Praise for The Happiness Project

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I set up The Happiness Project on the National Health Service, in Birmingham, England in 1994.  The Happiness Project is, in essence, a meditation on the psychology, sociology, and spirituality of happiness.  It explores what true happiness is, what blocks happiness, and what enables happiness.

 “Happiness is a spiritual path.  The more you learn about true happiness,
the more you discover the truth of who you are, what is important, and what your life is for.” – Be Happy, Robert Holden

BBC Science Documentary
The Happiness Project became a household name in 1996 when the BBC broadcast a QED science documentary called How to be Happy.

Five million viewers tuned in on August 28th at 9.25pm to watch the progress of three volunteers – Dawn, Caroline and Keith – who took my 8-week happiness program called Be Happy. The results, as measured by independent scientists, were outstanding.  Professor Michael Argyle, from Oxford University, declared it “a genuine fast-track to happiness.” Professor Richard Davidson, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, concluded:

“This happiness training not only changes the way you feel; it actually changes the way your brain functions.”

The BBC documentary has since been shown in 20 countries to over 30 million television viewers.
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Be Happy – the 8-week Program
The 8-week happiness program – called Be Happy – is the signature event of The Happiness Project.  The program consists of group workshops, personal coaching, home learning modules, and daily e-mails. A cast of thousands – from all walks of life – have attended my program over the years including psychologists, physicians, ministers, artists, clowns, poets, business leaders and coaches.

Hay House is launching a new online Be Happy 8-week program in 2016 to mark the 20th anniversary of the BBC documentary. Watch this space!

Oprah Winfrey Show
My work with The Happiness Project was the subject of an Oprah Winfrey Show called How Happy Are You?  On the show, I coached people on how to increase their happiness quotient.  My book Happiness NOW! reached number 4 on Amazon straight after the show!  I am an official contributor to Oprah.com, where I’ve posted a series of articles including an 8-Day Happiness program and also the Be Happy Index, which is a free happiness test.

Coaching Happiness – the 5-day training
Each year, I teach a 5-day intensive called Coaching Happiness.  This certified training offers a deep dive into the heart and soul of my work with The Happiness Project.  People come from all over the world.  It draws huge interest from health-carers, psychologists, educationists, therapists and life-coaches.  It’s one of the highlights of my year.  Check out Events for dates, and for other public programs like my 3-day Happiness and the Enneagram course.

Happiness Keynotes, etc.
I love to give keynotes and master-classes on my work with The Happiness Project.  My team and I have given over 500 presentations worldwide. We’ve worked closely with the National Health Service, MIND, Royal College of Nursing, Bristol Cancer Centre, Samaritans, The Royal Marsden Hospital, and Macmillan Nurses Association.  I’ve also presented to students and faculty at Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Massachusetts, and University of Santa Monica.

Enjoyment in Employment
People who follow their joy are the renaissance workers of our age.  They recognize that happiness is the key to success.  The world of business, economics, politics, education and law love the work of both The Happiness Project and Success Intelligence.  I’ve worked with so many great clients over the years including Dove, Heathrow Airport, Virgin and The Body Shop.  One very happy memory for me was designing a well-being program for The Good Hope Hospital attended by all the doctors and every member of staff including the night porters and janitors.

Sweet Charity
The Happiness Project has given aid to many brilliant causes over the years, including The Children’s Society, RNIB, Samaritans, Home Start, Oxfam and Comic Relief. We have donated hundreds of our books and products to the Prism program for wellbeing in prisons.  Every year we give bursaries and scholarships for our programs to individuals and to professionals working in charities and non-profit organisations.  Please contact us if you would like to benefit from our aid program.

Happiness is a spiritual path. The more you learn about true happiness, the more you discover the truth of who you are, what is important, and what your life is for.

- Robert Holden, Ph.D.