Courses

How would your life be different if your relationships were more consistently fulfilling and supportive? Cultivating courage and compassion helps develop relationships that are rooted in trust, honesty, joy, gratitude, strength, and vitality. Most of us share this vision, but the demands and hectic pace of our complex lives, as well as our own defenses, often distract us. We define living courageously and compassionately as the willingness to skillfully express a core value, such as being authentic, despite experiencing an emotional risk in the process. Life affords us many such opportunities. For example, when we are hurt or angered by the words or actions of a friend or lover, how can we skillfully express ourselves to the other?

In this course, we will explore the skills and tools that support having potentially challenging conversations, and skillfully expressing courage with compassion and effectiveness—all for the purpose of creating relationships that truly work. Drawing from the fields of positive, existential, and evolutionary psychology, we will understand and appreciate the vital keys to thriving relationships. The course will include a combination of lectures, class participation, and small-group exercises. We will focus on personal relationships; however, the principles and practices equally apply to collegial relationships. The course is designed for those with either a personal or professional interest in relationships.