Positive Psychology Course - worth doing or gimmick?

Hi!
My friend is interested in doing an MSc in this via distance learning from UK. She already has a masters in child and adolescent psychotherapy. I don't know where she would go with this course - it's all a very new area in psychology. It would be a lot of money to spend if no definite career area at the end of it, though she is really interested in the topic. There is also a coaching element to the course - I have always been a bit sceptical of coaching, but I'm open to changing my mind. Any thoughts on this course?

There are a lot of different opinions on modern trends in psychology. Mine is that they are mostly useless pseudoscience, little different from superstitions and quackery. Disclaimer: I know nothing about positive psychology other than what is available on the web, plus a couple of trained psychologists and counsellors I know.

Hi Mary,

As an add on or nuance to her existing qualifications, I see no harm in it. However, there is no relationship between the online Msc in Positive Psychology and the actual clinical psychology training required to work in psychology per se. It would not be recognised for consideration for clinical psychology training. Check with PSI, Psychological Society of Ireland, for clarification. If your friend is already working in child psychotherapy, it may be of use.

I am with dub_nerd with relation to 'Life Coaching'!

I agree with Slim. It very much depends on what your friend wants to do the course for and who is offering the course. There are accepted academic courses in "positive psychology" but the term has no restricted or approved meaning. Anyone can use it to describe any babble (personally I would run a mile if the term "holistic" appeared in the description). As it is a UK course, your friend might want to have a look at the British Psychological Society website section on accredited courses here :

http://www.bps.org.uk/careers-educa...programmes/accredited-courses-training-progra

Hi! Thanks to both of you for your replies. It's the University of East London, that's offering the course - it s in positive psychology and coaching. it seems hugely interesting. I never thought of suggesting to her to look at the BPS to see if the course was recognised there - will let her know. I'm just concerned that there are, in my opinion, for less openings for psychotherapists here than the UK, and she wants to stay in Ireland - lots of working in voluntary sector, unpaid for counsellors and setting and keeping going with private practices is difficult.

As far as I am aware, The Uni of East London offer both accredited and unaccredited courses. Accredited is important if your friend sees it as a way to pursue a professional qualification, eg, to practice as a Counselling Psychologist. It may not be so important if she is aiming to improve/enrich her current practice.

Thanks for that. She rang them up, and the course is not accredited, though there are positive psychology courses in other universities which are accredited - in one of those she has the option of doing a masters in positive psychology, and then she can go on to do a Phd in psychology - much better option.