Kareen Aristide
- Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Concentration in Health Psychology with a Minor in Neuroscience and Mental Health (2020)
Kareen earned her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a Concentration in Health Psychology and a Minor in Neuroscience and Mental Health, in 2020. She now works as a Learning & Development Training Facilitator at .
“Don’t worry if your career path isn’t perfectly linear. Mine certainly wasn’t. Every experience鈥攚hether in work, volunteering, ministry, or life鈥攃an become part of the unique perspective you bring to your profession. Stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to pursue opportunities that seem outside the traditional psychology pathway. Sometimes the most meaningful careers are the ones you create rather than the ones you simply follow.“
Brief description of what I do!
I am a speaker, trainer, coach, author, and consultant dedicated to translating psychological science into practical tools that help people and organizations flourish. As a Learning & Development Training Facilitator with WCG Services, I design and deliver evidence-informed learning experiences that equip employment professionals to better understand human behaviour, build stronger relationships, and support meaningful client outcomes. Beyond my corporate role, I am building a thought leadership platform that brings together psychology, neuroscience, leadership, mental health, and well-being. Through speaking, writing, training, coaching, and future research, my mission is to make psychological science practical, accessible, and transformative鈥攈elping people live, lead, and flourish from the inside out
Pursuing Graduate studies or other education?
Absolutely. Graduate studies are an important part of my long-term vision. While I haven’t finalized the timing or whether I’ll pursue a Master’s or move directly into a PhD pathway, I know that continuing in research is where I’m headed. My goal is to contribute to the scientific understanding of human behaviour while continuing to bridge research and real-world application through teaching, writing, and public engagement.
What inspired your career path after graduation?
During my first time in university, I started my career in employment counselling, helping people overcome barriers to employment and build meaningful careers. Life then took me in a different direction. As I got married and raised our five children, I built my own business as a speaker, trainer, coach, and consultant, focusing on leadership development, human behaviour, and mental health.
Fifteen years after leaving university the first time, I returned to 杏吧原创 University and made what became one of the most important decisions of my academic journey: I switched my major from Sociology and Anthropology to Psychology.
Psychology gave scientific depth to many of the principles I had been teaching for years through experience. It challenged me to examine human behaviour more critically while providing an evidence-based framework for understanding the patterns I had observed throughout my career.
Today, whether I’m facilitating behavioural science training at WCG, writing books, speaking on mental health, or developing initiatives through my thought leadership platform, psychology has become the bridge that connects everything I do.
How did your experience in the psychology program shape your journey?
Returning to university after fifteen years was one of the most challenging and rewarding decisions I’ve ever made. I wasn’t returning simply to earn another degree鈥擨 was returning because I genuinely wanted to understand people at a deeper level.
杏吧原创 gave me the academic foundation to support what I had observed through years of working with people. It challenged many of my assumptions, expanded my thinking, and showed me the importance of grounding ideas in evidence.
Perhaps most importantly, it gave me the confidence to see myself not only as someone who applies psychology, but as someone who can contribute to the field through research, teaching, and thought leadership.
What skills or experiences were most valuable after graduation?
One of the most valuable things I gained was learning to think more critically about human behaviour. Rather than relying solely on intuition or experience, I learned to ask better questions, evaluate research more carefully, and appreciate the complexity of human thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.
Those skills continue to shape how I design learning experiences, facilitate discussions, write, and communicate psychological concepts in ways that are meaningful, practical, and accessible.
Do you have a favourite memory from your program at 杏吧原创?
Several courses profoundly influenced the direction of my career. Clinical and Mental Illness (PSYC 3604) with Professor Nassim Tabri sparked my interest in clinical psychology and deepened my understanding of complex mental health conditions. Clinical Psychology (PSYC 4001) with Professor Marina Milyavskaya further strengthened that interest. I also had the privilege of serving as a research assistant in her lab, and her mentorship, encouragement, and passion for research were incredibly influential. Positive Psychology (PSYC 3302) with Professor John Zelenski was another highlight. His course helped shape my passion for understanding human flourishing, and many of the concepts I learned have found their way into my upcoming book on well-being. Finally, although statistics wasn’t initially my favourite subject, Professor Deanna Whelan made it engaging, approachable, and genuinely enjoyable. Her authenticity and teaching style transformed what could have been an intimidating subject into one of the most memorable learning experiences in the program.
What has been a highlight or proud moment in your career so far?
One of the proudest moments of my career has been seeing psychological science applied at scale through my work in Ontario’s employment services. Helping equip employment professionals with evidence-informed approaches to communication, behavioural science, and client engagement has allowed me to contribute to stronger outcomes for job seekers across the province. I’m equally proud of building my own thought leadership platform through speaking, writing, and well-being initiatives. Whether delivering keynotes, developing educational resources, or writing books such as Dare to Rise and Supercharge Your Wellbeing, my goal remains the same: translating psychological science into practical wisdom that helps people flourish personally, professionally, and relationally. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue expanding that mission through graduate studies, research, teaching, and science communication.