Mental Health and Wellness Professional (MHW) Diploma Course

About two-thirds of people report having mental health issues - which makes mental health an important topic for both the workplace and at home. The goal of this Mental Health Practitioner course is to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and to emphasize how important it is for people to develop their own self-awareness.

A short onboarding article that provides access to support articles for the most commonly asked questions by students who enrol in this training course.

Would you like to discuss the lessons you are learning in this course?

If so, you are welcome to apply to join the ‘Principles into Practice’ Discussion group.

Do you like to grow? Are you always striving to improve yourself? There are some people who experience emotional turbulence and look to mental health professionals to 'fix' them. In this lecture we explore how taking responsibility for our mental and emotional well-being allows us to make better decisions. It is always possible to improve ourselves.

How you think, feel, and act in everyday life is influenced by your mental health. Additionally, it affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome obstacles, build relationships, and recover from life's hardships. A healthy mental state is more than the absence of mental disorders, it also refers to the presence of positive (and healthy) characteristics.

Self-awareness is determined by how well you understand your emotions, actions, and behaviors. Lack of self-awareness usually makes a person feel out-of-balance, anxious, or irritable. During this teaching, we'll introduce a psychological model we can use to better understand the parts of ourselves we're aware of and the parts of us we're not yet aware of.

Experience alone does not dictate the way we act or behave. According to some people, their childhood experiences are responsible for their attitudes, actions, and behaviors later on in life. We discuss in this video how your actions and behaviors are shaped by your attitude towards your life, which is something we all have complete control over.

Fully functioning people tend to possess certain traits that help them stay in tune with their emotions and embrace their need to grow as people. In this teaching, we discuss five of the main ideas that he took from Carl Rogers' 'On Becoming a Person' book. Fully functioning people are in tune with themselves and make an effort to grow and achieve their potential.

The Current/Ideal Conditions model is a way to determine what the real problem is by analyzing the Current state (where you are) and then analyzing the Ideal state (where or who you want to be). In this teaching, we discuss how wanting change is not enough to bring it about. In a sense, we're all always comparing our current conditions to our ideal ones.

Mental Health practitioners must understand the psychology of change. Change is difficult for most people, and it takes a long time for some people to adjust to changes that are imposed on them. To cope with change, some people try to ’run faster’ on the hamster wheel and risk burnout instead of stopping to decide how to best deal with change. Part 1 of 2.

Mental Health practitioners must understand the psychology of change. Change is difficult for most people, and it takes a long time for some people to adjust to changes that are imposed on them. To cope with change, some people try to ’run faster’ on the hamster wheel and risk burnout instead of stopping to decide how to best deal with change. Part 2 of 2.

Change isn't for everyone. Most people are content to remain as they are in the hope that 'somehow' things will work out for the best someday. The teaching discusses the attitude we can adopt to help get the best out of people. Openness to contemplating ideas that exist beyond our life experiences will influence our ability to adopt new ideas.

If we choose to spend our energy focused on reacting to things that are in our "circle of concern" instead of being focused on the things within our "circle of control" we will always be reacting, dissatisfied and unsettled. In this video, we discuss the circles of concern and control in relation to the range of concerns most people have in their lives.

Habits make us human. What can we do to change our behavior or establish new habits? People who want their lives to change without putting in hard work find behaviour change hard. To change our behaviour means adding or subtracting an attitude of habit that we’re already accustomed to. In this video, Kain and his wife Karen discuss their growth journeys.

Social intelligence is an individual's ability to interpret and understand their social environment and build meaningful relationships. 'Street smarts' refers to this skill. Developing social intelligence is a lifelong process. Interaction with others is measured by our social intelligence. We need to develop our social intelligence for a variety of reasons.

With maturity, we learn more about what it means to live an effective life. A person with a wise mind operates in a rare rational state in their day-to-day activities. It consists of a quiet, optimal way of acting/thinking that is flexible, adaptive, and holistic. In this video, Kain presents the three main components of the human mind and explores the idea of wisdom.

Known as the "father of cognitive psychology", Ulric Gustav Neisser (1928 - 2012) was a German-born American psychologist. It is imperative that we understand ourselves as well as others when we are navigating change work processes. This allows us to lead by example. Ulric Neisser's Five Levels of Self-Awareness are discussed in this lesson.

To be self-aware is to know yourself and the effects you have on others. Increased self-awareness can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and evaluate your thoughts and emotions. The self-questioning involved in the process can sometimes create an unhealthy spiral. In this video, we discuss how to reflect wholesomely, in a balanced way.

People sometimes exaggerate things without understanding the true facts. Unless we explore, reflect, consider, or ask, how can we know something? We each have an idea of what is beyond our reach. In this teaching, we discuss how people who never step outside of their comfort zone will not experience the fulfillment that comes with personal growth

Personal growth can be perceived as becoming a better person by adjusting our attitudes, traits, and habits (e.g. becoming more patient, understanding, or assertive etc). Those who live life from a victim mindset, we can be overwhelmed by disempowerment, apathy and victimhood. In this teaching, we discuss the process of personal growth. Part 1 of 2.

Personal growth can be perceived as becoming a better person by adjusting our attitudes, traits, and habits (e.g. becoming more patient, understanding, or assertive etc). Those who live life from a victim mindset, we can be overwhelmed by disempowerment, apathy and victimhood. In this teaching, we discuss the process of personal growth. Part 2 of 2.

In this teaching, we discuss the drama triangle (first named by Stephen Karpman in 1961) and the deceptive way people present themselves as victims, persecutors and rescuers. Although all three are 'roles' and none may be true to who we are, we can all get caught in this vicious cycle that is hard to escape.

Collaborative relationships happen when people work together to accomplish common goals. Collaboration has become a preferred solution to working with different individuals who have other points of views. In this teaching, we discuss what it means to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with people.

We encourage you to use this video to ask yourself a series of self-reflection questions as a way to contemplate the main ideas and lessons you've learned in this section of the course.

In what ways do humans perceive the world and themselves? Life experiences are mostly observable from the outside. As we navigate our surroundings, interact with others, and act, we align our actions with our goals. Despite our beliefs, we can unlearn anything we've learned. This lesson discusses how our mindset influences and shapes our lives.

If you start exploring negative emotions a little bit more, you can begin to understand what might trigger them and why we have them in the first place. People experience various emotional effects to varying degrees. Referring to emotion as illness is misleading. Your lifetime will be filled with an array of emotions triggered by rapidly changing circumstances.

Many are guilty of having a fixed attitude in certain situations, even though the benefits of a growth mindset seem obvious. The problem is that a fixed mindset often prevents skills from developing, which in turn can sabotage our health and happiness. In this video, we discuss two contrasting mindsets and the effects of both on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

People with growth mindsets believe their talents can be developed (with hard work, right strategies, and input from others). Fixed mindsets (which believe their talents are innate) tend to achieve less. Growth mindsets seek to understand others and expand their perspectives. A growth mindset is the key to emotional stability and happiness.

Many years ago, some experts incorrectly believed that people had either a fixed or a growth mindset. Our current understanding is that we all contain elements of both. There are times when we believe we have enormous potential and we overcome setbacks and see failure as a necessary part of getting better. Here, we continue our discussion on mindset.

While many adults do not think of developing themselves cognitively, self-development is key to our growth and improvement. We grow in our cognitive capacity as we learn to consider perspectives that differ from our own. In this video, we discuss questions you can ask to assess how cognitively flexible you might be.

Self awareness is important because when we have a better understanding of ourselves, we are able to experience ourselves as unique and separate individuals. Understanding the CBT communication framework can leave people empowered to make changes and build on their strengths as well as identify areas where they can make improvements.

How do humans experience the world and, in the process, experience themselves? There is, of course, an external, observable dimension to many of our life experiences. In this teaching, we discuss how we can grow to understand the various aspects of our cognitive experience, and in turn, use this knowledge to heighten our productivity and effectiveness.

During a lifetime, we tend to develop unhelpful thinking habits such as those described in this video. Once you can identify your unhelpful thinking styles, you can start to notice them as they arise. Once you can catch them, then that can help you to challenge or distance yourself from those thoughts, and view a situation differently and more constructively.

In this video, we discuss the cost of not managing unhelpful thinking patterns. They share their own experiences of learning to self-regulate and discuss the boundaries that they've built into their lives to better manage the people in their lives who are not mature in this area.

When emotionally charged, it isn't easy to see what is real. You may be misled by subjectivity. That's why it's crucial to look at the facts! In this video, Kain proposes a range of questions that we can use with ourselves (and with other people) to assess and evaluate the quality (and accuracy) of our thoughts at a given moment in time.

Critical thinking questions inspire thinking beyond our assumptions and opinions. They take us deep into exploration, inquiry, and imagining big. They're all about asking "Why" and "How" and "What if ..." In critical thinking, we use questions to reinforce viewpoints, provide discussion prompts, and help us see things from a new perspective.

What you focus on at any given point in time (be this the past or the future) will influence your emotional state. We can time travel inside of our minds by looking back to the past and then forward to the future. Whatever we allow into our minds, that will control our thinking. In this video, we discuss ‘how’ and ‘why’ we experience certain emotions.

The most complex organism in the universe is our human mind. The mind is more complex than most people imagine. When the spirit of human life operates collaboratively with cognition, it produces thoughts and ideas. Both of these processes are too complex to describe, but the ideas that we think up dominate our lives.

Many of us fail to recognize questioning as a skill. And yet, whether in education or coaching, vague, purposeless questions have a rather aimless quality, wasting time, and failing to elicit valuable information. The Socratic method solves this inadequacy by asking a series of focused, open-ended questions that encourage reflection.

Socratic questioning (sometimes referred to as the Socratic method) involves a disciplined and thoughtful dialogue between two or more people. In this video, Kain leads Karen in the Socratic Questioning framework; inviting her to consider a negative pattern of thinking that is present in her life to demonstrate how Socratic questions can be used with others.

Many people put pressure and time restrictions on themselves, which sometimes prevents us from recognizing (and appreciating) the extent of the opportunities we have in life. In this video, we discuss a simple method we can use to re-evaluate life experiences, which helps break unhelpful thinking habits and replace them with new ones.

Cause and effect is the principle of causality, assuming an event as the direct result of another. People will not change until they take responsibility for the role they've played in generating their life outcomes. The earlier we own our problems and take responsibility for the part that we're playing, we can begin working towards more of what we want in life.

In this video, Kain invites Karen for another discussion to illustrate how uncomplicated it is to lead another person through the ‘cause and effect’ questioning framework.

To foster a growth mindset, we must foster a relationship with 'truth'. Making peace with what's true allows us to make peace with the part we're playing in creating our life outcomes. In this teaching, we discuss truth statements to help us identify how OK we are about being honest for the REAL reasons we don't currently have all the outcomes we want in life.

In this video, we present self-reflection questions that you can ask yourself to consider the main ideas and lessons you've learned throughout this section (and also from section one).

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. In this opening video of section three, we discuss the Psychology of Positive Mental Health and highlight six aspects of life and ten theories that we’ll explore in greater detail throughout this section.

"Labels are for tin cans, not for human beings!" It is common for people to use restricting terminologies to express themselves on a personality or identity level. People tend to behave in response to how they define themselves. In this thought-provoking video, we discuss a model for understanding personality and self-identification.

So what are fully functioning people really like? What characteristics might these individuals express? It is not about achieving a particular status and then being 'done' with our growth. Instead, the fully-functioning person depicts a journey that continues throughout life as people continue to strive toward self-actualization and further personal development.

The fully functioning person is a central term in Carl Rogers's person-centered theory of personality, developed to describe the essence of a good life. In this video, Kain and Karen discuss what it means to become a fully functioning person; they both discuss their own experiences and the areas of their lives where they have room for improvement.

The hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory by Abraham Maslow, which puts forward that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. In this teaching, we discuss the goal in Maslow's hierarchy is to attain the fifth level of the hierarchy: self-actualization.

Abraham Maslow made self-fulfilment a focal part of his life's work. He wanted to understand what motivated people and understand what humans are capable of as their ‘best’ self. He viewed emotional illnesses as "falling away from humanness" and not a biological affliction. In this teaching, we discuss the key ideas from Maslow's Book, 'Motivation And Personality'.

In psychology, self-actualization is achieved when you're able to reach your full potential. Being self-actualized is viewed as the exception rather than the rule since most people are working to meet more pressing needs. In this video, Kain outlines a series of self-reflection questions to help you consider how self-actualized you are (or aren't).

An individual who is self-actualized is one who is fulfilled and achieving their full potential. Self-fulfillment refers to a person's desire to become what he or she is actually capable of, namely, to become what he or she is. Kain and Karen followup on the questions introduced in the last video clip. This video is part 2 of 3.

Self-actualized people are those who are fulfilled and doing all they are capable of. It refers to the person's wish for self-fulfilment, namely, to the tendency for him/her to become actualized in what he/she is potentially.

In this video, Kain and Karen ask each other the questions introduced in the last clip. They both get honest and self-disclose the areas of their own lives where there is room for growth.

This video is part 2 of 3.

An individual who is self-actualized is one who is fulfilled and achieving their full potential. Self-fulfillment refers to a person's desire to become what he or she is actually capable of, namely, to become what he or she is. Kain and Karen followup on the questions introduced in the last video clip. This video is part 3 of 3.

As Freud explained, the mind can be visualized like an iceberg. In Freud's view, the conscious mind is merely the tip of the iceberg (which is all our aware mental processes). The Iceberg Theory is the topic of this teaching. Our attitudes and beliefs are so much like the mass of ice beneath the surface - the driving force behind everything we say and do.

In this teaching, we discuss moving the conscious, unconscious mind and the critical factor. A famous hypnotherapist, Milton Erickson, believed that this critical factor undermined people's goals for success in life. Those who are able to manoeuvre easily past the guardian without being noticed can cross into the realm of the unconscious.

Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies people use to avoid uncomfortable feelings or thoughts. Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna developed the concept in the 1920s. In this video, we'll examine some common and lesser-known defense mechanisms a person might deploy, as well as ways the mind might use them. This video is part 1 of 2.

Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies people use to avoid uncomfortable feelings or thoughts. Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna developed the concept in the 1920s. In this video, we'll examine some common and lesser-known defense mechanisms a person might deploy, as well as ways the mind might use them. This video is part 2 of 2.

Defence mechanisms aren’t intrinsically bad - they can allow people to navigate difficult experiences and channel their energy more productively. They only become problematic, when used too often or for too long! In this video, we highlight self-reflection questions to help you consider how many defence mechanisms might be present and at play in your life.

Defence mechanisms are just irrational (and completely unconscious) 'self-defence' strategies that people use to guard themselves against the common stresses that arise from undesired thoughts or experiences. In this video, Kain and Karen (openly and VERY honestly) discuss the defence mechanisms at play in their lives. This video is part 1 of 3.

Defence mechanisms are just irrational (and completely unconscious) 'self-defence' strategies that people use to guard themselves against the common stresses that arise from undesired thoughts or experiences. In this video, Kain and Karen (openly and VERY honestly) discuss the defence mechanisms at play in their lives. This video is part 2 of 3.

Defence mechanisms are just irrational (and completely unconscious) 'self-defence' strategies that people use to guard themselves against the common stresses that arise from undesired thoughts or experiences. In this video, Kain and Karen (openly and VERY honestly) discuss the defence mechanisms at play in their lives. This video is part 3 of 3.

Choice Theory is based on the assumption that everyone has the power to control themselves and has limited power to control others. Applying Choice Theory allows us to take responsibility for our own lives and at the same time, withdraw from attempting to direct other people's. In this teaching, we discuss how Wiliam Glasser defined human choice.

Beliefs are commonly cultivated in two different ways: by our experiences, inferences and deductions, or by accepting what others tell us to be true. Most of our core beliefs are developed when we are children. In this teaching, we explore where ideas come from, and discuss one of John Locke's most critical cognitive concepts.

Perception acts as a lens through which we view reality. Our perceptions influence how we focus on, interpret, understand and act on reality. In this video, Kain distinguishes between experience, reality, perception, focus and perspective and shares a story that helps to depict the impact that our perception can have on our day to day experiences.

Assumptions aren't facts, and basing decisions on what you 'think' is going on rather than what 'is' going on - you might find yourself in trouble. An assumption is what we assume to be true without proof. In this video, we discuss the dynamics of human interaction and the role that interpretation plays in our everyday communications.

Most people's default thinking style is negative; people tend to naturally assume the worst of others and experiences. Self-discipline includes how we treat our bodies, minds, how we approach our emotional lives, and how we choose to structure our days. In this teaching, we discuss the value of becoming 'elevated' in our thinking.

Albert Ellis, in his Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), identified a number of dysfunctional beliefs that people hold. Ellis identified that people need to change their mind about the limiting and disempowering beliefs they've bought into earlier in life. In this teaching, we discuss the disempowering beliefs people buy into. This video is part 1 of 2.

Albert Ellis, in his Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), identified a number of dysfunctional beliefs that people hold. Ellis identified that people need to change their mind about the limiting and disempowering beliefs they've bought into earlier in life. In this teaching, we discuss the disempowering beliefs people buy into. This video is part 2 of 2.

Your life purpose consists of the main motivating aims of your life (the reason you get up each morning). Purpose can guide our decision making, impact behaviour, form goals and offer us a sense of meaningful direction. In this teaching, we discuss Viktor Frankl's story, and how he used the experience to ultimately serve other people.

In this video, Kain outlines a series of self-reflection questions that you can ask yourself to consider the main ideas and lessons you've learned throughout this section (and also from sections one and two).

People who achieve great things are usually those who believe in their potential. Nothing new can be achieved when people let their current ability determine what they can or cannot do. In this video, Kain shares a story to open up this section four of the course.

Self-concept is the image that we have of ourselves that develops in a number of ways and is influenced by our interactions with important people in our lives. Self-concept tends to be more malleable when people are going through the process of self-discovery. In this video, we discuss a framework that anyone can use to accurately define their identity.

Being "at peace" is viewed by many as a state where our mind performs at an optimal level with a positive outcome. We make peace with ourselves and our own imperfections when we accept who we authentically are. In this teaching, we discuss a few thought provoking concepts, and leave you with some self-reflection questions to ponder over.

If you’re genuinely passionate about something, it will likely feel like such an inherent component of your life that you will have to be reminded by people that it’s 'not normal', that other people aren’t necessarily like that. In this video, Kain tells the story of one of Britain's most famous dancers; and the man who encouraged her to pursue her passion.

Virtues are recognized by all cultures as basic qualities of well-being. When we practice virtues and start to develop character, we tend to attract healthy relationships and fulfil our major life goals. In this video, we discuss what it means to identify in virtue and how doing so formulates a set of foundations that a mentally healthy lifestyle can be built on.

Virtuous people are attractive people to be around. People want to be around virtuous people as they tend to be naturally inspiring. In this video, prepare to be challenged as we discuss the process of dying to labels, and increasing in virtue. This video is part 1 of 2.

Virtuous people are attractive people to be around. People want to be around virtuous people as they tend to be naturally inspiring. In this video, prepare to be challenged as we discuss the process of dying to labels, and increasing in virtue. This video is part 2 of 2.

For an emotionally healthy life, a strong sense of self is essential. This lesson discusses Hans Eysenck's Personality Model and how all behavior is fluid. Identifying ourselves based on how we perform or feel is not a good foundation for building our lives. He then leads you into the Core Identity Model for helping you define your personal virtue and character.

Self-reflection questions help you learn more about yourself. Additionally, they help you to identify where you are struggling the most in order to direct your efforts or energies to areas where they can be most helpful. During this teaching, we discuss a range of self-reflection questions to help you reflect on your main 'takeaways' from the course so far.

It’s true. Some people don't want you to be healthy. Some people want you to be ill for a variety of insidious reasons. Many public, private and third sector organizations rely on a spectrum of people being mentally and emotionally 'unwell' in society. Kain gives examples of the types of people and organizations that fall into this category in this video.

Most people never make peace with themselves, comparing themselves to perfection, always judging themselves as insufficient. What is success? Some define success as achieving goals and visions. In the dictionary, success is defined as "achieving wealth, prosperity, and fame". This video offers Kain's unconventional take on the subject.

Most people are unaware, and thus, live their lives at the mercy of external circumstances. We can make wise decisions that are based on our long-term objectives in life, or we can make decisions that are more about receiving instant gratification today. In this video, we discuss seven examples of choices of maturity and character that we each can make.

If we choose to live our lives according to these choices of maturity and character, we naturally and positively end up leading others in the same way. It's time to unpack these choices of maturity and character by answering the questions discussed in this video.

We learn by watching and imitating others as children. The first thing we learn is how to walk and talk. Then we learn social skills from imitating our peers. We also learn to adapt to our culture in our late childhood by observing social norms and conforming to a behavior that is accepted by our society. This teaching discusses the four stages of life and development.

This video outlines a sequence of self-reflection questions that you can ask yourself to think about the central ideas and teachings you've learned in this section (and the rest of the course).