Philip holds a MS in counseling psychology from Drake University, is a licensed clinical social worker, completed five years of post-masters study in health psychology from Saybrook University and is a Master Practitioner of NLP. in Optimism without concrete knowledge and skills is just wishful thinking. It is the courage to explore opportunities, where others are blocked by risk. Prior to joining Empathia, he was Director of Behavioral Science Education at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, where he was an associate professor and received the Outstanding Faculty Award. Realistic optimism Having a clear view of the situation + Having done the. Realistic optimism is the ability to balance out negative and positive things in situations, circumstances and people. Hundreds of research studies have shown that optimism improves both our health and quality of life. Choosing to be optimistic can be an invaluable tool during this period when resilience is what we need and crave. Philip has been a guest expert on ABC Television's 20/20, and has presented at the Brookings Institution, among many other venues. Realistic optimism is about the ability to acknowledge problems and still maintain a positive outlook. They recognize the need for giving serious thought to how they will deal with obstacles. In addition, he is a practicing psychotherapist who writes an award-winning weekly column in the Shepard Express, Milwaukee's weekly newspaper, titled 'Out of My Mind,' and is author of The Healing Earth, which won the Midwest Publishers Award, and Nature's Ways, which examines the spiritual aspects of nature interaction. Realistic optimists.believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen through things like effort, careful planning, persistence, and choosing the right strategies, Heidi Grant, Ph.D., explains in the Harvard Business Review. Philip Chard is President/CEO of Empathia, Inc., a nationwide behavioral services firm providing health, safety, and productivity solutions.