Short courses / Getting started · Online
Positive Psychology
Ground your coaching in the science of wellbeing — sixty hours of study in strengths, resilience, motivation and flourishing, so your work rests on evidence, not just enthusiasm. Fully online, at your own pace.
60 hoursSelf-paced online
$6,000Payment plans available
AnytimeStart the day you enrol
NonePrerequisites
What you’ll learn
The evidence base your coaching has been missing
The science
- What the research actually says about happiness and wellbeing
- Strengths, flow, gratitude, optimism — beyond the buzzwords
- Why some interventions work and others fade
The tools
- Evidence-based exercises you can assign with confidence
- Measuring client wellbeing so progress is visible
- Building resilience, motivation and self-compassion deliberately
The practice
- Weave positive psychology through any coaching niche
- Position yourself credibly with corporate and clinical-adjacent clients
- Certification recognised across the TLCC pathway system
The course at a glance
A complete, science-based positive psychology curriculum
Positive psychology studies what helps people flourish — the strengths, habits and ways of thinking that build wellbeing. This series teaches you to coach from a strengths perspective: focusing on what is already working in a client's life, building trust and hope, and giving them practical, evidence-based tools to grow. Every claim is backed by research, and every masterclass pairs the science with hands-on tools you can use in your very next session.
9Masterclasses — one essential theme of wellbeing each
42Modules, each with clear learning outcomes
VideoLessons with live demonstrations of every tool
CertifiedA TLCC certificate as you complete each unit
Self-pacedNo fixed schedule — study when and where it suits you
LifetimeAccess to all masterclasses, updates and materials
One framework, start to finish
The Sailboat Metaphor — positive psychology your clients instantly get
Positive psychology is a huge field. The Sailboat Metaphor gives it a clear structure: it compares a person's life to a captain sailing a boat, with eight elements of the boat representing the essential building blocks of wellbeing. Clients grasp it in minutes — no theory required — and it gives you a simple, repeatable way to assess where a client is and what to work on next. Each masterclass explores one element.
1The boatAn Introduction to Positive Psychology2The waterBalancing Life Domains3The compassEmotional Intelligence4The steering wheelMeaning and Valued Living5The leaksThe Science of Self-Acceptance6The sailsMaximising Strengths7The weatherRealising Resilience8The other boatsPositive Relationships9The destinationMotivation & Goal Achievement
At the helm is the captain — the four things we can influence: attention, thoughts, motivation and action. And watching from the shore is the lighthouse: that's you, the coach, guiding the journey.
Full curriculum
Every masterclass, every module
Open any masterclass to see its modules, then open a module to see exactly what you'll be able to do by the end of it.
MC1An Introduction to Positive Psychology3 modules · The boat+
What separates people who flourish from those who struggle? Meet the science of wellbeing, the shift from the first to the second wave of positive psychology, and the Sailboat Metaphor — the coaching framework that runs through the entire series.
1Introducing Positive Psychology6 outcomes ▾
- Evaluate the disease model of human functioning and its five key misconceptions
- Compare and contrast the disease model and the health model of human functioning
- Define the focus of positive psychology
- Discuss the effectiveness, underlying mechanisms and practical implications of positive psychology
- Describe the historical background of the field
- Critically evaluate the concept of positive psychology
2Second Wave Positive Psychology3 outcomes ▾
- Recognise the misconceptions that gave rise to second wave positive psychology
- Define second wave positive psychology
- Use the Statue of David Metaphor to explain its key principles
3The Sailboat Metaphor6 outcomes ▾
- Recall and discuss the eight elements of the sailboat — water, compass, steering wheel, leaks, sails, weather, other boats and destination
- Describe the four elements of the captain — attention, thoughts, motivation and action
- Understand how the lighthouse (the coach) interacts with the sailboat and its captain
- Show how the elements interact to apply positive psychology to individual wellbeing
- Evaluate the benefits of using the metaphor with clients, students and employees
- Use three assessment phases to apply the metaphor in a wide range of settings
MC2Balancing Life Domains5 modules · The water+
Friends, work, family, hobbies — life balance (the ability to divide attention between the areas that matter most) is strongly linked to wellbeing. Learn the role of attention, satisfaction and need fulfilment, and the actions that actually create balance.
1Life Domains4 outcomes ▾
- Use the Sailboat Metaphor to discuss life domains with clients
- Evaluate how a client's life domains are interconnected
- Discuss three practical benefits of working with life domains
- Use positive psychology techniques to help clients identify their most important life domains
2Attention for Life Domains4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss life balance with clients using the Sailboat Metaphor
- Explain the cognitive, behavioural and emotional cost of imbalance
- Evaluate the cognitive, behavioural and emotional benefits of life balance
- Assess a client's level of life balance
3Thoughts About Life Domains5 outcomes ▾
- Discuss life domain satisfaction with clients
- Contrast overall life satisfaction with life domain satisfaction
- Explain the link between life domain satisfaction and wellbeing
- Identify why the 'weighted satisfaction score' isn't a recommended assessment
- Help clients reflect on their life domain satisfaction and track change over time
4Motivation for Engaging in Life Domains3 outcomes ▾
- Discuss needs satisfaction with clients
- Define human needs
- Explain 'needs satisfaction limits' and why they make balance so important
5Activities per Life Domain4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss how activities within each life domain improve wellbeing
- Explain how activities connect within and between life domains
- Evaluate three behavioural skills that build wellbeing — redistributing time, increasing priority and acting with more awareness
- Use positive psychology techniques to help clients make lasting positive changes
MC3Emotional Intelligence6 modules · The compass+
People high in emotional intelligence handle stress better, build closer relationships and report higher wellbeing. Get a scientific definition of EI, the processes behind it, and a wide toolkit for raising it in your clients.
1Emotions7 outcomes ▾
- Define emotion and distinguish it from mood
- Distinguish between positive and negative emotions
- Explain the key assumptions of the broaden-and-build theory
- Explain how positive emotions broaden attention, thinking and action — creating an upward spiral
- Explain how negative emotions narrow them — creating a downward spiral
- Evaluate the 'undoing hypothesis' of positive emotions
- Use the Sailboat Metaphor to explore emotions with clients
2Emotional Intelligence6 outcomes ▾
- Define EI using the four-dimensional model
- Understanding emotions in yourself — the five factors that drive emotional intensity, the three barriers to emotional awareness, and techniques to grow a client's emotional vocabulary
- Understanding emotions in others — reading facial expressions, body language and speech, and the three key benefits of recognising others' emotions
- Regulating emotions — three core strategies, 16 practical regulation strategies, the Process Model of Emotion Regulation, and 'learned resourcefulness'
- Using emotions to perform — in coping, need fulfilment, relationships and creativity
- Recognise how the four dimensions of EI connect, and discuss each using the Sailboat Metaphor
3Emotional Awareness7 outcomes ▾
- Define emotional awareness
- Identify three key characteristics of emotions — bodily sensations, thoughts and action tendencies
- Explain how emotions trigger automatic, impulsive action — and how mindfulness reduces it
- Contrast the action tendencies of positive and negative emotions
- Help clients cultivate acceptance toward emotions
- Explain two things that block acceptance — excessive focus on, and excessive avoidance of, emotions
- Apply techniques that increase clients' awareness of emotions
4Beliefs About Emotions5 outcomes ▾
- Understand the two key beliefs about emotions — acceptability and malleability
- Discern how unhelpful beliefs about emotions reduce wellbeing
- Evaluate how believing emotions can change fosters active coping
- Assess beliefs about the acceptability and malleability of emotions
- Assess dysfunctional beliefs about emotions
5Emotional Knowledge5 outcomes ▾
- Explain how emotions move us to approach, avoid or withdraw
- Evaluate how emotion-driven behaviour can make emotions worse
- Treat emotions as data about needs and values
- Use the 'acting opposite to urges' technique to build mindful responding
- Show the link between motivation and emotion using the Sailboat Metaphor
6Emotional Expression6 outcomes ▾
- Define emotional expression
- Explain three forms of expression — social sharing, writing and music
- Understand why expression works — less avoidance, more self-insight, stronger relationships
- Use techniques that foster healthy emotional expression
- Describe 'the paradox of expressing negative emotions'
- Evaluate the expression of positive emotions
MC4Meaning and Valued Living2 modules · The steering wheel+
Isolation and meaninglessness are more common than ever. Unpack what meaning really is, the types of meaning and how to grow it — then connect meaning to values, and help clients live in line with what matters most to them.
1Meaning8 outcomes ▾
- Understand 'the problem of meaning' — why it's so hard to define
- Discern the two key aspects of meaning — mattering and making sense
- Evaluate the research linking meaning to psychological wellbeing
- Explore the four types of meaning — cosmic, big, situational and the experience of meaning
- Discuss 'the paradox of meaning'
- Use the Trinity of Meaning Model to help clients create meaning from the bright side of life
- Use six meaning-based coping strategies to create meaning from the dark side of life — including benefit finding, goal setting, reordering priorities and attention to positive events
- Analyse the difference between problematic and adaptive sources of meaning
2Valued Living8 outcomes ▾
- Define values and their link to meaning
- Assess clients' core values using different techniques
- Evaluate four reasons value awareness matters — decision making, motivation, preventing emotion-driven behaviour and avoiding excessive goal focus
- Reduce rigid beliefs about values (black-and-white thinking and rule making)
- Contrast intrinsic and extrinsic values, and the motivation behind extrinsic value pursuit
- Identify three barriers to living your values — lack of reflection, fear and conflicting values
- Explain how to increase value expression — noticing discrepancies, coping with fear and affirmation
- Use values-based techniques to promote value-congruent action
MC5The Science of Self-Acceptance6 modules · The leaks+
Chasing self-esteem is one of the biggest threats to wellbeing. The research points to a far healthier alternative: self-acceptance. Help clients build a healthy relationship with themselves through self-acceptance and self-compassion.
1The Self5 outcomes ▾
- Discuss the concept of the 'self' with clients
- Identify five key differences between 'self-as-story' and 'self-as-process'
- Explain how the self-as-story is built across a lifetime
- Discuss its cognitive, behavioural and emotional impact
- Use techniques to strengthen a client's 'self-as-process'
2Weaknesses4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss weaknesses with clients using the Sailboat Metaphor
- Explain how weaknesses operate on cognitive, behavioural and physical levels
- Discuss the signalling function of emotions
- Discuss how our relationship with our weaknesses shapes wellbeing
3Awareness of Weaknesses4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss awareness of weaknesses with clients
- Identify what happens when we pay too little or too much attention to weaknesses
- Evaluate the benefits of balanced attention
- Use techniques to help clients cultivate balanced attention to their weaknesses
4Self-Evaluation4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss self-evaluation with clients
- Compare conditional and unconditional self-acceptance
- Discuss their cognitive, behavioural and emotional impact
- Use techniques to help clients cultivate unconditional self-acceptance
5Motivation for Improvement5 outcomes ▾
- Explain self-evaluation as the core process behind self-esteem
- Discuss six key costs of pursuing self-esteem
- Identify six differences between motivation driven by self-esteem and by personal growth
- Identify five key differences between self-esteem and self-acceptance
- Help clients build a growth mindset about their weaknesses
6Self-Care4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss self-care with clients
- Compare self-criticism and self-compassion — and their cognitive, behavioural and emotional consequences
- Explain Neff's three components of self-compassion
- Use techniques to increase self-care and self-compassion
MC6Maximising Strengths5 modules · The sails+
Rather than only fixing what's wrong, focus on what's strong. The deepest masterclass in the series: what strengths are, how to spot and assess them, the beliefs and motivation behind using them, and how to regulate them so they're neither underused nor overused.
1Strengths11 outcomes ▾
- Define strengths and the four key ingredients of a strength
- Differentiate strengths from values, beliefs, interests and talents
- Critically compare the key approaches to strengths and strength assessment
- Explain individual differences in strength use and development
- Distinguish a strength focus from a weakness focus — and the role of the negativity bias
- Link strengths to intrinsic motivation and flow
- Compare realised strengths, unrealised strengths, weaknesses and learned behaviours
- Know when to minimise, maximise, marshal and moderate
- Understand inside-out versus outside-in perspectives
- Define and apply Strength-Based Practice as an assessment tool
- Explain the Peterson Pathologies Theory
2Attention8 outcomes ▾
- Illustrate clients' awareness — and unawareness — of their strengths
- Identify the four ingredients of strength awareness and five root causes of low awareness
- Explain the role of social comparison and self-assessment
- Compare four ways to assess strengths — questionnaires, interviews, peer assessment and self-reflection
- Compare the three most-used strengths questionnaires
- Run a strength interview — strength spotting, seven 'strength-talk' cues and open-ended questioning
- Use the Reflected Best Self exercise for peer assessment
- Combine assessment methods for a full picture of a client's strengths
3Thoughts5 outcomes ▾
- Identify the ingredients for strength development — time, devotion, effort, skill and focus
- Explain growth and fixed mindsets around strengths
- Know when an over-generalised growth mindset becomes unhelpful
- Assess a client's mindset about strengths, success and failure
- Use the Inspiration for Growth exercise
4Motivation5 outcomes ▾
- Illustrate clients' motivation to use their strengths
- Explain the short-term benefits of strength use — energy, intrinsic motivation and flow
- Explain the long-term benefits — wellbeing and authenticity
- Evaluate the social benefits of strength use
- Help clients resolve 'strength collisions' at work
5Action6 outcomes ▾
- Define strength regulation and its role in optimal strength use
- Distinguish minor, major, inward and outward strength expressions
- Apply a contextual (not isolated) strength perspective
- Recognise and address strength overuse, underuse and misuse
- Apply four guidelines for optimal strength use
- Help clients identify strengths, notice daily use and grow
MC7Realising Resilience5 modules · The weather+
Why do some people withstand — or even thrive on — tough life events? Learn the skills that build resilience: where attention goes, how events are interpreted, how they're handled, and the motivation behind coping.
1Resilience4 outcomes ▾
- Define resilience through adversity and positive adaptation
- Separate what's in our control (attention, thoughts, actions, motivation) from what isn't
- Evaluate three characteristics of events — duration, intensity and controllability
- Assess a client's level of resilience
2Attention2 outcomes ▾
- Discuss negativity and positivity bias and their impact on wellbeing
- Use techniques such as Three Good Things to shift clients toward a positivity bias
3Thoughts4 outcomes ▾
- Use cognitive appraisal theory — it's the interpretation, not the event, that causes emotion
- Build three resilient forms of appraisal — challenge appraisal, benefit finding and optimism
- Understand optimistic and pessimistic explanatory styles and learned helplessness
- Use techniques that foster challenge appraisal, benefit finding and optimism
4Action4 outcomes ▾
- Identify four major strategies for dealing with negative events
- Distinguish active and passive coping styles
- Help clients move from maladaptive to adaptive coping
- Define savouring and use six strategies to amplify it — gratitude, capitalisation, expression, self-congratulation, sensory sharpening and memory building
5Motivation4 outcomes ▾
- Discuss four coping styles — active coping, surrender, over-control and passive coping
- Help clients recognise their limits of control
- Promote active coping by connecting clients with their personal values
- Use 'scarcity' and 'overcoming hardship' to savour positive events
MC8Positive Relationships5 modules · The other boats+
Other people matter. Decades of wellbeing research show relationships are the key contributor to happiness and a vital buffer in hard times. Learn what makes relationships flourish and get hands-on tools to help clients invest in the bonds that matter.
1Social Relationships3 outcomes ▾
- Describe how positive relationships enhance wellbeing
- Assess the four types of social support — emotional, instrumental, informational and companionship
- Recognise how negative relationships reduce wellbeing
2Attention for Social Relationships3 outcomes ▾
- Understand why attending to relationships prevents isolation and builds social capital
- Describe the four aspects of social capital — quantity, strength, intensity and density
- Assess a client's social capital and help them expand it
3Beliefs About Social Relationships4 outcomes ▾
- Define and assess perceived social connectedness
- Distinguish emotional and social loneliness
- Define perceived social support and the thinking behind it
- Assess the accuracy of a client's beliefs and work with low perceived support
4Motivation for Commitment3 outcomes ▾
- Analyse the Investment Model of Commitment
- Explain why people commit to both helpful and unhelpful relationships
- Analyse a client's reasons for investing in their relationships
5Relationship Management3 outcomes ▾
- Use eight strategies for positive relationships — mindful listening, constructive responding, kindness, gratitude, vulnerability, apologising well, forgiveness and empathy
- Understand the coaching alliance and why it drives client outcomes
- Evaluate the three ingredients of healthy helping relationships (Self-Determination Theory)
MC9Motivation & Goal Achievement5 modules · The destination+
Some people live with a clear vision; others drift. The types of goals people set matter enormously. Master the principles of goal setting and goal striving, the types of motivation behind them, and practical ways to make goals happen.
1Goals6 outcomes ▾
- Break long-term goals into short-term goals
- Rephrase avoidance goals as approach goals
- Distinguish learning and performance goals
- Weigh up specific versus non-specific goals
- Distinguish end-state and process goals
- Uncover the intentions behind a client's goals
2Attention to Goals4 outcomes ▾
- Identify why vague goals get too little attention
- Explain the cost of too little — and too much — attention to goals
- Understand 'ironic processes of control'
- Use mindfulness to promote balanced attention to goals
3Thoughts About Goals5 outcomes ▾
- Assess and increase a client's self-efficacy
- Explain the link between self-efficacy, goal attainment and commitment
- Understand what drives level of aspiration
- Differentiate healthy from dysfunctional perfectionism
- Use a hope map to plan around obstacles
4Motivation Behind Goals6 outcomes ▾
- Differentiate intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and three types of extrinsic motivation
- Use the self-concordance model to align goals with interests and values
- Explain 'inside-out' versus 'outside-in' motivation
- Define flow and its nine characteristics
- Help clients find when they're most focused and present
- Move clients toward more autonomous motivation
5Goal-Directed Action6 outcomes ▾
- Use mental imagery to promote goal achievement
- Use implementation intentions and action planning
- Build habits through drastic, incremental and chunked change
- Understand four benefits of habit formation
- Use a goal buddy for motivation and accountability
- Use self-rewards, awareness of progress and celebrating small wins
Who it's for
For anyone who wants positive psychology in their professional toolkit
New to the field? You'll get a structured head start and a practical method from day one. Already experienced? You'll add a proven, science-based modality to everything you already do — and you can apply it in any coaching niche you choose.
CoachesNew coachesCounsellorsPsychologistsTherapistsWorkshop facilitatorsSocial workersHealthcare professionalsHR managersTeachersMental health practitioners
Enrol now
Positive Psychology — $6,000
Good to know
Included inside the Diploma of Life Coaching
Positive Psychology comes bundled in the $12,000 Diploma along with NLP, Hypnosis and Mindset certification — often the better-value route.
See the DiplomaOr call 1800 424 556