Make Your Friendships Thrive
Good friends are key to our happiness and wellbeing. And yet one-in-five of us lack close friends and 51% of us find it hard to make new ones. Busyness, job changes, and so many other things get in the way.
The Friendship Lab Course is a new 6 session evidence-based course to help us make more friends and deepen the friendships we have. Join us for this special live online pilot!
Let’s Get Intentional
The research is startling: people with close friends have lower levels of anxiety and depression, increased levels of meaning and happiness, a decreased risk of ailments like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and heart attack, and around seven years longer lifespans. But good friendships don’t just happen. They must be intentionally formed. This fun and empowering course will help you learn how.
WHAT 6 x 60min sessions
HOW Live via Google Meet
WHEN 8.00pm London/BST Tuesdays 18 April – 23 May 2023
COST £159 £59
What You’ll Learn
In 6 engaging sessions we will cover:
1
What is friendship?
Tuesday 18 April
- The 3 foundations of friendship
- The 4 qualities of a friend
- Overcoming fear and other friendship barriers
2
How great friendships form
Tuesday 25 April
- The 4 stages of friend-making
- How to find like-minded people
- How to confidently start conversations
3
How acquaintances become friends
Tuesday 2 May
- One essential hack to take a relationship closer
- How to be a brilliant listener
- How to make confident invitations
4
How friends become close friends
Tuesday 9 May
- The 3 things close friends share
- How to build (or regain) trust
- Staying close across distance
5
How to have difficult conversations
Tuesday 16 May
- The 3 reasons friendships drift
- How to resolve disagreements
- Expressing needs without sounding needy
6
How friendship can change the world
Tuesday 23 May
- Making friendship work across deep difference
- Widening your friendship circle
- Creating shared projects
Who is the Course for?
The Friendship Lab Course is for you if you want to:
- Make your friendships more enjoyable, meaningful and close
- Make new friends in your neighbourhood, class, church or workplace
- Help others to do the same
Be Part of Important Research
We want to make sure the Friendship Lab Course really works. And so we’re thrilled that a researcher from the University of Leicester will join us on this pilot to help assess its impact. You may be asked to share your experience of the course with them over two short interviews. These will:
- Help us improve the course
- Help you reflect on your friend-making
More information on this important aspect of the pilot is in the FAQs section below. Sounds good?
Your Host
The Friendship Lab Course is led by Sheridan Voysey, founder of Friendship Lab, which empowers men and women with the wisdom and skills to make their friendships thrive. Sheridan is a presenter of Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, and was the creative lead on Radio 2’s Friendship Season. The author of eight books, Sheridan has featured in BBC News, The Times and other media worldwide.
FAQs
Why is this online pilot discounted?
With courses of similar quality costing several times the price, this online pilot is being offered at a low introductory rate while we’re in ‘test’ mode. With three year’s work invested in the course already we’re confident future changes in content will be small, so do enjoy the low rate now!
Why is the course run over 6 weeks and not as an intensive?
Good question! Did you know it takes at least 50 hours of socialising for a friendship to form? We’ve designed the course to give you time to implement the material so you have the best chance to see your friendships grow.
What will we do between sessions?
Homework! Each week’s session will have some carefully crafted exercises for you to do. During the week you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Try the exercises out
- Reflect on how you went and revise if necessary
- Share your experiences on the private discussion board on this website for support
Will I have to share anything personal in the sessions?
You can share as little or as much about yourself in the chat and discussion board as you like. No pressure! If you’re chosen to speak with our researcher anything you say will be anonymised – all identifying details removed or changed – so you can feel confident to speak freely.
What does the research bit entail, and do I have to take part?
A small number of participants will be randomly selected to take part in the research component of the pilot, which will consist of conversations with you during and after the course with a qualified researcher. If chosen we expect you’ll find these conversations helpful and insightful, and everything you share will be anonymised to maintain your privacy. You can read more about the research process here. By enrolling in the course we assume you are happy to potentially be chosen for this important part of the project.
Do I need to download any apps or software?
No! With a laptop or desktop and a good internet connection you’re all set. (If you want to join via a mobile device you’ll need to download the Google Meet app, but we recommend a laptop or desktop instead.)
What happens if I miss a session?
Don’t worry – there will be a recording for you to catch up with. Then just get back into the exercises as soon as you can.
Why is it called a Friendship ‘Lab’?
A lab is where experiments take place, and we can’t think of a better approach to forming and deepening adult friendship than to treat it as a series of experiments that we try, learn from, and adapt until we’re successful.