Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

The Foundations program is for the general public, with special benefits for coaches, counselors, educators, healthcare professionals, and human resources trainers.

We encourage you to take this program at your own pace, and to the depth that works best for you and your life. That being said, about an hour or two a week is plenty of time to get the primary benefits of the program. And you can always dive in more deeply if you like. Plus you can go back and explore the Foundations offerings any time you want. This program is designed to be flexible, so that different people can easily adapt it to their needs.

There is nothing that’s clear about the “dosing effect” of social-emotional practices (broadly defined), such as the ones in the Foundations program, other than the general principles of: • the greater the frequency of practices, the greater the lasting effects seem to be • the more depth of experience during a practice, the greater the lasting effects seem to be • if one were going to spend, say, 60 minutes a week in experiential practice, six 10-minute practices would likely have more impact than one 60 minute practice (though sometimes a long deep practice that draws someone into deep absorption can be very powerful) • there are individual differences, so that a person just needs to try different approaches and find the one(s) that work best for oneself

No, it is not. This is an educational program, not treatment for any physical or mental health condition. Participants take responsibility for their own experience in the program, and Rick Hanson, his staff, and the guest experts do not have a professional relationship with them. We welcome your comments and questions. We’ll let you know we received your question or comment, but please know that in a program of this size, it is just not possible for us to offer an individual reply.

The Foundations of Well-Being program is an educational program, not psychotherapy or treatment for physical or mental health conditions, coaching, or mindfulness training. But it could be a useful adjunct to these, as well as to human resources training, to classes in self-compassion or stress management, and to informal personal growth practices, such as meditation. If you have serious psychological issues or a history of suicidality, complex trauma, psychosis, or other severe mental health issues, you should not participate in the Foundations of Well-Being program, as it could stir things up for you without there being the option of individual support – and we strongly advise that you seek professional treatment. The Foundations of Well-Being program could be a useful resource for normal range experiences of anxiety, blue mood, stress, loneliness, and interpersonal conflict, including for people in psychotherapy for these concerns. If you are in psychotherapy while engaging the Foundations of Well-Being program, please tell your therapist. For example, you’ll learn how to turn your passing experiences in psychotherapy or other activities into lasting psychological resources encoded in your brain. You’ll also develop particular resources – such as self-understanding, emotional balance, vitality, and assertiveness – that could increase the benefits you get in any kind of mental health activity.

Dr. Hanson really believes that no one is too wounded to improve. It’s really just a matter of finding the practices that work for you. The Foundations of Well-Being certainly has the potential to be of value to anyone – regardless of their history – and if you find that it is not beneficial, we of course would be happy to give you a full refund.

Like almost all other self-help books or programs, the Foundations of Well-Being program is very much a “do-it-yourself” process, and is not set up to offer individualized support or counsel for participants – especially not in live conversation with Dr. Hanson or our staff. We do realize that this could be disappointing, but with nearly 18,000 participants and growing, we trust that you can understand our stance here. In lieu of live phone support, the program does contain extensive guidance for how to engage with it, and member forums to seek out support from others.

You must be 18 or older to register. If you are under 18 but are a teenager who is self-aware and motivated, this program could be helpful to you. Please have a parent or guardian register for you, and have this person send an email to [email protected], giving their permission for you to take the Foundations of Well-Being.

The Foundations of Well-Being program emphasizes the having and the internalizing of experiences of various inner strengths – psychological resources – such as mindfulness, resilience, gratitude, compassion, and courage. These experiences are usually enjoyable, and as people develop inner strengths, they typically become more able to handle the challenges and other risks of life – and with less sense of upset or overwhelm. Nonetheless, as with any educational process of personal growth, psychological material may get stirred up for you that is uncomfortable. Please engage the Foundations of Well-Being at a pace and a depth that feel good to you. Draw upon the coping skills and other inner strengths you already have as well as the ones you are developing through this program. And if need be, please reach out to professi