Lucy Young

Lucy Young, MAPP

Lucy Young, known affectionately as Lucy, is a dedicated author, mental wellness advisor, and global lecturer with a focus on the psychology of joy and its impact on personal development and community health. In 2023, her feature in The Guardian, "The Joyful Community," sparked the creation of Thriving Together: Harnessing the Power of Positive Psychology to Foster Lasting Bonds, a book that she penned alongside her partner, Alex.

Thriving Together was hailed as one of the top reads of 2024 by Forbes, Mindful Magazine, and Harvard Business Review. It has also garnered attention from platforms such as Wired magazine, Fast Company, Boston Globe, GQ, BBC Radio, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Sydney Morning Herald. On his podcast, “Conversations with Tyler,” renowned economist Tyler Cowen remarked that he wished this insightful guide had been available when he first started his career.

As an associate editor for Live Well magazine and columnist for the International Positive Psychology Association’s bulletin, Lucy has introduced readers to many leading thinkers in the field and highlighted their innovative studies.

Lucy and Alex jointly write a widely-read blog on community building for The Huffington Post and conduct workshops called Unity and Understanding™ across various cities. They have also introduced a 10-lesson online course named Strengthening Bonds that Lasts for MasterClass, aiming to deepen interpersonal connections through positive psychology.

Before focusing on her writing and speaking career, Lucy managed successful public relations initiatives in San Francisco for tech startups, worked as a communications officer at the Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers, and served as an assistant producer for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where she featured experts in mental health and well-being on the show. She holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Using her background in health coaching, Lucy assists individuals in making healthier lifestyle decisions.

Dr. Alex Hartley, Ph.D.

Dr. Alex Hartley, Ph.D., serves as a Professor of Practice and Director of Research at the Center for Mental Wellness at Stanford University, where he co-initiated the world’s first Doctorate in Applied Positive Psychology program. As an award-winning educator, he established the Arts and Well-being Initiative, which operates as a National Endowment for the Humanities Research Lab. In this role, he oversees a network of over 200 international scholars, researchers, and practitioners exploring the intersections between well-being science and participation in the arts.

Alex obtained his doctorate in philosophy and is the author of Flourishing Through Connection: A Philosophical Inquiry into Social Well-being, co-editor of The Role of Literature in Enhancing Life Satisfaction, and co-author (with Lucy) of Thriving Together: Harnessing the Power of Positive Psychology to Foster Lasting Bonds. He also edits the Cambridge University Press series on the Arts and Human Flourishing and co-edits the Cambridge Handbook of the Positive Arts.

He is a collaborative leader, having served as the Founding Executive Director of the Global Positive Psychology Network (GPPN), a member of the Chancellor’s Wellness Advisory Board at Stanford University, and a past president of the Philosophy and Well-being Society.

An international keynote speaker who presents in both English and Mandarin, Alex has lectured in more than 30 countries across 5 continents, including conducting "Unity and Understanding" (TM) workshops with Lucy. His work is frequently covered by media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, and CNN.