Where is there room for joy in life? 

   Is there room for joy in mental illness? 

   Where might we find joy in struggle?

   Does joy belong in a profession like social work that is so hard? 

   When could joy be helpful?

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These are the kinds of things we tackle in my talk, Joy as...

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Here's the thing: I built a sizeable social media following (TikTok, Instagram) using humour in talking about social work and mental health. On one hand, I've worried about getting in trouble for this: after all, many have commented that social workers rarely deal with laughing matters, and mental illness isn't a laughing matter. But, what if it is? On the other hand, my direct messages have been flooded by social workers, social work students, and people with varying mental health experiences saying "thank you for making me laugh, I needed this."

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This made me wonder: what's the role of joy in life?

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As a social work student, and one with a distinct interest in mental health and collective well-being, I've come to learn how joy can be a multi-dimensional force for good in the world.

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This is what we talk about during my talk, Joy as... 

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My talk, Joy as... is appropriate for audiences interested in 

• mental health and wellness, 

• creative solutions to challenges like injustice, mental illness, or interpersonal conflict, 

• how joy can be a part of difficult times or situations, or 

• ways joy can make life better.

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Combining personal experience, professional experience, and my training, this talk addresses

• What is joy, actually? (I'll give you a hint: it's not happiness!) 

• When joy becomes toxic positivity, 

• Joy as a strategy (for things like mental health, advocacy and justice, resilience and workplaces), 

• What we can do with joy, and

• Ways of both creating and finding joy.