Leveraging the Science of Emotion: Powerful Methods for

Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Distress and Disconnection

A Workshop by Barbara Fredrickson, PhD

Emotions play an important role in our daily lives. Positive emotions, in particular, have a strong biological influence on cardiovascular functioning, oxytocin levels, and gene expression within our immune cells. In this workshop, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, one of the leading scholars in the positive psychology field, will share her latest theory and findings on how positive emotions are essential to (a) enhancing health, (b) sustaining lifestyle changes, and (c) creating positive connections with others. At a time when emotional distress and social isolation are epidemic, this workshop is particularly important for healthcare professionals and other individuals interested in learning about effective strategies for helping our clients moderate stress and become more socially connected.

Dr. Fredrickson will explain the specifics of how emotional and physical health influence each other. She will discuss the process of leveraging this knowledge to foster the behavior changes pivotal for improved mental and physical health. She will also show us how even fleeting moments of positive social connection with others can benefit us. Our daily diets of positive social connections influence how we grow and change, making us healthier and more resilient. Dr. Fredrickson describes how our heart’s capacity for connection can be accurately measured and strengthened, and offers practical ways these discoveries can be applied in daily life to promote individual and communal well-being.

Course Objectives:
1. Identify the biological profiles that are associated with habitual positive emotions and how they may support physical health.
2. Describe why and how to leverage positive emotions to support sustained behavior change.
3. Describe how positivity resonates between and among people, creating micro-moments of shared positivity, biological and behavioral synchrony, and mutual care.
4. Identify aspects of well-being that are influenced by positive emotions and positive connection.

About the Presenter:

Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D.

Kenan Distinguished Professor; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Director, Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory; Past-President, International Positive Psychology Association

Among the most highly cited scholars in psychology, Barbara Fredrickson is most known for her “broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions,” foundational within Positive Psychology for providing a blueprint for how pleasant emotional states, as fleeting as they are, contribute to resilience, wellbeing, and health. She is Director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory (PEP Lab) at UNC-Chapel Hill, Founding Co-Chair of the Association of Positive Emotion Laboratories (APEL), and served as President of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) from 2015-2017.

Dr. Fredrickson has published > 100 peer-reviewed articles, and her general audience books, Positivity (2009, www.PositivityRatio.com) and Love 2.0 (2013, www.PositivityResonance.com) have been translated for more than 30 foreign markets. Dr. Fredrickson’s research has received funding by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NCI, NIA, NCCIM, NIMH, NINR) and has been recognized with numerous honors, including the inaugural Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the Career Trajectory Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, the inaugural Christopher Peterson Gold Medal from the International Positive Psychology Association, and the Tang Prize for Achievements in Psychology, awarded to recognize exceptional career contributions to the well-being of humanity.

In 2014, she was identified as the 13th most influential psychologist alive today contributing to counseling psychology. In 2015, through a partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill and Coursera, Dr. Fredrickson began teaching a free, on-line course on Positive Psychology that has attracted ~185,000 learners across ~200 counties worldwide. Through this and other means, her work influences scholars and practitioners worldwide, within education, business, healthcare, the military, and beyond.

Dr. Fredrickson was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota (1986). She received her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University (1990), with a minor in organizational behavior, and post-doctoral training in psychophysiology from the University of California at Berkeley (1990-1992). Prior to joining the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill, she held faculty positions at Duke University and the University of Michigan.

Schedule:

9:00 - 9:30: Introductions and Opening Comments: Why the Science of Positive Emotions Matters

9:30 - 10:45: The Biological Underpinnings of Positive Emotions and Purpose

10:45 - 11:00 (break)

11:00 - 12:30: Creating Upward Spirals for Positive Lifestyle Changes

12:30 - 1:30: lunch

1:30 - 3:00: The Science of Connection: How Positivity Resonates and Why it Matters

3:00 - 3:15: (break)

3:15 - 4:30: Integration: Sustaining Positivity in Ourselves and in Our Clients/Patients

Continuing Education/Professional Development Credit:
6 hours of continuing education are provided by Mind Science Foundation and meet the CE requirements for psychologists, licensed psychological associates, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, social workers, teachers, educators, and school counselors. Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors Provider No 935. Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners Provider No. CS-3834. Texas Education Agency Provider No. 501136.

Event Organizers:

Institute for the Advancement of Mindful Living
(AdvanceMindfulLiving.com)

Many people struggle to create the life they want in the face of the challenges of contemporary life in America. The Institute for the Advancement of Mindful Living (IAML) was formed by a group of San Antonio psychologists wanting to disseminate accurate information about effective and positive strategies for healthy living to practitioners, and the public alike. IAML's goal is to help more people confidently proclaim, "I AM Living the life I want."

peaceCENTER
(SAcompassion.net)

The peaceCENTER's mission is to nurture the ever-growing circles of peacemakers and resources in a unifying approach to end violence in San Antonio and beyond by partnering individuals and organizations, addressing all issues of violence, providing creative opportunities for all people, and building community and relationships focused on a vision of peace in this time and place and for future generations.

Since 1995, the all-volunteer and interfaith peaceCENTER continues to be a significant community catalyst for peace in San Antonio -- Compassion and Justice being strong guiding lights; Contemplative Practices, Experiential Education, and Nonviolent Actions being the working expressions throughout the City at-large. The peaceCENTER is the local coordinator for Compassionate San Antonio. This event is an official stop on its San Antonio Pilgrimage of Compassion.

All proceeds from these event will cover costs and benefit the PeaceCENTER, a 501 (c) (3), nonprofit organization.

Cancellation Policy
If you have already registered, but cannot attend the workshop, you may receive a refund of your fees minus a $25 cancellation fee until one week before the workshop date.