About Williams LifeSkills

Williams LifeSkills ® (WLS) was founded by renowned researcher and physician Redford Williams and educator/historian Virginia Williams.
The WLS program and the related products have been further developed over the years.
The WLS program was translated to several languages and adapted for various cultures all around the world.
The WLS program was tested in clinical trials in the U.S., in Canada and in other countries. Scientific evidence confirms its beneficial effects in reducing perceived stress, hostility, anxiety and depression, and improving coping skills.

The Williams have written several best-selling books:
Anger Kills: 17 Strategies to Control the Hostility That Can Harm Your Health,
LifeSkills: 8 Simple Ways to Build Stronger Relationships, Communicate More Clearly and Improve Your Health and
In Control: No More Snapping at Your Family, Sulking at Work, Steaming in the Grocery Line, Seething in Meetings, Stuffing your Frustration.

Hundreds of WLS workshops were organized and led around the world for corporations, government agencies and individuals. Their message has reached a broader public through a number of other forums.

Media appearances:
The Williams have been interviewed locally, nationally and internationally, and have appeared on Oprah, ABC’s 20/20, Dateline NBC, The Today Show and Good Morning America. They have also been featured in respected national newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Mission & Vision

The LifeSkills Training Protects!

Williams LifeSkills® program was created to optimize and improve the health and welfare of individuals or groups of individuals who:

  • Are employers or employees who could benefit by increasing the level of emotional competence in the workplace;
  • Are individuals identified as hostile, depressed, anxious, or socially isolated, who are not mentally ill,
    who wish to change;
  • May be at risk for developing or have a disease in which stress plays a role, such as cardiovascular disease;
  • Are in a behavioral change program such as smoking cessation, weight loss, or drug rehabilitation;
  • Are members of a group identified as being at risk for high levels of stress, such as caregivers or cultures that are undergoing rapid change.

The Williams and their partners research, develop, market, and disseminate training products appropriate for individuals and groups based on the 10 point Williams LifeSkills® system.

Founders of WLS

Virginia P. Williams, Ph.D.
President
Dr. Virginia Williams co-authored Anger Kills, LifeSkills, and In Control.

Along with Dr. Redford Williams, she researched and assembled the ten skills taught in the Williams LifeSkills workshops. Over the past several years, she has worked with a variety of groups, led numerous LifeSkills workshops, and trained many facilitators. She is a member of the American Psychosomatic Society and Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Williams received her MA in Teaching at Brown University, and her MA and PhD in History from Duke University. As a cultural historian, she provides a unique perspective from which to examine the changes in our culture over time and the effects of those changes on our well-being. In particular, she discusses the increasing complexity of living in our culture and the effect of that complexity on our ability to cope and find satisfaction at home and work.

Redford B. Williams, M.D.
Chairman of the Board
Dr. Redford Williams has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in scientific and medical journals. He has authored or co-authored ten books including Anger Kills, LifeSkills, and In Control. These three books draw on his well-publicized research concerning the effects of personality and behavior on health and quality of life.

Dr. Williams has been president of four leading scientific/behavioral societies: American Psychosomatic Society, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and International Society of Behavioral Medicine. He has served on several National Institutes of Health advisory groups and has received awards for his contributions as a behavioral scientist.

He received his AB at Harvard College and his MD at Yale, where he also did his internship and residency training in internal medicine. He has been at Duke University Medicine Center since 1972. He is Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychology, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center.

WLS around the World

The Williams LifeSkills® (WLS®) program was developed in the USA, and over the years it has been translated to other languages.

The program is easily adapted for populations with diverse cultural background. The efficacy of the program has been demonstrated in clinical trials in various regions of the world.

WLS in Hungary

The WLS program has been translated into Hungarian in 2004. After minor cultural adaptation, the training program has been implemented in various high risk populations.

Over 6000 individuals completed the training, among them health care providers, teachers, students, people with chronic illness as well as socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Scientific evidence about the efficacy of the WLS training in Hungary has been published in international scientific journals. The program director in Hungary is Dr. Adrienne Stauder.

For more information visit the Hungarian website: www.eletkeszsegek.hu

WLS in Brazil

The WLS program has been translated into Portuguese. It has been implemented among corporate clients.

The program director in Brazil is Dr. Alexandre Ghelman, Interativa Saúde.

WLS in China

The WLS program has been translated into Mandarine. Scientific evidence
about the efficacy of the WLS training in China has been published in international scientific journals.

WLS in Germany

The WLS program has been translated into German. It has been implemented among healthy employees with elevated CVD-Risk. The German version of the WLS program is also available for German students studying in Hungary.

The program director in Germany is Dr. Christian Albus, University Hospital of Cologne.

WLS in Romania

The Hungarian version of the program is implemented since 2013. The translation to Roumanian is in course.

The contact person is Istvan Cosma, Targu Mures.

WLS in Italy

A cooperation is currently starting to translate and adapt the WLS program into Italian.

Are you interested to translate the WLS program into another language?