Positive Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Role-playing
Cultivating Well-being Through Character Strengths
Program Description:
This microcourse is part of a 3-course microcredential, the Hope Leadership Program.
What makes life worth living—not just surviving, but truly flourishing? What if you could harness your unique inner strengths to lead with greater purpose, clarity, and confidence?
In this foundational session, you’ll dive into the world of positive psychology—the scientific study of human flourishing. Grounded in research and real-world application, this session focuses on character strengths and virtues as essential building blocks for personal growth, resilience, and leadership.
Through interactive learning and self-reflection, you’ll:
- Discover the VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues, a powerful tool for understanding what’s best in you and others.
- Identify your own signature strengths and learn how to use them more effectively in daily life and leadership.
- Explore Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) techniques—evidence-based interventions that promote healing, hope, and transformation.
- Understand how overusing, underusing, or optimally using your strengths can lead to different emotional and relational outcomes.
Whether you're a leader, educator, caregiver, or simply someone passionate about living more fully, this session will help you unlock the strengths that already live within you—and show you how to use them to thrive.
Are you ready to lead from your strengths?
What might your life look like if you fully stepped into your best self?
Join us and begin your journey into the science—and the practice—of well-being.
Dates & Registration
Dates: November 1 - 2, 2025
Times: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Format: In-person
Location: Teachers College, Columbia University
Price: $695
This microcourse is part of the 3-course Hope Leadership Microcredential. To learn more about the full microcredential or the individual microcourses, please click on the links below:
| Microcredential | The Hope Leadership Program | November 1, 2025 - April 19, 2026 |
| Microcourse 1 | Positive Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Role-playing | November 1 - 2, 2025 |
| Microcourse 2 | Psychodramatic Approaches to Self-Regulation and Exploration | January 17 - 18, 2026 |
| Microcourse 3 | Fostering Hope and Spiritual Development | April 18 - 19, 2026 |
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
TC Students
For TC students who would like to take the Positive Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Role-playing course for academic credit, please submit your information to this Google Form by October 24, 2025. Please note that if you plan to take this course on a for-credit basis, college tuition and fees will apply and billing will be handled by the Registrar.
Faculty
Dr. Dan Tomasulo
Academic Director— Spirituality Mind Body Institute Coordinator / Core Faculty SMB MA program
Dan Tomasulo, Ph.D., TEP, MFA, MAPP is a licensed psychologist, speaker, author of several books on positive psychology and mental health, and the Academic Director and core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University. He speaks about alleviating depression with positive psychology and hope worldwide and is a board-certified Teacher, Educator, and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy.Dr. Tomasulo holds a PhD in psychology, an MFA in writing, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology special section, Positive Psychology, and the Journal of Positive Psychology.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify and define core concepts of positive psychology, including happiness, well-being, and flourishing
- Understand the VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues and its empirical basis.
- Determine their own signature strengths and explore ways to apply them in daily life.
- Differentiate between optimal use, underuse, and overuse of character strengths and their impact on well-being and psychological symptoms.
- Learn and practice evidence-based positive interventions such as the Three Good Things, Gratitude Visit, Best Possible Self, and Savoring, for enhancing well-being and managing depressive symptoms.
- Recognize the role of resource priming in activating strengths for therapeutic progress.
Who Should Attend
Counselors, educators, coaches, spiritual leaders, and anyone passionate about empowering human potential through an integrated mind-body-spirit approach.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this program will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios. View our sample program badge and certificate below.
In addition, NYS certified Psychologists and Mental Health Counselors will be eligible to receive NYSED CEUs for Psychology or Mental Health Counseling upon successful completion of this program.
Important Notice: This is a non-credit program. Completion does not provide academic credit toward any degree program at Teachers College or other institutions. No transcript credit will be awarded.