Welcome to the first section of our course on “Existential well-being counseling”.

In this section we will zoom in on a central pillar of the course, namely: “well-
being”.
Positive psychology has done a lot of research in the field of well-being since the
beginning
of this century.
By paying attention to people’s talents and potential for “well-being”, our ideas
of counseling and psychotherapy have changed a lot.
We call this a paradigm shift.
In the new paradigm, attention is given not only to people’s problems and traumas,
but
also to personal qualities that enhance well-being.
In this section you will get acquainted with relevant scientific data, for example,
findings
that Seligman has collected in his “Authentic Happiness” theory.
These contemporary theories can be compared with the ideas of wise thinkers from
former
ages, who have written about “the blossoming life”.
Further on you will deepen some crucial life attitudes that contribute to well-
being:
We start with gratitude and empathy.
You will see how empathy can be a stepping- stone towards compassion and how
compassion
for others is not possible without self-compassion.
It is important to participate in our interaction forums.
Together, we will create an arena where the richness of our diversity can be
revealed
and where we can learn from each other.
I sincerely hope that you will begin to feel the positive effects of the
existential well-being
approach even in this very first section.