The effectiveness of Wisdom Therapy has been empirically established through many outcome studies.  (conference presentations and invited talks).

Shani Robins, Ph.D., founded the Wisdom Therapy Institute as a place for the interdisciplinary approach to the scientific study of the clinical and organizational applications of wisdom and what he developed to be Wisdom TherapyTM. His model of wisdom and its corresponding therapy does not replace traditional Psychology and therapy but rather integrates and builds on over a century of empirical research and clinical practice in the areas of Cognitive Psychology, Lifespan Development, Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, and their applications to applied settings. For example, the current approach acknowledges the considerable evidence for the Diathesis-Stress Model of mental disorders which posits that it seems to take a combination of genetic predispositions combined with environmental stressors to produce the recipe for mental disorders. The current model posits that the acquisition of wisdom across the lifespan provides ways of conceptualizing the world that minimizes stress (anxiety, anger, depression) and additionally provides skills for dealing with stress when it does occur. By diminishing the stress part of the Diathesis model, one deprives the predispositions of mental disorders of their activators and leaves those predispositions unexpressed. This model additionally incorporates into its framework cross-cultural as well as spiritual perspectives and adds a number of new, wisdom related components that help unify this broad based approach to treatment.

At the same time, consistent with a new movement of the American Psychological Association towards Positive Psychology, the goals of Wisdom Therapy is not merely to help individuals deal with dysfunctions of clinical severity, but rather to help every individual and organization actualize their potential. The aim is not to focus on negative dysfunctions alone but rather on positive potential to develop and grow, through which the dysfunctions are ameliorated as a byproduct. The Institute seeks to facilitate the development of wisdom in thought and action, through continuing adult lifespan development of one's thinking, emotional intelligence, interpersonal and family relationships, professional accomplishments, and social interactions. It is through the positive actualization of such system-wide potential that the Institute for Wisdom Therapy aims to assist individuals and organizations, both in attaining the rewards that accompany such growth and development, as well as avoid the costs of psychological and behavioral dysfunctions that stem from a lack of such development.

Robins, S. (2008, October 29 ).  The Impact of Wisdom on Well-Being and Peace.  Organized and Chaired the Symposium at Eurotas (Annual Conference of the European Transpersonal Association), Barcelona, Spain.  Presenters included Shani Robins, Ph.D. and his current and alumni students from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, California:  Denise Arana, Ph.D. (Online Learning of Mindfulness Meditation), Cirino Zappala, Ph.D. (East-West Differences in Obtaining Well-Being), Maria Bonilla, MFTI (Wisdom Therapy Applied to Children: Raising The Consciousness of Our Future), Rochelle Adams, M.A. Ph.D. Candidate (Wisdom & Mindfulness in Corporations).
 

Robins, S. (2008, October 29).  Applying Wisdom Therapy towards the Facilitation of International Interactions and the Facilitation of Cross-Cultural Collaborations.  Presentation to be given at the European Transpersonal Psychology Association.  Barcelona, Spain.

Robins, S. (2008, August 15).    Wisdom Therapy and its Facilitation of Leadership.  Presentation at the American Psychological Association.  Boston, Massachusetts. 

Robins, S. (2008, August 15).    Wisdom Therapy:  Theory, Research, & Practice.  Presentation at the American Psychological Association.  Boston, Massachusetts. 

Robins, S. (2008, August 15).    Wisdom Therapy and Transpersonal Psychotherapy.  Invited Talk at the Division 32 Hospitality Suite of the American Psychological Association.  Boston, Massachusetts. 

Robins, S. (2008, August 7).  Wisdom Therapy and its Relationship to Integral Psychology and Psychotherapy.  Paper accepted for presentation at the first annual Integral Theory Conference.  San Francisco, California.

Robins, S. (2008, August 1).   Increasing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace for Increased Satisfaction and Productivity.  Invited Workshop given for American Express executives, New York.
 
Robins, S. (2008,  June 6).  Wisdom Therapy and its Applications to Conflict Resolution and Cross Cultural Interactions.  Paper accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the Association for Humanistic Psychology.  Los Angeles, California.
 
Robins, S. (2008, June 1).  Wisdom Therapy:  Wisdom Therapy Applied: Reducing the Cognitive Distortions, Fear, and Anger of the Ego While Transcending that Ego.  Paper presented at the Conference of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning.  Mount Madonna, California.
 
Robins, S. (2008, May 31).  Wisdom Therapy:  Integrating Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Humility Training.  Paper presented at the Conference of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning.  Mount Madonna, California.
 
Robins, S. (2007, September).  Wisdom Therapy, Forgiveness, and Preventing Future Conflict.  European Transpersonal Association, Freiburg, Germany.
 
Robins, S. (2006, May).  Wisdom Therapy: Plasticity and Emotion.  Presentation in the 17th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society, New York, New York.
 
Robins, S. (2005, August).  Wisdom Therapy:  Theory, Research, and Practice - Where Western and Eastern Traditions Meet.  Presentation at the European Center for Transpersonal Psychology.  London, UK.
 
Robins, S. (2005, May). Wisdom Therapy: More Than Emotional Intelligence: Empirical Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Model. Presentation in the 17th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, California.
 
Robins, S. (August, 2005).  Wisdom Therapy:  Reducing Anxiety and Anger at Home and at Work.   Invited talk given at the European Center for Transpersonal Psychology, London, U.K.
 
Robins, S. (2004, August).  Wisdom Therapy in an Interconnected World.  Presentation in the European Transpersonal Psychology Conference.  London, UK.
 
Robins, S. (2004, July).  Wisdom Therapy:  Theory, Research, and Practice.  Presentation in the 112th Annual Convention of the Amerian Psychological Association.  Honolulu, Hawaii.
 
Robins, S. (2003).  Transpersonal Aspect of Wisdom Therapy.  Presentation at the Convention of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.  Palo Alto, CA.

Robins, S. (2001).  Wisdom Therapy:  The application of an interdisciplinary concept to clinical treatment.   Invited talk given at the Colloquium Series at the Scripps Clinic Division of Mental Health, San Diego.

Robins, S. (2001).  Evolutionary Psychology:  Theory and applications to applied settings.  Guest speaker at a seminar on Integrative Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego at Alliant University.

Robins, S. (2000).  Wisdom as an integrative, interdisciplinary concept for addressing psychological phenomena.  Invited talk given at the Colloquium Series at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego.

Robins, S. (2000).  Science and spirituality:  Humility as an overlapping theme and the potential for mutual enhancement.  Invited talk given at the Eighth Annual Multicultural Fair at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego, February 29, 2000.
 
Robins, S. (1998, May).  Wisdom, adaptation & automaticity as mediating links in the causal chain of cognitive appraisal and emotion.  Presentation in the 10th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society, Washington, D.C.
 
Robins, S. (1997).  Wisdom:  Cognition-emotion interactions, adaptation, life-span development, and human potential.  Invited talk given as part of the Psychology and Social Behavior Colloquium Series at the University of California, Irvine.

Robins, S. (1996).  The influence of metaphorical reasoning on the fundamental life pragmatics of wisdom.  Talk given at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin, Germany.