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What makes for a happy life, a fulfilling life? A good life? According to the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted, the answer to these questions may be closer than you realize.

What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful? The simple but surprising answer is: relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and overall healthier lives. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life.

The invaluable insights in this book emerge from the revealing personal stories of hundreds of participants in the Harvard Study as they were followed year after year for their entire adult lives, and this wisdom is bolstered by research findings from this and many other studies. Relationships in all their forms—friendships, romantic partnerships, families, coworkers, tennis partners, book club members, Bible study groups—all contribute to a happier, healthier life. And as The Good Life shows us, it’s never too late to strengthen the relationships you have, and never too late to build new ones.

Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about the Harvard Study, 'What Makes a Good Life,' has been viewed more than 42 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever. The Good Life has been praised by bestselling authors Jay Shetty ('Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz lead us on an empowering quest towards our greatest need: meaningful human connection'), Angela Duckworth ('In a crowded field of life advice and even life advice based on scientific research, Schulz and Waldinger stand apart'), and happiness expert Laurie Santos ('Waldinger and Schulz are world experts on the counterintuitive things that make life meaningful').

With warmth, wisdom, and compelling life stories, The Good Life shows us how we can make our lives happier and more meaningful through our connections to others.

Educational Objectives

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

• Identify factors of interpersonal relationships that positively impact one's satisfaction with their life.
• Describe the concept of social fitness and how it impacts individual life satisfaction.
• List the role of flexibility and adaptability in interpersonal relationships.
• Name how interpersonal relationships at work impact one's overall satisfaction with their life.
• Identify protective factors that positive and healthy family relationships can have.
• List the negative impact of having limited interpersonal relationships.
• Identify small ways to improve interpersonal relationships to implement now.
• Explain how to use developmental theory to find meaning in one's life.
• Describe the positive impact of how being curious about relationships can improve life satisfaction.
• Explain how early life experiences impact later life development.
• List important factors in intimate relationships.
• Describe the elemental nature of relational connection, and its' comparable importance to physical well being.

Syllabus / Course Instructions

• This course is suitable for CE for beginning, intermediate and advanced level clinicians.
• The Course consists of reading the selected book, successfully completing an online posttest and filling out a course evaluation.
• The printed book or ebook 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 of the test. 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

• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
  by James Clear: 13 CE Credits
• Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed (This course is not available for CE for psychologists))
  by Lori Gottlieb: 17 CE Credits
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 25th Anniversary Edition
  by Stephen R. Covey, PhD: 15 CE Credits
• The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
  by Gary Chapman, PhD: 8 CE Credits
• Boundaries: When to Say Yes and How to Say No
  by Henry Cloud and John Townsend: 12 CE Credits
• Atlas of The Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
  by Brene’ Brown, PhD, MSW: 13 CE Credits
• What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
  by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Ophrah Winfrey: 13 CE Credits
• ACT Made Simple (2nd Edition)
  by Russ Harris, MD: 16 CE Credits
• 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
  by Jordan B. Peterson: 17 CE Credits
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing from Trauma
  by Bessel van der Kolk, MD: 14 CE Credits

Bio: Marc Schulz, PhD

Dr. Schulz is the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and the Sue Kardas, PhD1971 Chair in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College. Dr. Schulz also directs the data science program. He previously chaired the psychology department and Clinical Developmental Psychology PhD program at Bryn Mawr. He is a practicing therapist with postdoctoral training in health and clinical psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Bio: Robert Waldinger, MD

Dr. Waldinger is professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Waldinger is director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and director of the program in Psychodynamic Therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is practicing psychiatrist and he is also a Zen master (Roshi) who teaches meditation in the US and internationally.