KATHY BELICKI PhD MTS

Kathy Belicki is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Brock University. Trained as a clinical psychologist—the branch of psychology that focuses on psychological problems—she soon discovered that research and teaching were her real passions. She has researched such topics as dreams, nightmares, the effect of childhood trauma on well-being in adulthood, memory for trauma, resilience, post traumatic growth, forgiveness, and disenfranchised grief (grief that is not publicly recognized or supported). She is best known for developing the most widely used measure in the world of waking distress associated with nightmares: The Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ).  In addition to her training in psychology, she completed a Master of Theological Studies.

My love of telling stories began in childhood. At age nine, my life was a storm of stressful circumstances. I coped by retreating to a favorite spot in the forest, where I would sit and spin sagas. One day, a four-year-old followed me, curious about where I went each day. When she found me under the tree, she asked what I was doing. “Making up stories,” I said.

“Oooh, I love stories. Would you tell me one?” She plopped herself down cross-legged in front of me. My tales were a fiercely kept secret, but I couldn’t resist her expectant face. “Once upon a time…” I began. The next day she brought friends, and in short order I became the hit of the kindergarten set.

Storytelling became my claim to fame. As an adolescent, I was much in demand for the terrifying tales I would weave at sleep-over parties. It carried on into my lecturing style. At university, my favourite course to teach was Introductory Psychology. Most of the thousands who trooped through my lectures would never take another psychology course. So, I ensured every lecture provided practical wisdom they could use in their daily lives. Invariably, I told stories to illustrate my points. It was the best way to make lessons stick.

Now, I use the keyboard to tell true-life stories that entertain, inspire, uplift, and educate. I give talks and workshops, both online and face-to-face. My goal is to enrich the mind and nourish the spirit.