+1 in your life to a +5, rather than how to get from a -5 to the baseline. Although Freud was a genius in discovering the blueprint for our behaviour laid down in our unconscious, the research has shown we dont need to express all the negative things that have happened to us to move forward. Instead, experiencing positive emotions causes negative emotions to dissipate rapidly. There are so many new pathways available, such as life coaching, solution-focused therapy, positive psychology coaching and courses, self- improvement courses and, of course, holistic therapies such as massage and yoga, which have always focused on prevention and on improving the overall state of the person, rather than focusing on problems. Find out what you enjoy doing, and incorporate more of it into your life. In short, maybe the wheel has turned full circle and we are back to what Socrates once said, Know Thyself, as a prescription for mental health and wellbeing. For more information on positive psychology, holistic psychotherapy and stress management, e-mail: fordemargaret@gmail.com FurtherEducationSpecial 16 metrolifeextra Monday, January 18, 2010 D Would you like to brush up on your Irish this spring? If so, Gael Linn on Dame Street can help. Its Irish courses are available at five levels and range from a complete beginners course, to intermediate level and an advanced course. Week-long courses in the Donegal and Mayo Gaeltachts are also available during the summer for adults. The evening courses are held over six-weeks, two evenings per week and comprise 36 hours of tuition. They are designed to give the learner as much exposure as possible to learning and speaking the language over a short period of time as well as being a great way to meet new people. Teaching methods are modern and place the emphasis on the learner and their use of the language in the class. Classes are small, with no more than 16 students. The next session of evening courses begins on January 25. Contact (01) 675 1200 or e-mail: eolas@gael-linn.ie. Think positive Mental health help: Positive psychologist Margaret Forde looks at new advances in the area of wellbeing Dorset College Dorset College has been an established provider of professional courses since 1983. Situated on Lower Dorset Street, the college has grown into a vibrant centre for learning, catering to the needs of school leavers and graduates, foreign students and mature students. The college is launching a new and innovative Montessori programme in February. Equipped with a laptop, a stable internet connection and basic computer skills, you can study in your own time, at your own pace, in your own environment, to fit your individual lifestyle. The flexible delivery of this programme will allow you to study part time from any part of Ireland, visiting Dublin for six weekend workshops. This will provide the skills necessary to open and run a Montessori school and/or early childhood care and education centre for children aged three to six. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded six Fetac certificates. Contact: (01) 830 9677 or visit: Life and Executive Coaching Course Who benefits from obtaining a qualification in Life and Executive Coaching? Who doesnt? There are three main benefits from obtaining this qualification with Positive Success Group, an Irish- owned company and one of Europes leading professional development and training specialists: 1. Career progression: A professional, business- recognised qualification. 2. Personal development: Self-awareness, self- management and self-control 3. Up-skilling: Coaching skills, tools and techniques that can be used to enhance your current role or target a promotion or a change of career. Positive Success Group is taking registrations for its 25th Accredited Executive & Life Coaching Diploma, which starts in Dublin in February. The course costs 2,750. Discounts, funding and an interest-free payment plan are available. To find out more, contact Positive Success Group on (01) 895 6820, e-mail: info@positivesuccessgroup. com or come to a free Open Evening. The next one is in Central Dublin at 7pm on January 27 Commerical Feature www.positivepsychology.ie Six week courses available in... City Centre: Wed 27th Jan 7pm Raheny: Thurs 28th Jan 8pm To book, Tel: 01-8339902 & Relaxation For further information see: IRISH COURSES FOR ADULTS IN 2010 EOLAS/INFORMATION (01) 6751200 or eolas@gael-linn.ie CLASSES AT 5 LEVELS - 36 HOUR COURSES QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED TEACHERS COURSES COMPATIBLE WITH TEG SYLLABI NOW BOOKING www.emotionalfreedom.ie Guaranteed or refund EFT Workshop Mt. Herbert Hotel near Lansdowne Dart Station 23rd January 2010 9.30am - 3.30pm Book Now! Learnaneasywaytolosecravings and take control of your weight LOSEWEIGHT DONTDIET 10 weeks Language Courses. Are you traveling to Latin America? Going on holidays to Spain or Portugal? Beginners Holiday Makers Improvers Spanish grinds Refresher Just Conversation! One-to-One Advanced 77 Lower Camden St D2 087 620 6333 agbecalvo@yahoo.co.uk SPANISH & PORTUGUESE ADULTEDUCATION COURSES T: 01 895 6820 E: info@PositiveSuccessGroup.com Diploma in Executive & Life Coaching Train the Trainer Certificate in Leadership Coaching FREE OPEN EVENING:27th January, Dublin City. Contact us to reserve your place Accreditation and FETAC level 6 awards T heres no doubt about it as we enter the second decade of the new millennium, a shift has taken place in relation to our perception of mental health and general wellbeing. Previously, problems such as depression or anxiety were regarded as things that struck us out of the blue and needed the help of a mental health professional to fix. However, the message in the advertising campaign by the HSE advising us to look after our mental health pre-supposes that there are things we can do to keep ourselves in good mental health and prevent burn out. So is the HSE just trying to save money by putting the ball back in our court? The principle of positive prevention has been gathering support within psychology over the last few decades. It started with cognitive therapists recognising the link between our automatic thoughts (those that pass through our minds so fleetingly we are hardly aware they are there) and how we feel. Martin Seligman, one of these cognitive therapists, founded positive psychology, a movement within psychology that sees how we can buffer ourselves against stress. In short, the new science has been studying resilience what makes people strong even in the face of adverse circumstances. And the good news is the research finds many of the skills and mindsets of resilient people can be readily imparted, with beneficial long-term effects. For instance, when Dr Seligman taught optimistic thinking skills to ten-year-olds in the classroom, it cut their rate of depression in half compared to what would normally be expected when going through puberty. In effect, the new science has ditched the disease model borrowed from 19th-century medicine and is studying happiness and fulfilment. In the same way that we talk about creating wealth and measure it in euro, happiness researchers talk about building psychological wealth and even measure it across nations (Ireland in general does pretty well in the psychological wealth stakes, even in pre- Celtic-Tiger days). New advances in science have resulted in new approaches to therapy and self- help that are self-empowering, and focus on how to get from a index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html