Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing

Overview

Drawing on Ros Ben-Moshe’s rich research expertise and her experience in this emerging field, La Trobe’s Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing short course is the first of its kind in Australia.

In this five-week online program that contains both theoretical and practical components you will explore evidence-based practice and gain techniques to enhance resilience, positivity and wellbeing in patient care, education and other settings. You will also acquire practical skills to become a Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing facilitator in your workplace.

Over 7 hours you will:

• explore the history and physiology of laughter and humour and how this positively effects day-to-day personal and professional life
• gain insight into the empirical research in humour and non-humour-based laughter therapies as well as Positive Psychology
• discover diverse applications of laughter for wellbeing programs in education, training and clinical settings
• learn about the main non-humour-based laughter modes: Laughter Wellness, Laughter Yoga and The Laughie
• develop strategies to cultivate a laughter mindset and how this relates to improved health, psychological resilience, increased happiness and client satisfaction
• explore how this skillset offers a new dimension to self-care practices including gratitude, mindfulness and self-compassion
• complete Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing (LRW) facilitator training.

The techniques and theory you learn will support your day-to-day practice, enhancing client/staff communication, morale and cohesion, assist in addressing precursors to burnout, whilst promoting positivity, creativity and productivity. Skills gained will enable you to better respond to stress, enhancing personal and organisational resilience.

As a Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing (LRW) facilitator you will be able to deliver laughter and humour-based programs for individuals and groups and develop a LRW strategy to meet the needs of your organisation.

Open to people from varied backgrounds and designed for people working in health and other people-focused areas, this course offers you the chance to enhance your own personal wellbeing. You’ll develop a range of “laugh skills” to integrate into patient care, education and other organisational settings.

Course content

Extra requirements

1. Broadband internet access and an active email address that can be accessed at home during study periods.
2. Students must have basic computer literacy skills (e.g. Word or other word processing software)
3. A sense of humour is recommended although not essential.

Your facilitator

Ros Ben-Moshe is Adjunct lecturer in the School of Public Health and Psychology, La Trobe University, where she teaches positive psychology and for many years lectured in health promotion and public health. She is author of “The Laughter Effect – How to Build Joy, Resilience and Positivity in Your Life” and “Laughing at cancer – How to Heal with Love, Laughter and Mindfulness.” Ros has conducted laughter therapy research in patients receiving dialysis, residents and staff in aged care facilities and tertiary students. She has facilitated laughter for wellbeing programs for a wide range of stakeholders including schools, local government, and the corporate sector over many years.

Ros has been published in and appeared widely in Australian media including The Canberra Times.  Radio interviews include RN’s Life Matters about unmasking your smile during a pandemic and Dr Norman Swan’s Health Report on whether laughter is the best medicine. Her laughter research has been published in academic journals. She is a member of the Applied Therapeutic Association of Humor (AATH) and the International Association of Positive Psychology, and a Global Laughter Ambassador.

Further information

Organiser's email: executive_professional_education@latrobe.edu.au

Organiser's phone: 1300 135 045