Elaine O’Brien’s Bio

Elaine O'Brien

Elaine O'Brien, PhD, MAPP, CAPP is an Educator, Trainer, Author, and Presenter. She is the Creative Director and CEO of Lifestyle Medicine Coaching and Training, LLC, a consultancy, and FitDance: Move2Love training and presentations for whole health and optimal performance. Her recent doctorate in Kinesiology: Psychology of Human Movement aligns with her background, early vision, and dedication to Positive Public Health, Well-Being and Social Justice for the greater good through positive action. Dr. O’Brien is one of the first 100 people in the world to have earned the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree, and she is a frequent MAPP presenter, including leading elevating Energy Breaks for Dr. Martin Seligman’s classes. At Penn, she also worked as a Recitation Leader for Dr. Angela Duckworth’s Introduction to Positive Psychology classes. Dr. O’Brien is the author of journal articles, and has been a speaker at recent presentations, including at Kripalu Institute for the Wholebeing Institute’s premiere Embodied Positive Psychology Summit, and for Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Happier TV. She will be presenting at Canada Positive Psychology Association, the European Positive Psychology Conference, Angers, France, and at the American Psychological Association in Denver. An international speaker, educator, and consultant, she has presented positive education, psychology, presentation and performance training programs throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Korea, and in China, where she presented at the first two Positive Psychology Conferences at Tsinghua and Beijing Universities. Dr. O’Brien’s areas of research and applications include the Science of Thriving, Positive Health and Aging Well, Positive Adult Education and Generative Development, Enjoyment and Motivation, Performance, Positive Movement, Medical Wellness in Action, Community Wellness and Positive Groups, Self-Determination, Positive Mental Health and Pro-Active Therapies, like Flow: Aqua Fitness. Elaine has contributed to Positive Psychology books including by Kathryn Britton, and Marie-Jose Schaar, Lucy Hone, and Dr. Marsha Snyder. Her dissertation, “Positive, Active, Older, but Youthful Women and FITDANCE: Uplifting Community Dance Exercise” will be the topic of her APA presentation in Denver, August 2016.