'This Book Will Help You Flourish', promises Martin Seligman at the start of this new text, his first book in 10 years and the first to introduce his dynamic new concept of 'Well-Being'. In the genre of Positive Psychology this book is about ‘raising the bar’ for the human condition.

Seligman asks, what is it that allows you to Flourish? 'Well-being' takes center stage, Happiness becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment--or PERMA. The Permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment.

Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman's foundational work on optimism, motivation, and character to reveal how to get the most out of life--for individuals, communities, and for nations. Flourish clearly refines what Positive Psychology is all about.

Thought provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy. Flourish provides a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. Flourish includes interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and goals. It is the logical extension of Seligman's best selling classics, Authentic Happiness, Learned Optimism, and The Optimistic Child.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the clinician will be able to:

• have a better understanding of the construct of 'flourishing' and the elements contained therein
• have many practical, validated positive psychology exercises which will promote 'flourishing' with clients
• be able to explain the expansion from the focus on happiness to the more encompassing construct of 'well-being'
• be able to demonstrate to colleagues how to assist clients in making progress in 'living well', vs a preoccupation with illness
• acquire a personal road map to facilitate their own well-being and flourishing and whereby they can authentically help others

Syllabus / Course Instructions

• The Course consists of reading the selected book, successfully completing an online posttest and filling out a course evaluation.
• The book is not included. It must be purchased separately. We have supplied a link to Amazon.com for your convenience.
• Purchasing your course will give you access to both a printable copy of the test and an online version. Print the test to use as a companion as you read the book and answer the questions.
• You cannot exit the online test once you begin, so have your answers available.

Additional Resources On This Site for CE

• The Optimistic Child
  by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman: 11 CE Credits
• Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived
  Edited by Corey L. M. Keyes and Jonathan Haidt: 13 CE Credits
• Learned Optimism
  by Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD: 9 CE Credits
• Authentic Happiness
  by Martin E. P. Seligman: 10 CE Credits

Additional Resources Not On This Site

• Authentic Happiness Website University Pennsylvania
  http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/
• Positive Psychology Center University Pennsylvania
  http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/index.html
• Dr. Seligman's Speaking Engagements
  http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/books.aspx?id=157
• Meet the author, watch videos and more at SimonandSchuster.com

Bio: Martin Seligman

Martin Seligman received his A.B., Princeton University, Summa Cum Laude (Philosophy), in 1964 and his Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania (Psychology), in 1967.

His research on helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism, has been on the forefront of positive psychology. He is currently the Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

His bibliography includes more than 20 books and 170 articles on motivation and personality. Among his better-known works are Learned Optimism(Knopf, 1991), What You Can Change & What You Can't(Knopf, 1993), The Optimistic Child (Houghton Mifflin, 1995), Learned Helplessness (Freeman, 1975, 1993) and Abnormal Psychology (Norton, 1982, 1988, 1995, with David Rosenhan).
Dr. Seligman's research and writing has been broadly supported by a number of institutions including The National Institute of Mental Health (continuously since 1969), the National Institute of Aging, the National Science Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. His research on preventing depression received the MERIT Award of the National Institute of Mental Health in 1991. He is the network director of the Positive Psychology Network and Scientific Director of the Values-in-Action Project of the Mayerson Foundation.

In 1996 Dr. Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association, by the largest vote in modern history. His primary aim as APA President was to join practice and science together so both might flourish a goal that has dominated his own life as a psychologist. His major initiatives concerned the prevention of ethno political warfare and the study of Positive Psychology.

Since 2000 his main mission has been the promotion of the field of Positive Psychology. This discipline includes the study of positive emotion, positive character traits, and positive institutions. As the science behind these becomes more firmly grounded, Dr. Seligman is now turning his attention to training Positive Psychologists, individuals whose practice will make the world a happier place.