This November, the UBC community is coming together for Thrive, our annual campaign that encourages students, faculty, and staff to learn about, talk about, and explore ways to support mental health and wellbeing.
As part of this year’s campaign, UBC Human Resources is introducing the Thrive Keynote: Building Resilience in Times of Change. Taking place on Thursday, November 20, 2025, this free online session, which will include opening remarks from UBC President, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, is open to all UBC faculty and staff (CWL required). The event will explore the connections between mindset, resilience, and mental health, and to better understand the factors that contribute to both wellbeing and burnout.
Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier (she/her) is an award-winning workplace mental health expert, psychologist, and executive coach. With a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the UBC Sauder School of Business, she bridges research and practice to help individuals, teams and organizations navigate change and uncertainty. Her book, “The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimize Your Work and Health”, was named “Top 5 Book to Read” by Inc. and Forbes.
To learn more, we connected with Dr. Pelletier to discuss the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, what resilience really means, and what participants can expect from her upcoming keynote.
- How would you define wellbeing in the workplace? What does it look like in practice?
MHP: Wellbeing at work is the presence of conditions that allow individuals, teams and organizations to thrive. The World Health Organization defines healthy workplaces as those where people can work safely, enhance their physical and mental health, and remain supported even during challenges. In practice, wellbeing looks like environments that integrate performance with recovery—where people have both high expectations and high support. It’s visible for example in psychological safety and in leaders who model individual, team and organizational resilience behavior.
- Why is it important for organizations like UBC to invest in wellbeing, especially during times of change or uncertainty?
MHP: Ideally, organizations invest in wellbeing before major change—building a stronger baseline and creating the buffer capacity needed when demands, uncertainty, or transformation intensify. This proactive approach ensures teams have the resilience to adapt rather than deplete. During times of disruption, these same investments sustain focus, community, and innovation. Wellbeing initiatives act as strategic infrastructure—they support clarity of thought and collaboration when systems are under pressure. For an institution like UBC, this kind of preparedness ensures that wellbeing strengthens the foundation of performance, engagement and innovation.
- You’ve mentioned that part of your keynote will challenge assumptions about change. What are some of the common assumptions you see holding people or organizations back?
MHP: One major assumption I often see in my work is the optimistic bias that 'no action is required'—that there’s simply no time for wellbeing or self-reflection because we’re too busy doing. We also assume change has an endpoint, when in fact, it’s continuous. These beliefs prevent us from building the systems that help us adapt. My work encourages visibility on the patterns and psychology that underlie how we respond to change, so we can choose deliberate, sustainable approaches that we can realistically implement.
- In your keynote, you’ll be exploring how individuals and teams can build resilience. What can participants expect to learn?
MHP: We all need to shift from seeing resilience as a personal trait to a state we can influence. We also need to see resilience at work as a system dynamic—and how visibility on the system and our role in it allows us to act strategically rather than instinctively or not at all. Participants will identify the specific levers that increase their capacity for focus, creativity, and performance under pressure. The emphasis is on practical, evidence-based steps that can be applied immediately, both individually and across teams.
- What’s one small action anyone can take to strengthen their resilience at work? How can teams create a healthier, more supportive work environment?
MHP: A simple yet powerful action is to offer help and accept help. Resilience is not built alone; it’s sustained in connection. When we exchange support—whether through problem-solving, empathy, or shared reflection—we create psychological safety and collective strength. Teams can embed this by normalizing check-ins and treating wellbeing as part of performance. Over time, these actions build a culture where people know they are not alone in managing the load, which increases overall adaptive capacity.
- What gives you hope when you think about the future of workplace wellbeing and mental health?
MHP: What gives me hope is the increasing conversation—the fact that wellbeing is now on the radar of leaders and organizations in a way it wasn’t before. It is even increased further with AI. There’s a growing understanding that mental health and resilience are integral to success, innovation, and best contributions. I see more leaders recognizing that supporting wellbeing improves cognitive performance and creativity and organizations making it part of their expectations. That integration—where wellbeing drives innovation—is what gives me real optimism about the future of work.
- What do you hope participants will take away from your Thrive Keynote?
MHP: What participants often tell me they take away is the importance of that one next action they’ll commit to—and the clarity of taking it. Many describe leaving with a renewed sense that they can actively influence their individual and team resilience, which increases their self-efficacy and optimism. My hope is that everyone is equipped with the awareness and tools to apply at least one of these ideas immediately. Resilience is a capacity we can plan, build, and strengthen together. When people take action with agency in that process, resilience increases.
UBC faculty and staff are invited to attend the Thrive Keynote: Building Resilience in Times of Change on Thursday, November 20, 2025. The session is free and will be held online. Learn more and register here (CWL is required). To learn more about Dr. Pelletier's book, visit the link here or the UBC Bookstore to purchase your copy.
Published: October 2025
Interviewed by: Ariyana Yegnaswami, UBC student and staff member with the Office of Wellbeing Strategy