they need to thrive,” added Legg. “One thing that differentiates us from other speaker platforms is that all of our speakers have acquired graduate-level training in their field and they are experts in what they are speaking about.
“The groups that hire us, and our talk attendees, can have peace of mind knowing that the information they are receiving is based in science, not on personal opinion or anecdotes.”
WellIntel Talks/Submitted
Legg and McDowell are currently completing their PhDs in their respective psychology fields at the University of Victoria. They have also presented their research at over 20 academic conferences, published multiple research papers in scientific journals, and written textbook chapters for highly-regarded publication outlets.
The co-founders are looking to grow WellIntell Talks by networking with and hiring other wellness experts to expand their talk offerings. They are also excited to help attendees of their presentations to feel motivated and inspired to take a proactive approach to their own wellness.
“Our biggest goal is for attendees to walk out of our talks equipped with the knowledge they need to start promoting and bolstering their wellness in some way,” shared McDowell. “Whether that means knowing the importance of weekly exercise for optimal healthy brain aging or learning the first steps to help regulate emotions in the moment, we want all of our talk attendees to gain specific, actionable tools that they can use to promote their health.”
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