This post is also available in: French
Want to know how to feel happier, more confident and worry less?
Would you like to learn new ways of dealing with what life throws at you? Living Life to the Full is a fun and interactive course that will help you understand your feelings, thoughts and behaviours, and what to do about them!
Developed by Dr. Chris Williams – an expert and trainer in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emeritus Professor in Psychosocial Psychiatry in the UK, Living Life to the Full has been adapted for Canadian audiences by CMHA BC and has been a national flagship program in Canada since 2013.
This mental health promotion course is designed to help people deal with everyday life challenges and learn self-management skills using CBT principles. Course content and materials are practical and easily applied to everyday life situations. The course is suitable for people of all ages.
What you’ll learn
✔ Self confidence
✔ Problem-solving
✔ Stress management
✔ Motivation
✔ Dealing with unhelpful thoughts
✔ Anger management
Format
Living Life to the Full helps people make a difference to their lives in eight enjoyable 90-minute sessions – one per week. Courses are available in-person or virtually.
Course Summary
Session 1: Understanding your feelings
Want to know what makes you tick? This session helps you understand how your responses to outside events can affect your thoughts and feelings. You will learn how the vicious cycle works.
Session 2: Doing things that make you feel better
We’ve all said this to ourselves when feeling down. This session helps you break out of the cycle of low activity and sets out a simple plan for getting back in action.
Session 3: Looking at things differently
This session will teach you how to stop unhelpful thinking from taking control of your life. You’ll be introduced to the Amazing Unhelpful-Thought-Busting Program and learn how to swap bad thoughts for good ones.
Session 4: Building inner confidence
How come other people seem so confident? Learn their secrets and get to like yourself again, with practical suggestions about how to build your self esteem.
Session 5: How to fix almost everything
This session introduces the Easy 4-Step Plan — a straightforward way to fix your problems and achieve your goals that has worked for thousands of people. Do you know how to eat an elephant or a huge pumpkin? This session will show you how.
Session 6: The thing you do that help and the things you do that don't
When you’re feeling low you can start to lean on things to get you through a bad time. This session helps you get back in control of excessive spending, drinking, binge-watching… anything.
Session 7: 1, 2, 3 Breathe!
This session teaches you the 1, 2, 3 Breathe! system—everything you need to control your temper and improve your happiness and relationships. You will also learn how to become more assertive.
Session 8: 10 things you can do to feel happier right away
The last session sums everything up and then shows you how to be happier, fitter and able to see the positive side of life every day.
For more information, click here for the Course Brochure
Cost
Most courses are offered for free or at a low cost at partner organizations across Canada. Contact your nearest course provider for upcoming dates and prices!
Bring the Course to your Community!
Are you a workplace, non-profit, or community leader who wants to offer Living Life to the Full to your community?
More information on how to get involved can be found here – Facilitate the Course
For grant opportunities, please check out our Open Funding Page for details on current grant opportunities.
Testimonials
I was feeling a little lost after retiring. This course helped me figure out my next stage. I truly thanks so much for giving me the tools to live a better life.
-Living Life to the Full participant, 2025
This course provided me with some great information and tactics to tackle stress and anxiety. I’m very grateful.
-Living Life to the Full participant, 2025
This was a great experience and very timely for me. Loved it and would recommend to anyone!
-Living Life to the Full participant, 2024
This course was awesome and I would love to do this again. A lot of insight into your feelings and how you react.
-Living Life to the Full participant, 2024