Dan Tomasulo

Ph.D.

Academic Director, Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University

https://www.dantomasulo.com/

Dan Tomasulo is a counselling psychologist, writer, and professor specialising in positive psychology, currently serving as the academic director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. Tomasulo is also a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology and the Journal of Positive Psychology and has taught alongside Martin Seligman, blending clinical expertise in psychodrama with a passion for fostering hope and resilience. A prominent speaker and influencer on depression, he is the recipient of the 2021 Teaching Award from Columbia and the William I. Gardner Leadership Award from UNH. Tomasulo developed Positive-Interactive Behavioural Therapy (P-IBT), an innovative group therapy method for individuals with intellectual disabilities. His books include the highly acclaimed Learned Hopefulness (2020) and American Snake Pit (2018).

Expert Bio

Dr. Tomasulo is the Academic Director/core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI), Teachers College, Columbia University, and has been honoured with their 2021 Teaching Award. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology, an MFA in writing, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where he serves as adjunct faculty. He is a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology, on Positive Psychology, and The Journal of Positive Psychology. He recently co-authored with Dr. Ryan Niemiec, Character Strengths and Abilities Within Disabilities: Advances in Science and Practice. He received the prestigious 2024 Gardner Award for his work applying positive psychology with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Positive-Interactive Behavioural Therapy, or P-IBT). His screenplay adaptation of his award-winning memoir, American Snake Pit (a memoir about his work with Willowbrook State School patients) has won over 40 screenplay contests. His bestselling book, Learned Hopefulness, The Power of Positivity To Overcome Depression is hailed as: “…the perfect recipe for fulfillment, joy, peace, and expansion of awareness” by Deepak Chopra, MD. Martin Seligman, Ph.D., adds: “This is the best go-to book on how to use hope to relieve your depression.” Medical News Today identified it as the 2021, 22, 23 & 24 #1 book for coping, and the best for positivity about depression. VeryWellMind.com identified it as the best positive psychology-based book for depression in 2022, 23 & 24. Sharecare honours Dr. Tomasulo as a top-ten online influencer on the issue of depression. His new book, The Positivity Effect, was the #1 new release on Amazon for anxiety.