Counseling 503: Introduction to Positive Psychology and Implications for Addiction

Instructor: Christine E. Agaibi, MA (ABD – PhD Candidate Counseling Psychology)

Phone: 216.338.7277 (Cell)

Course Description: Course is designed to familiarize students (lay Christian helpers) with the fundamentals of Positive Psychology and the positive aspects of the human experience. Students will learn about the history of positive psychology and interventions and application to this psychological construct. Students will learn the research and application of fundamental topics such as happiness, well-being, resilience, post-traumatic growth, values, strengths. Students will explore how interventions of positive psychology can be applied to addictions and how we can better understand ourselves and the people we interact with through a positive psychology lens. Students will also learn about the impact and implications for increasing well-being.

Course Objective:

Learning what is positive psychology?
Learning the fundamentals of Positive Psychology
Understanding the role of emotions
Understanding the fundamentals of well-being and happiness
Understanding positive psychology interventions
Examining how this could be applied to addiction

Required Text:

Positive Psychology: Theory, Research, and Applications – By Kate Hefferon and Ilona Boniwell

(2011). ISBN-10: 0335241956 | ISBN-13: 978-0335241958

Other Articles may be required and will be distributed as necessary by the instructor

Suggested Text:

Introducing Positive Psychology: A Practical Guide – By: Bridget Grenville-Cleave

(2012). ISBN-10: 1848312776 ISBN-13: 978-1848312777

Assignments:

Phone Meetings will be every Wednesday at 9pm EST. If there is a scheduling conflict we will reschedule to some other day in that same week. For each week, each chapter listed is what you should have read BEFORE the call to discuss and ask questions for that week’s call. While some of the call will be dedicated to lecture and review of the material, the purpose of the call is to answer your questions and have a discussion about the topic listed for that week. Please have the material listed for the week read by Wednesday’s call.

Call #: (712) 432-3900

Conference Access Code: 176244#

There will be THREE Reaction/Reflection Papers Due throughout the course that are 2-3 pages long at 20 points each. The will be reflections of the weeks prior to when it is due. For example the paper due the week of 1.28.13 will be reflections of material covered in 1.14 and 1.21.13 weeks. Reflections should be about thoughts or questions you ponder when you have read and reflected about the topic. I will also provide a question or two as a launch point for you to consider when writing your paper.

There will be a final exam due the last week of class that reflects the ENTIRE semester. It will be worth 40 points and will consist of 35 multiple choice questions at one point each (35 questions x 1pt each = 35 points) + ONE SHORT ESSAY questions worth 5 points = 40 Total Points.

Semester Points:

Reflection Paper 1 – 20pts.

Reflection Paper 2 – 20pts.

Reflection Paper 3 – 20pts.

FINAL Exam – 40pts. (35+5)

————-

TOTAL 100pts.

Schedule:

Week 1 – 1.14.13 – What is Positive Psychology and why do we need to study this (Call 1.16.13)

Week 2 – 1.21.13 – Read “Why are some people happier than others?” – By Sonja Lyubomirsky

Read “Positive Psychology: An Introduction” – By Martin Seligman & Mihaly

Csikszentmihalyi (Call 1.23.13)

Week 3 – 1.28.13 – Reflection 1 Paper Due – 20 Points – Read Chapter 1 (Call 1.30.13)

Week 4 – 2.4.13 – Read Chapter 2 (Call 2.6.13)

Week 5 – 2.11.13 – Read Chapter 3 – Diversity and Positive Psychology (Call 2.13.13)

Week 6 – 2.18.13 – Read Chapter 4 (Call 2.20.13)

Week 7 – 2.25.13 – Reflection Paper 2 Due – 20 Points Read Chapter 5 (Call 2.27.13)

Week 8 – 3.4.13 – Read Chapter 6 (Call 3.6.13)

Week 9 – 3.11.13 – Read Chapter 7 (Call 3.13.13)

Week 10 – 3.18.13 – Reflection Paper 3 Due – 20 Points – Read Chapter 8 (Call 3.20.13)

Week 11 – 3.25.13 – Read Chapter 9 (Call 3.27.13)

Week 12 – 4.1.13 – Read Chapter 10 & Applying to Addiction (Call 4.3.13)

Week 13 – 4.8.13 – Read Chapter 11 (Call 4.10.13)

Week 14 – 4.15.13 – FINAL EXAM Due 4.17.13 – 40 Points

Grading Scale:

>93 = A

90-93 = A-

87-89 = B+

84-86 = B

80-83 – B-

,80 = C/Certificate of Attendance