All Alone: Exploring the Psychology of Solitude
Monday, March 2, 2026 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
- In-person event
- Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre , Ottawa , ON , K2P 0E2
- Contact
- Aleksandra Minic, aleksandra.minic@carleton.ca
Solitude is part of the human experience – but we are only just beginning to understand the potential costs and benefits of spending time alone for our health and well-being. Carleton psychology professor and author Robert Coplan provides an engaging, practical guide through the promises and paradoxes of solitude, offering science-backed advice for getting the most out of your alone time and deepening your relationship with yourself – and others. Hosted by Professor Joanna Pozzulo (Director, Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub), this event will also feature a panel discussion with Carleton Psychology students who discuss the strategies they use to “disconnect” and how they balance between being connected with spending time alone.
The evening will conclude with attendees offered the opportunity to purchase (and have signed) Dr. Coplan’s recent book, The Joy of Solitude: How to Reconnect with Yourself in an Over-Connected World (Simon & Schuster).
Dr. Robert J. Coplan
Dr. Robert J. Coplan, PhD, is a psychologist, researcher, teacher, and author who has been studying solitude for more than thirty years. He is a chancellor’s professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University. Over the course of his career, he has extensively explored the costs and benefits of spending time alone among children, adolescents, and adults.
Moderator
Dr. Joanna Pozzulo is a Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Psychology, and Director of the Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub (MeWeRTH). Her goal is to bring evidence-based research to a general audience in order to promote well-being.
She founded and runs the Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club to highlight evidence-based books that promote well-being and support mental health. She also hosts the Reading for Well-Being podcast where she interviews the authors of her book club picks.
Dr. Pozzulo’s readingforwellbeing.substack.com provides evidence-based insights, practical strategies to boost your well-being, and curated book recommendations for deeper exploration.
Panelists
Natasha Barrows is a fourth-year Psychology student at Carleton University with a concentration in Developmental Psychology. She is passionate about understanding human growth, learning, and emotional development across the lifespan, with a special focus on childhood and adolescence.
As a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Ambassador, she promotes the Psychology program, supports prospective students during recruitment events and outreach, and contributes to social media content by sharing insights from her own journey and helpful resources.
In addition to her studies, Natasha works part-time as an educator at a learning centre for early childhood through elementary-aged children, where she applies developmental psychology principles to support young learners’ academic, social, and emotional growth.
Outside of academics and work, Natasha loves reading, exploring new experiences, and being outdoors in nature, where she intentionally unplugs from technology to disconnect, recharge. She values balancing meaningful connections with others and intentional time alone for reflection. She is passionate about psychology, child and adolescent development, mental health, and helping people thrive at every stage of life. Looking ahead, she hopes to make a meaningful impact in developmental psychology, early childhood education, adolescent well-being, and mental health support.
Madelyn Cook is a fourth-year Psychology student with a concentration in Health Psychology and part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Stream. She began her studies at Carleton in Criminology but quickly discovered her passion for Psychology. Originally from a small town north of London, ON, she fell in love with the Carleton campus and knew it was the right place for her. Madelyn is actively involved in Residence Life, having served as a Residence Fellow, Community Advisor, and Wellness Ambassador. Madelyn is also a Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) Ambassador, promoting the psychology program, supporting prospective students and contributing to social media content, drawing from her own experience and sharing resources. Madelyn has just recently started at The Mental Health and Wellbeing Research and Training Hub (MeWeRTH) as well as a placement student, taking on the role of knowledge mobilization and translation through the creation of weekly empirically sourced social media content. She enjoys physical activity, walks along the canal, and spending time with friends and family. Madelyn is passionate about mental health, wellbeing, psychology, and helping others. With the continuation of her academic studies, she hopes to contribute meaningfully within these areas.
Anna Stone is a third year psychology PhD student studying under the supervision of Dr. Robert Coplan in the Solitude and Loneliness (SoLo) Lab. Anna primarily studies the costs and benefits of solitude, with a particular interest in how solitude is related to different motivations for well-being, such as eudaimonia (i.e., striving for personal excellence and growth) and hedonia (i.e., seeking out positive emotions or pleasure). She is also the Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub (MeWeRTH) Administrator.
Registration
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