- This event has passed.
Wellness Webinar #7: Info Session on Online CBT with “Tranquility”
May 26, 2020 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
During COVID-19, Startup Zone is hosting a series of “Wellness Webinars” to facilitate important conversations about the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental and physical health of entrepreneurs, and to seek advice from local experts on how we can prioritize our well-being during these times. Our seventh Wellness Webinar will be an introduction to the “Tranquility” program using CBT online to cope with anxiety with the co-founders of Tranquility. After this week’s Wellness Webinar, Tranquility co-founders and Startup Zone staff will be working together to bring this service to Startup Zone companies free of charge!
Learn more about Tranquility:
- Who is Tranquility for?
Tranquility caters to adults (18+) suffering from mild/moderate anxiety and/or depression.
- How does Tranquility work?
Tranquility’s program was co-developed by clinical psychologists and people with
lived-experience. The program has three major components:
1) Nine psychoeducational modules
2) Four interactive tools
3) A coaching protocol
After completing the introductory modules, the program introduces concepts and
proprietary tools to help clients learn how to manage their anxiety and depression
through the identification of unhelpful perceptions and avoidance behaviours.
- Coaching or Self-Directed
Tranquility’s clients also have the option of having their very own online coach, who is
trained, primarily in motivational interviewing and content specific to Tranquility, by our
team of experts. Coaching is available through in-app messaging and/or weekly
30-minute video or phone sessions.
- Tranquility’s Unique Approach
Every functional and design decision we make is influenced by how it will affect client
adherence. Research has proven that iCBT works, however, that’s only true when clients
complete the program. Tranquility’s proprietary system is designed so that the client is always being nudged to
move to the next step, therefore increasing the likelihood that they’ll achieve their goals.
Meet the Speakers:
This Wellness Webinar will be led by Joel Muise and Alisa Pencher, co-founders of Nova Scotia startup, Tranquility.
Alisa Pencher
Dr. Alissa Pencer did her B.Sc. Honours in Psychology at St. Francis Xavier University and went on to do her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Pencer is a Senior Instructor within the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience and Psychiatry at Dalhousie University and a Registered Psychologist in the province of Nova Scotia. Dr. Pencer is also an Affiliated Scientist with the IWK Health Centre and the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA). Dr. Pencer is a co-founder and senior scientific director for an internet-based CBT company out of Nova Scotia (Tranquility Online). She previously worked within outpatient mental health services at the IWK Health Centre for over 10 years providing CBT for anxiety and mood disorders and served as the Team Leader for the anxiety clinic for several years. Dr. Pencer has been involved in several program development and evaluation initiatives including helping start-up and demonstrate the effectiveness of CBT for anxiety groups with children and adolescents and university students. She continues to provide clinical supervision to Ph.D. clinical psychology students and psychiatry residents for assessment and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression. Her clinical and research interests are in the areas of prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, severe mental illness, and substance use in youth and young adults.
Joel Muise
Joel is trained as a chartered financial analyst and after graduating with a degree in finance from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, N.S., worked for 6 years as a stock analyst for a local investment company, but was always really interested in the startup community.
Joel‘s first diagnosis with Generalized Anxiety & Depression happened in his last year of high school and he has been a mental health advocate ever since. After suffering from burnout in his finance career, Joel decided to create Tranquility Online to help others find evidence-based help that is: Affordable, Timely, Stigma-free, Personal and Accessible anytime, anywhere.