WORKSHOPS
A Happier, Healthier You
We lead workshops with emerging adults and groups such as fraternities and sororities, Student Access Services, the Athletics Department, the Student Health and Counseling Center, Parent and Family Programs, and the Career Center. We also provide training to our community and related professionals. Based on the science of strengths and well-being, we discuss how people can become more focused, confident, independent, bold, impactful, and inspiring. We have yet to meet a group that couldn’t benefit from our trainings.
POSITIVE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Positive and negative characteristics must be studied and targeted in treatment because they interact predicting clinical outcomes. Indeed, ill-developed positive characteristics and emotions predict psychological disorders beyond the presence of negative symptomatology. By promoting positive characteristics and by emphasizing how to live the best-life-possible, positive clinical psychology's treatment approach transcends business as usual psychotherapy. Using innovative assessments and interventions positive clinical psychology helps people function better—not just less bad! This workshop teaches clinicians how to use positive clinical psychology to treat a variety of disorders and, equally important, how to help people thrive.
VALUES CLARIFICATION
Values drive everything—our choices, actions, habits, character and, ultimately, our destiny. Values clarification is a psychotherapeutic technique that helps people identify the values impacting their lives—for better or worse. If someone's value system is undefined, it can cause anxiety and distress, especially when making crucial decisions. In this workshop, we will discuss how to clarify your core values, as well as highlighting the major distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic values. Attendees will leave our workshop appreciating the importance of value-congruent behavior bringing them one step closer to thriving.
MASTERING MISSION
Nearly 25% of emerging adults are "rudderless." They desperately want to succeed. But, many spend more time and energy going faster with no direction instead of changing course to align with their mission. Emerging adults are finding it more difficult today than ever to identify their strengths and learn how to use them in service to others. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to find their calling and, more importantly, their mission. No more doing what you want to do. Start doing what you must do.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Energy management is similar to time management. Though discussed less, mastering energy management is more critical to thriving than time management—especially when identifying and pursuing priorities. Like time, energy is finite. Allotting that energy to best align with one's priorities is essential for living your best-life-possible. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to filter one's priorities through a priority matrix, highlighting how to balance one's energy expenditure between what is urgent and what is important. Only when we harness the power of energy management—by prioritizing recharging and setting limits on draining people, places, and things—will we realize our dreams.
SELF-CARE
Emerging adults live in a society that rewards them for being "go-getters"; doing as much work as possible while wearing negligent self-care as a badge of honor. We believe this debilitating cultural message should be dismissed. Neglecting oneself can, and often does, create burnout—jeopardizing fulfilling one's fundamental physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to effectively create windows of life-giving time—time to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge—and how to use these windows in ways that will actually give their bodies, minds, and souls the peace and nourishment they so desperately crave, and need.
ASSERTIVENESS
Assertiveness entails standing up for yourself or others in a calm, firm, respectful way, without being aggressive or domineering. Finding the courage to advocate for oneself is a difficult, yet crucial skill to thrive. Being a "yes man" or "yes woman" will create unnecessary resentment, anger, anxiety, and depression. Being assertive is immensely helpful, often building self-esteem and self-confidence. In this workshop, attendees will learn skills to balance courage with consideration—like having proper body language, communicating honestly and directly, and lowering one's anxiety with exposure to difficult interactions—to set appropriate boundaries and achieve one's goals.
SIMPLICITY
Focusing on and appreciating life's simple aspects helps people create meaningful lives. The simple things in life often bring us the most joy, stripping away the nonessential and focusing time and energy on what matters most. There are several benefits to practicing simplicity in life, including having less stress and fatigue, achieving a healthy work-life balance, strengthened overall health, improved finances, and learning more about one's self. In this workshop, attendees will learn the importance of simplicity and practical tips for how to create lives filled with peace, zest, joy, clarity, and happiness.
MATERIALISM
Materialism is a tendency to consider material possessions, image, status, and wealth as central values. Those who struggle with materialism might explain love in terms of material items, and value a new car, designer shoes or technological device over friendships. Highly materialistic individuals tend to believe owning and buying things are essential to achieve life goals such as happiness, success, and desirability; however, they often sideline other important goals and relationships and miss out on personal growth opportunities. This workshop will highlight ways to place less emphasis on materialism and more emphasis on meaningful and self-fulfilling aspects of life.
UNCONDITIONAL SELF-ACCEPTANCE
Unconditional self-acceptance (USA) is a foundation of how you see your worth by acknowledging and accepting yourself unconditionally, rather than rating and negatively judging yourself based on discrete behaviors or attributes. This allows us to strive for our goals without self-hatred, shame, or anxiety, giving us the ability to work towards self-betterment in a healthy manner. The aim of USA is to stop berating and condoning ourselves when we face challenges and failures, and instead pursue acceptance to allow us to employ positive change, learning and growth. In this workshop, we will discuss skills to practice more regular USA in all domains and life circumstances in order to help individuals become the best versions of themselves.
LOVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY
Loving wholeheartedly is physically and emotionally giving your all to doing, supporting, or loving someone or something. It's loving the other as other. People who struggle with this level of dedication will likely have difficulty committing to school, jobs, relationships, experiences, and things that enrich their lives. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to create a life filled with wholehearted living and how to cultivate the courage, vulnerability, compassion, and connection needed for this level of caring and love.
GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a life-orientation to seeing life and our blessings as gifts that are unearned and that should never have been known. People who struggle with finding things to be grateful for will likely have difficulty infusing their lives with positivity, compassion, and real, genuine relationships. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to create an attitude of gratitude, how to use gratitude to strengthen relationships, and how to use gratitude to find their calling.
AUTHENTICITY
Living authentically is allowing yourself to be seen—really seen—and running the risk of criticism and rejection. That is a small price to pay when the other outcome is living fake. Being authentic requires living a life that satisfies our true wants and needs rather than the demands and expectations of society or our upbringing. Someone who is not living authentically may be giving their power away by putting things off, putting themselves last, or casting judgment on themselves. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to find and embrace their strengths, things that make them uniquely themselves, so they can act accordingly and live a more meaningful life. Attendees will also learn how to be real with themselves and regulate the anxiety and fear that comes from being in the game—and not on the sidelines.
TRANSITIONING TO COLLEGE OR WORK
Transitioning to college or work can be a big adjustment for many freshmen. Emerging adults are entering an unfamiliar environment filled with different and new opportunities. This transition can be both exciting and overwhelming. Indeed, between 2011 and 2016, emerging adults reported a 51% increase in anxiety and a 95% increase in depression. Thus, transitions can be overwhelming and, to some, paralyzing. Transitions can also, however, be incredible opportunities for growth. This workshop gives attendees tips on how to clarify their goals and values, identify their strengths, and find their mission. Practical tips will also be given for building confidence, responsibility, self-care, positive relationships, and healthy work habits.
TRANSITIONING FOR COLLEGE SENIORS
Senior year is a period of major life transition for many students. It is a time when many begin planning for life outside of college, preparing for their careers, searching for job opportunities in pursuit of their goals, and getting more serious with cultivating warm, nurturing romantic relationships. Navigating these decisions can be stressful and overwhelming. This workshop gives strategies and skills to help students successfully prepare for their transition to life outside of college, such as how to select careers that are congruent with their personality, talents, strengths, interests, and values. We also discuss how to navigate family relationships during this transition, how to be financially responsible, and how to find love—in the right places.
