​​Hi, I am Peggy McLauchlan, MSW RSW.

I am a counsellor in Ontario, Canada.
I deliver ACT (Acceptance and Commitment) therapy with liberal doses of  positive psychology.

Learning my own Signature Strengths changed My Life

​I live with cerebral palsy and chronic pain.

I was at a pretty low ebb when I took the VIA Institute survey that identifies Signature Strengths of Character. It was transformative for me.

Literally changed my life…  Night to day…

I think Character Strengths can do the same for you.

The VIA survey told me that my top 5 strengths include Bravery, Curiosity and Love of Learning… so I went back to school.

I earned a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Windsor, Ontario, with positive psychology as my focus.

Please excuse the braggy stuff, but I want you to be confident I really do know what I am talking about...

I achieved at a very high level:

• ​Dean’s Honour Roll every year;
  
• UWindsor, Board of Governors Medal /Social Work, 2008
• Hilary Weston Grad Scholarship, 2009. (of 2 awards province wide)
• Canada Graduate Scholarship 2009 (of 2.5 k nationwide)

My specialty was the new field of positive psychology, which looks at habits of thought and action that build rich, meaningful lives.
Working with five habits of positive psych, lifts me every day.

In my life and work I pursue, Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. (for more on PERMA, see Seligman's Flourish.)

I opened a private counselling practice to bring positive psychology to my local area. I added ACT therapy to my practice in 2017. 

I created Peggy "On Purpose" in 2019, to to reach more people. I'm glad you are here.

Is Positive Psych an Antidote to Digital Screen Addiction?

I think chasing signature strength and PERMA, will balance compulsive internet use.

When a person lives by their top strengths they feel authentic.. They have more positive emotion, more engagement, and better relationships.

Dr. David Greenfield says a person hooked on a screen, gets lost in an altered mental state with no time, boundaries or restraint. Relationships can suffer.

Negative emotion (anxiety, loneliness, depression) blooms.

Does this ring a bell?

Your device delivers a dopamine hit… so you go back for more again and again. Automatically..., Compulsively.

Open your email… dopamine. Facebook… dopamine.

​Getting off the phone can be tough. The payoff has power. Your brain wants its hit. The habit pulls at you. 

Can you relate to the feeling? 

Turning to positive psych can help because your character strengths come with their own natural  lift. They are self reinforcing like the phone, but the product is a good, connected, rewarding REAL life.  Benefits build over time.

​Get Off the Phone... and Into Your Life.

​Peggy's Professional Affiliations​