Our lives are shaped by the conversations we have: every one of them can open up new possibilities and further horizons. In this course you’ll find out how to start a conversation and how to make it enjoyable and rewarding. We’ll explore and practise these skills and find out how to have conversations that broaden our curiosity and deepen our relationships. This engaging course combines theory and practical exercises and is must for those yearning for more than just small talk! Cour... [More]

Developing and sustaining a strong relationship can be both challenging and rewarding. Whether professional, business or personal, relationships can provide support and satisfaction. At other times they can also be a source of distress and dissatisfaction. Led by an experienced practitioner, these workshops are designed to improve your understanding of how we relate to each other and help you discover what it takes to connect, enhance and sustain your relationships with others. Draw... [More]

You’ve lived Adulthood I – you’ve built a career and perhaps raised a family. You’re in your mid-50’s or 60’s and you probably have at least another 30-40 years of good life ahead of you. So, what’s next? Human life expectancy at birth in industrialised countries has increased by some thirty years since the beginning of the twentieth century. Career and child rearing, by which we have defined ourselves, no longer occupy the majority of our time. We are in new territory. We need to r... [More]

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is based on the idea that feelings such as anxiety, depression, anger and frustration are largely caused by our own thoughts and beliefs, and that changing the way we think enables us to change the way we feel. Learn to identify the patterns of thinking that contribute to upsetting emotions, and learn strategies to help you challenge and change negative thoughts and self-defeating behaviours. An interactive program will describe the Cognitive Behavioural ... [More]

If you want to learn how to say ‘no’, make your presence felt in a meeting or tell someone their behaviour is unsatisfactory (while keeping others onside), then this course is for you. You’ll learn how to handle people who ignore you, interrupt you, unduly criticise you, make unreasonable requests or vent their anger against you. A key tool you will explore and use is Yvonne Collier’s LAFFe to Success Behavioural Model to become more assertive. You will discover your dominant behavi... [More]

The nature of mental illness can be mystifying to many people and crippling for sufferers. In this case study – based course, a practising psychologist will overview mood disorders (especially depression and bipolar disorder) so that stereotypes can be challenged and causes and cures examined. The course will utilise a number of the University’s training DVDs and there will be time for class discussion. Come along and get another perspective on this clinical disorder and mental illn... [More]

New online services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn challenge longstanding ideas about privacy and intellectual property. At the same time, they are cultivating an ethos of sharing and transparency that is impacting on business, government, and civil society in important ways. As these new technologies change the world, they change us. This course draws on philosophical ideas to explore how social media is changing our sense of personal identity and ethics. The course ... [More]

You might imagine that listening and speaking under pressure is a natural ability – you either have it or you don’t. In fact, with good preparation and a structured approach you can develop the confidence to be spontaneous and articulate when presenting a proposal, strengthening your case or selling your ideas. This lively course will show you a four-step system for doing this, so that, even under pressure, you can speak accurately, fluently and flexibly. Course Content How to build... [More]

Developing and sustaining a strong relationship can be both challenging and rewarding. Whether professional, business or personal, relationships can provide support and satisfaction. At other times they can also be a source of distress and dissatisfaction. Led by an experienced practitioner, these workshops are designed to improve your understanding of how we relate to each other and help you discover what it takes to connect, enhance and sustain your relationships with others. Draw... [More]

Do you really know how you feel? Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify a large range of emotions and to manage, use and change them to get the most out of life. Through a mix of discussion and practical exercises, you’ll develop awareness and the basic tools for responding proactively to emotional situations of all kinds. Find out about the concept of emotional intelligence and how to take control of your emotions and your life. Course Content Introduction to Emotional I... [More]