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Introduction to Psychology (60 academic hours)

Part 1 – Positive psychology

Course Overview

Positive Psychology strives to study humans at their best, to research positive feelings, strengths and virtues, and to investigate those things that make life worth living.  It focuses on improving the mental functioning of human beings above that of normal mental health.

Positive Psychology as a branch of mainstream Psychology studies what makes human beings happy and how an individual can lead a fulfilling and satisfying life. As a field of inquiry, its purpose is to understand and foster the factors that allow strong individuals, organizations and societies to flourish.

This course aims to enhance student’s self-awareness of where their strengths lie. Using positive psychology and well-developed techniques, this course is an effective tool in preparing students for further learning, and particularly for a future in the counseling field.

The course contains 6 sessions of 5 academic hours, and is based upon highly-accredited university-level courses.

Objectives of the Course

• Participants will become familiar with the primary subject matter of positive psychology

They will learn the evidence-based value of positive thoughts, feelings and actions

Students will be encouraged via learning, class exercises and home assignments to move with personal awareness towards creating the personal positive life they want

Topics in the course will include:

• What is positive psychology? What is a positive life? 

• Human strengths and virtues as individuals and within organizations

• Happiness: enhancing greater happiness

• Hope and optimism

• The value of positive emotions and feelings

• Positive relationships

• What is personal growth?

• Personal vision and social service, gratitude and altruism

• Joy and enthusiasm in life

• Coping and resilience and coherence

• Towards leading and maintaining a positive life

Course requirements

There are no prior requirements in order to study in this module. The course is taught through a combination of theory and workshop style classes. There will be one compulsory assessment towards the end of this course. Students must attend a minimum of 85% of classes, and complete the course assessment in order to pass.

Course Qualifications

All students who fulfill the courses requirements will receive certification of completion of the module from the Yanar Institute, and have the option to continue with further studies at the Yanar Institute.

Faculty

This course is presented by Sam Lison M. Sc.

Sam has over 30 years' experience in the field, and in recent years has run countless workshops and courses training individuals and groups in the field of positive psychology and imago therapy.

Part 2 - Introduction to psychology

Course overview

This course is in essence, a compact – but intensive - course that combines and condenses three major subjects essential to any student wishing to progress in psychology, counseling or any related field.

Using some of the best lecturers available, the program aims to provide students with a highly-intense summary of the most popular starter courses available in most academic programs. This includes mainly general psychology, developmental psychology, and personality theories.

The program is aimed at students who have no prior academic background in the related fields, and who want to enhance their knowledge before entering a mainstream Yanar program, or just for the extra knowledge that this course contains.

Course requirements

There are no prior requirements in order to study in this module. There will be two compulsory assessments during this course. Students must attend a minimum of 85% of classes, and complete the course assessments in order to pass.

Course Qualifications

All students who fulfill the courses requirements will receive certification of completion of the module from the Yanar Institute, and will be entitled – subject to acceptance by the academic board - to continue with further studies at the Yanar Institute.

Syllabus outline

Part 1 – Psychological perspectives in a historical context – 3 sessions

• Psychodynamic theories (Freud, Klein, Erikson)
• Behaviorism (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner)
• Evolutionary psychology
• Humanistic psychology
• Social (cultural) psychology
• Cognitive psychology (Piaget)

Part 2 – Counseling theory (suggestive) 2 sessions

A. Human development theories

B. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories

C. Contemporary life-span development theories

D. Humanistic and existential counseling theories

E. Behavioral and cognitive counseling theories

F. Constructivist counseling theories

Part 3 – Personality trait theories - 1 session

• Trait theories versus personality theories (Catell, Costa & Mcgrae, Goldberg)
• Biological trait theories (Eyeseneck)

Faculty:

Dr Yael Salomon