The 21 Psychosocial Competencies (PSC) · WHO source
Much more than soft skills.
The 21 psychosocial competencies recommended by the WHO. This page exists to discover them, practise them daily, and join the community of those who champion them in education, training, and leadership.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” WHO · Constitution, 1948
Definition
What are psychosocial competencies?
In 2022, Santé publique France and the consortium led by Béatrice Lamboy consolidated the reference definition by integrating thirty years of international research. This updated definition is now the French standard: it grounds psychosocial competencies (PSC) in the promotion of well-being and the development of agency, rather than solely in risk prevention.
“PSC constitute a coherent and interrelated set of psychological capacities (cognitive, emotional, and social). They increase autonomy and agency, maintain a state of psychological well-being, promote optimal individual functioning, and develop constructive interactions.”
Santé publique France · Lamboy et al., 2022They are not soft skills. They are the foundations upon which all other professional competencies endure over time. And they are muscles that can be trained, at any age.
Our conviction
Prevention is good. Promotion is better.
The manager who is burning out won’t say so. The student who is disengaging sends no signal. By the time the indicators shift, turnover, absenteeism, dropout, the human and financial cost is already there. Promoting psychosocial competencies proactively means creating the conditions for lasting performance, and giving everyone the resources to cope, bounce back, and contribute.
Discover
Three families. Twenty-one competencies.
Cognitive : think, decide, learn. Emotional : feel, regulate, balance. Social : listen, connect, resolve. None of the 21 psychosocial competencies is innate. All can be strengthened at any age.
↓ Click on a competency to go further: extended definition, practices by audience, and a self-assessment question.
Cognitive
Self-awareness
01
Self-knowledge
Identify one’s strengths, values, needs, and limits. The starting point for all conscious action.
02
Critical thinking
Analyse information with perspective, distinguish facts from opinions, question assumptions without becoming lost in doubt.
03
Positive self-evaluation
Honestly recognise one’s skills and potential, neither overestimating nor diminishing oneself. Lucid confidence.
04
Mindfulness
Direct one’s attention deliberately to the present moment, without judgement. The opposite of autopilot.
Self-control
Emotional
Awareness of emotions and stress
Emotional regulation
Social
Constructive communication
Constructive relationships development
Problem resolution
19
Knowing how to ask for help
Recognise one’s limits and dare to ask. The strength, paradoxically, lies in the request.
20
Assertiveness and ability to say no
Assert one’s positions, set limits, say no without apologising or attacking.
21
Resolving conflicts constructively
Turn disagreements into progress. Move beyond win-lose.
The method
One movement, repeated. Discover, Regulate, Act.
Knowing the 21 competencies is not enough. DRA™ (Discover, Regulate, Act) is the practice loop that turns them from knowledge into reflex, applied across the three families. The same three steps, in any situation, for yourself and for those you lead.
Notice your thoughts, assumptions, and mental autopilot before they decide for you.
Name what you feel, in real time, before the emotion takes the wheel.
Truly perceive the other person: their words, their needs, their signals.
Step back, question the bias, widen the angle before concluding.
Steady the emotion without suppressing it. Accept, then restore balance.
Adjust your posture. Create a space between the tension and your response.
Decide and move. Intention turned into a structured, deliberate action.
Choose your response rather than being subject to it.
Connect, cooperate, resolve. Turn the relationship forward.
The Certified User and Affiliate programmes train you to facilitate this loop with rigour, for yourself and across the people you teach, coach, or lead.
Ready to move from reading to practising?
The Certified User programme turns this page into a method you can run, for yourself and your teams, in 9 guided hours.
See the Certified User programmeApply
Practices by audience.
For each competency: an extended definition, three concrete practices by professional context, and a self-assessment question. These practices follow the SAFE principles (Sequenced, Active, Focused, Explicit) identified by the Durlak et al. (2011) meta-analysis on social-emotional learning.
↓ Click a competency to expand its detail.
01
Self-knowledge
+
Identify one’s strengths, values, needs, and limits. Maintain a lucid dialogue with oneself, without complacency or excessive self-criticism.
Teachers & Trainers
Introduce the SOS journal (Successes, Obstacles, Suggestions) at the end of each week to anchor learners’ personal reflection.
Coaches & Mentors
Draw out the coachee’s 3 core values at the start of the engagement, then test the decision/values alignment after each significant choice.
Leaders & Managers
Request SBIC feedback (Situation, Behaviour, Impact, Conversation) from 3 trusted colleagues, twice a year: what did they observe, what impact did it have, what do we keep or adjust?
Do you regularly take time to reflect on your strengths, values, and limits?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
02
Critical thinking
+
Analyse, compare, evaluate before concluding. Reflective pause before reaction, lucidity in the face of biases and the pressures of the moment.
Teachers & Trainers
Before introducing a topic, ask learners to identify 2 assumptions they hold to be true. Compare them against sources at the end of the session.
Coaches & Mentors
Practise the question “And what if the opposite were true?” when faced with the coachee’s strong convictions.
Leaders & Managers
Before any major decision, list 3 contradictory sources of information and write a synthesis.
Do you verify important information against multiple sources before acting?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
03
Positive self-evaluation
+
Honestly recognise one’s skills and potential, neither overestimating nor diminishing oneself. Lucid confidence, grounded in facts.
Teachers & Trainers
Introduce the 3-2-1 practice (Jonsdottir, Psychosocial Power) at the end of each session: 3 things learnt, 2 remaining questions, 1 concrete action. A simple and structuring closing ritual.
Coaches & Mentors
At the start of the session, ask the coachee to rate their confidence on a scale of 1 to 10 on the day’s topic. Repeat the assessment at the end.
Leaders & Managers
Keep a “success log” with one entry per week. Review it quarterly to recalibrate one’s self-perception.
Can you name three concrete achievements from your past week?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
04
Mindfulness
+
Direct one’s attention deliberately to the present moment, without judgement. The opposite of autopilot.
Teachers & Trainers
60 seconds of conscious breathing before beginning a challenging lesson. Learners will naturally follow.
Coaches & Mentors
Begin each session with 3 long breaths, for yourself and to signal to the coachee a shift into a different mode.
Leaders & Managers
Block out 15 minutes each day with no agenda, no screen. Walk, observe, produce nothing.
Do you take a few moments each day to observe your inner state without judgement?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
05
Ability to manage impulses
+
Create a space between stimulus and reaction. Choose one’s response rather than being subject to it.
Teachers & Trainers
Teach the 10-second rule: count before responding to a provocation in class or in training.
Coaches & Mentors
Apply the DRA™ (Discover, Regulate, Act, Jonsdottir): help the coachee Discover their signature trigger, Regulate the habitual reaction, Act according to their intention rather than their reflex.
Leaders & Managers
Draft sensitive emails, save them as drafts, re-read them the following morning before sending.
Do you pause before reacting to a provocation or frustration?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
06
Ability to achieve goals
+
Turn intention into action. Structure the path, navigate obstacles without losing direction.
Teachers & Trainers
Have each learner formulate their own objectives using the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound. An objective written by oneself carries more commitment than one dictated by the teacher.
Coaches & Mentors
Break objectives down into concrete weekly milestones. Review and adjust with the coachee each Friday.
Leaders & Managers
Limit the team’s priorities to 3 per quarter. Publicly relinquish the others to free up attention.
Are your daily actions aligned with your main objectives?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
07
Ability to make responsible choices
+
Decide by weighing consequences for oneself, for others, and over time.
Teachers & Trainers
Before a group decision, ask each person to imagine who will be affected and how.
Coaches & Mentors
For each difficult decision, pose three questions to the coachee: “What is the impact on you? What is the impact on others? What will the impact be in 5 years?”
Leaders & Managers
Before a major decision, write down the consequences at 1 month, 1 year, and 3 years before making the call.
Do you weigh long-term consequences before deciding?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
08
Ability to solve problems creatively
+
Move beyond habitual solutions, explore new angles, see opportunity within constraint.
Teachers & Trainers
Approach the problem in three stages using the DRA™ (Jonsdottir, Psychosocial Power): Discover (catalogue every angle, facts and feelings), Regulate (set biases aside), Act (choose an experimental path). One hour is sufficient for a group.
Coaches & Mentors
Ask the coachee: “If you were 3 years younger, how would you resolve this? 3 years older?”
Leaders & Managers
Open each committee meeting with an open question rather than a presentation. Gather input before deciding.
Do you explore several solutions before choosing the most obvious one?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
09
Understanding emotions and stress
+
Grasp how emotions work, where they come from, what they are for. Emotional grammar.
Teachers & Trainers
Display the emotional family icon (the heart, in Psychosocial Power) in the classroom and return to it whenever a strong emotion arises: name it before reacting. For nuance, cross-reference with Plutchik’s wheel (freely available online).
Coaches & Mentors
Distinguish in sessions between primary emotions (fear, anger, sadness, joy) and secondary emotions (shame, guilt).
Leaders & Managers
Include a 30-second emotional check-in at the start of team meetings. Each person names their current state.
Can you explain what triggers your main emotions?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
10
Identifying your emotions and stress
+
Put precise words to what is happening within oneself, in real time. Name it to act on it.
Teachers & Trainers
Make an “emotional vocabulary” display available in the classroom or training room.
Coaches & Mentors
Invite the coachee to scan their body before each session: where is the tension? What does it say?
Leaders & Managers
Keep a weekly stress thermometer (1–10) to spot trends before they escalate.
Can you name precisely what you are feeling at this moment?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
11
Expressing your emotions in a positive way
+
Communicate what one feels without aggressing or withdrawing. The art of the just middle.
Teachers & Trainers
Teach the formula “I feel… when… because…” as an alternative to judgements.
Coaches & Mentors
Combine the DRA™ (Jonsdottir) with the 4 steps of non-violent communication (Rosenberg): Discover the feeling and the need, Regulate the impulse to aggress or withdraw, Act by formulating the observation and a clear request.
Leaders & Managers
Give feedback starting from a feeling (“I am concerned about…”) rather than a judgement.
Do you share your emotions without aggressing or withdrawing?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
12
Managing your emotions
+
Work with, rather than against. Regulate without suppressing, accept without being overwhelmed.
Teachers & Trainers
Teach the DRA™ in 30 seconds (Jonsdottir, Psychosocial Power): Discover (what is happening within me right now?), Regulate (breathe, accept without suppressing), Act (choose one’s response rather than being subject to it). More structuring than STOP.
Coaches & Mentors
Build with the coachee three regulation strategies: one physical (breathing, walking), one cognitive (thought reframing), one behavioural (setting a limit). To be tested over the week.
Leaders & Managers
Never respond to a strong emotion in the heat of the moment. Allow 24 hours for important decisions.
Do you regain your composure within thirty minutes of a strong emotion?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
13
Managing everyday stress
+
Identify triggers, mobilise concrete resources, maintain one’s balance over time.
Teachers & Trainers
Introduce 2 minutes of box breathing before each assessment: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds. Repeat 8 times. The body follows the breath, the mind follows the body.
Coaches & Mentors
Build a daily DRA™ ritual of 10 minutes with the coachee (Jonsdottir, Psychosocial Power): Discover what played out today, Regulate what needs to be released, Act on one micro-action for tomorrow.
Leaders & Managers
Practise the 3R rule: daily Recovery, weekly Rest, annual Renewal.
Do you have concrete rituals to decompress during the week?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
14
Ability to cope when facing adversity
+
Hold on, bounce back, get through. Resilience as a practised skill, not an innate gift.
Teachers & Trainers
Share your own failures and what you drew from them. Resilience is taught by example more than by theory.
Coaches & Mentors
Practise the HEROIC Paradox™ (Jonsdottir, Psychosocial Power): behind each adversity, the complementary strength. Helplessness ↔ Hope, Erosion ↔ Efficacy, Resistance ↔ Resilience, Overwhelm ↔ Optimism, Insignificance ↔ Impact, Conformity ↔ Courage. Which pair is active in the coachee today?
Leaders & Managers
After every crisis, run a “positive post-mortem”: what did we learn, what did we make more robust?
Can you identify what you have learnt from the difficulties you have been through?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
15
Empathetic listening skills
+
Truly hear the other person, without preparing one’s response. Presence as an act of leadership.
Teachers & Trainers
Practise the “golden minute”: 60 seconds of pure listening to a learner who appears to be struggling, without interrupting.
Coaches & Mentors
Systematically reformulate before responding. “If I understand you correctly, you are saying that…”
Leaders & Managers
In one-to-one meetings, keep 70% of the time in listening mode, 30% in speaking.
Do you listen without preparing your response whilst the other person is speaking?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
16
Effective communication
+
Say what needs to be said, as it needs to be said, to whom it needs to be said. Without detour or harm.
Teachers & Trainers
Practise the rule of the essential: one main message per session, repeated 3 times in different forms.
Coaches & Mentors
Help the coachee structure their key messages using the “What / Why / How” framework.
Leaders & Managers
Before any important communication, identify the single thing to remember. Everything else is context.
Does your interlocutor leave a conversation with a clear message?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
17
Develop social connections
+
Cultivate relationships that nourish, endure, and withstand tension. Relational capital.
Teachers & Trainers
Introduce different pairs in each session to break routines and broaden connections.
Coaches & Mentors
Encourage the coachee to identify their “support network” and nurture it actively, not only in times of need.
Leaders & Managers
Schedule a coffee each week with someone you know little, thus activating the need for relationships, one of the 4 fundamental needs according to Jonsdottir (autonomy, responsibility, relationships, recognition).
Do you regularly nurture your significant relationships, outside of moments of need?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
18
Develop prosocial attitudes and behaviours
+
Cooperate, help, contribute to the collective. Generosity as a daily posture.
Teachers & Trainers
Publicly acknowledge acts of cooperation between learners, not only individual results.
Coaches & Mentors
Explore with the coachee what they offer to the collective beyond their individual performance.
Leaders & Managers
Value in annual appraisals the behaviours of support and informal mentoring.
Do you help someone without expectation of return each week?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
19
Knowing how to ask for help
+
Recognise one’s limits and dare to ask. The strength, paradoxically, lies in the request.
Teachers & Trainers
Normalise asking for help in class: “Who has a question or needs clarification?” becomes a ritual.
Coaches & Mentors
Work on the Helplessness ↔ Hope pair of the HEROIC Paradox™ (Jonsdottir): recognise that asking for help is not a weakness but an act of hope in the collective. Identify the beliefs that block it (fear of judgement, perfectionism).
Leaders & Managers
Ask for help publicly at least once a month. Model the example of useful vulnerability.
Do you ask for help as soon as you need it, without waiting for exhaustion?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
20
Assertiveness and ability to say no
+
Assert one’s positions, set limits, say no without apologising or attacking.
Teachers & Trainers
Teach the assertive “no”: “I understand what you are asking, and my answer is no; here is why.”
Coaches & Mentors
Work with the coachee on situations where they say “yes” whilst thinking “no”, and the cost of that misalignment.
Leaders & Managers
Publicly decline a meeting or a priority once a week to demonstrate that saying no is legitimate.
Do you say no when you think no, without guilt?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
21
Resolving conflicts constructively
+
Turn disagreements into progress. Move beyond win-lose.
Teachers & Trainers
Teach peer mediation from school age onwards. Conflict is a learning opportunity, not a failure.
Coaches & Mentors
Help the coachee to separate positions from interests: “You want X, the other person wants Y. What deep need lies behind X? Behind Y?” It is on the basis of needs that agreement becomes possible.
Leaders & Managers
When two teams are in tension, create a “shared interests” workshop rather than an “opposing positions” one.
Do you leave disagreements with a stronger understanding rather than resentment?
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), and what would move you up a notch?
From those who practise
What changes, in their words.
I want to thank you for this training. In nearly 30 years in the profession, it is the first time the French Education Nationale has offered me this kind of input. At a time when we all feel increasingly overwhelmed by our work and by the changing people we serve, it is good to know that you seek to give us keys to professional and personal success.
I encourage everyone to become aware of their psychosocial competencies through this training, to use the experience to grow and progress by applying it day to day in their relationships with others. I already draw on them enormously, through my professional and personal journey.
What they loved
- Discovering the psychosocial competencies.
- Realising that the PSC will help us in our daily lives.
What they take into practice
- Integrating the PSC into their professional life.
- Thinking of themselves first.
- Analysing their emotions before acting.
Your path
Five ways in, one direction.
Begin for free, go at your own pace, and commit when you are ready. Every step stands on its own, and each one builds on the last.
Start with the app, Level 1.1: multidimensional well-being. Explore the 21 competencies on this page.
Start freeGo deeper with the books, Storm Driven Growth and Psychosocial Power.
Browse the booksThe 21 PSC card deck with its guide, for personal use and professional practice.
Get the deck9 hours of guided training, the card deck, app Levels 1.1 and 1.2, and your official Certified User attestation.
RegisterThe Affiliate programme: integrate, prescribe, and transmit the method within your network.
ExploreMeasured results · Thrive to Perform™
Thriving Observatory · N > 360 pre/post participants · PERMAH, PSC, OLBI instruments
Join the community
Train. Practise. Join.
Two paths, two levels of commitment. In both cases, you join a community of practitioners committed to promoting psychosocial competencies and mental health at work. Shared tools, common language, exchange of practices.
Option A
Certified User
Your first step towards psychosocial competencies
An introductory pack for anyone working with people, in education, training, management, or human resources.
After the training, you can
- Facilitate the 21 PSC and the DRA™ loop with your audience
- Use the card deck in sessions, personally and professionally
- Run self-assessments and follow progress over time
- Use the tools with legitimacy, backed by your attestation
What you receive
- 9 hours of guided training (in group or remotely)
- Card deck of the 21 PSC with guide
- Mobile app, Level 1.1: multidimensional well-being
- Mobile app, Level 1.2: psychosocial competencies
- Official Certified User attestation
Introductory rate, limited launch cohorts.
Reserve your place, €930Option B
Affiliate
The next level: integrate, prescribe, transmit
For established coaches, trainers, and consultants who want to integrate the PSC and mental-health-at-work tools into their own offering, and become recognised advocates of the method within their network.
What it opens up
- Advanced certification and regular support
- Tools integrable into your professional offering
- Visibility in the PP partner network
- Direct support from the team and a community of peers
We assess each profile individually and co-construct the terms with you.
Explore the affiliate programmeDiscover. Practise. Join.
A first 30-minute conversation to identify the priority psychosocial competency in your context, choose the format that suits you, and enter the community.
