Practical Psychology Course for Beginners

Get to know yourself and step into the world of social science with this practical psychology short course, as part of our psychology short courses in Sydney.

Ever wondered why you click with some people but not others? Or why your kids are so different from one another? Have you found that some jobs drain you even though you’re capable of completing them? Is there a person that you want to be but you are held back by something deeper? These are the sorts of questions that our psychology short course gives us insights into, but how do you turn research into practice?

This psychology short course in Sydney aims to give you a practical overview of behavioural and social science and how to use this information for real-world application. In this practical psychology course, you will gain insight into human behaviour, and learn what drives us as human beings. If you have been looking for a fun, practical, and informative introduction to psychology then this is the course for you!

Learning outcomes

By the end of this practical psychology course, you should be able to:

• Discover the origins of psychology and the different notions of self and identity throughout time
• Explore personality and discuss how different psychological theories offer diverse understandings of the human character
• Learn about the processes that underlie learning and memory
• Discover what drives us as human beings, how emotions come about, and the predictors of happiness
• Learn about strategies of effective goal-setting and how this connects to your values
• Explore the social processes of attachment, attraction and social judgment
• Learn about stress in everyday life, its causes and its impacts
• Discover why it is that we try so hard to fit in.

Course content

What will be covered in this practical psychology course?

Week 1: Self-definition and consciousness

Learn about the dominant model used in understanding human behaviour. Develop your understanding of the psyche, applying the model to case studies of human behaviour.

Week 2: Beneath the mask

Explore personality and participate in a Gestalt personality activity and basic temperament test to learn more about your personality.

Week 3: Learning and memory

Learn about the processes that underlie learning and discover how we remember and why we forget to achieve self-control through a personal behaviour modification plan, strategies to improve everyday memory.

Week 4: Motivation and emotion

Discuss notions of happiness and practical strategies to enhance wellbeing.

Week 5: Gaining a sense of direction

Clarify values and strategies for meaningful goal-setting.

Week 6: Social creatures

What are conflict resolution strategies and the experience of validation?

Week 7: Stress and health

Develop your understanding of ‘mindfulness’: what is it and is it actually helpful? Practical focus: strategies for stress management and creative mindfulness.

Week 8: Psychological therapies

Discuss what constitutes ‘abnormal’ behaviour, participate in an exercise in understanding human behaviour.

Intended audience

Who is this practical psychology course for?

This course is for anyone interested in psychology who wants to learn the fundamentals of the field and seeking to understand human behaviour.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Additional information

Please note the following:

Sydney Community College is an educational organisation dedicated to the provision of quality adult education. Classes are intended to develop skills and knowledge. Classes are not intended as individual therapeutic solutions. In health-related matters, guidance from a suitably qualified health professional is always recommended.