Why body language?
Beyond the movement.
To the emotion beneath.
This course goes beyond simply teaching body language. It deepens your understanding of it, integrating popular teaching methods into therapeutic practice.
By comprehending the underlying neural mechanisms, students transition from merely identifying specific movements to interpreting the emotions those movements express. The body does not lie \u2014 but it does not speak in absolutes either.
The Psychology of Body Language draws on the work of Joe Navarro, Chase Hughes and Scott Rouse, grounding popular nonverbal-communication teaching in evolutionary psychology, neuropsychology and clinical reasoning.
Every gesture is a clue. Every expression is data. The science teaches us how to read it \u2014 and how to avoid overreading it.
"The body reveals what the voice conceals. The science teaches us how to listen."
Observation provides the signal; neuroscience and behavioural science provide the framework; clinical reasoning helps us interpret without overclaiming.
The course pathway
Three modules.
From observation to interpretation.
Each module builds on the last, moving from foundational concepts through behavioural analysis frameworks to the science of deception \u2014 always grounding observation in its neural and psychological context.
Body Language Basics
Begin with Joe Navarro’s foundational teachings. Explore the evolution of emotion research from Darwin to Ekman, learn how the eyebrows convey feeling, and practise analysing real video clips.
Key topics
- Joe Navarro’s teachings
- From Darwin to Ekman
- Theories & models of emotion
- Eyebrows & emotion
- Video clip analysis
- Basic emotions
The Body Language Table of Elements
Enter Chase Hughes’s behavioural analysis framework. Study the expressions and characteristics of emotion, the language of the eyes, and the autonomic nervous system beneath it all.
Key topics
- Chase Hughes’s framework
- Table of Elements
- Expressions of emotion
- The eyes & emotion
- Autonomic nervous system
- Learned emotions
Deception
Apply Scott Rouse’s behaviour-analysis approach to video. Examine the interplay between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, facial cues around the mouth and chin, mirroring, and other brain structures.
Key topics
- Scott Rouse’s approach
- Video analysis
- Amygdala vs prefrontal cortex
- Mouth & chin cues
- Mirroring & mirror neurons
- Complex emotions
Journal Notes & Final Assessment
A guided weekly journaling project, a final knowledge quiz, and a one-on-one video assessment with the instructor where you break down what you see in real time.
How the course runs
Structured. Disciplined. Applied.
Delivery
Offered in two formats: in person and online (currently via Zoom). Each session runs 60 minutes \u2014 45 minutes of instruction followed by 15 minutes of questions and discussion.
Readings and assigned video clips must be completed before class, with brief notes prepared. Expect approximately 1.5 hours of preparation per week.
Assessment
- An initial knowledge assessment to establish your baseline.
- A weekly guided journaling project examining real interactions.
- Weekly online quizzes on emotions (ungraded, for self-assessment).
- A final quiz combining all coursework, plus a one-on-one video assessment with the instructor.
What you'll learn
Read the unspoken.
Designed to deepen understanding of nonverbal communication and integrate it into therapeutic and clinical practice.
Recognise subtle nonverbal cues to gauge comfort levels and adjust your approach accordingly.
Observe nonverbal signals to identify emotions a person may struggle to verbalise.
Notice micro-expressions or gestures that suggest concealment or discomfort, guiding the conversation.
Track changes in body language over sessions to assess emotional shifts and breakthroughs.
Apply these findings to therapeutic interventions and to assist in diagnosis.
Move beyond identifying movements to interpreting the emotions those movements express.
Body-language signals are contextual observations, not definitive evidence of deception or intent. This course teaches observation and interpretation within a scientific framework \u2014 not lie detection.
The ICON Learning Experience
The body speaks.
The science interprets.
Step into the science of nonverbal communication and discover how the body reveals what the voice conceals \u2014 grounded in neuroscience, behavioural analysis and clinical reasoning.
An educational introduction to nonverbal communication, neuropsychology and behavioural analysis. Not medical advice or professional clinical training.