In this interactive and experiential class, students will develop an understanding of the impact that social-emotional distress has on how both children and adults interact with the world. During the first half of the program, students will explore ideas which look at what accounts for individual differences among people, why people might act in the ways in which they do, and why they might change. We will also explore cultural factors that increase and decrease psychological well-being in the USA. In the second half of the program, students will explore the skills and techniques needed to work with people in various interpersonal and clinical situations. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of various theories and techniques to case examples and other real-life scenarios.