Boost EQ and build stronger relationships
Reading faces accurately is fundamental to emotional intelligence. See how others really feel, respond appropriately, and build deeper trust — personally and professionally.
On-demand course · Facial expressions
Decode expressions. Read emotions accurately.
Go beyond guesswork. Master the science of reading facial expressions, see the emotions people try to hide and boost your emotional intelligence — 100% online, at your own pace.
15Video lessons
FACSResearch-based method
AnswersTo check your practice
LifetimeAccess
Why misreading faces holds you back
The communication blind spot you can’t afford.
A misinterpreted smile can erode trust in an instant. Missing a fleeting micro-expression of fear can derail a critical negotiation. Taking politeness at face value leads to poor decisions in leadership and sales — and intuition alone often misses the real story written on someone’s face.
The Human Face closes that gap. Forget unreliable myths: the course is grounded in decades of scientific research, including Dr Paul Ekman’s Facial Action Coding System (FACS), and teaches you to systematically observe and accurately interpret the subtle muscle movements that reveal genuine emotion.
- Detect hidden feelings
- Verify sincerity
- Understand true emotional states
- Improve empathy & connection
- Spot emotional leakage
- Build stronger relationships
What it changes
Read the face, and everything else gets easier.
Accurate facial insight is a practical advantage in every conversation that matters.
Communicate more effectively
Read your audience’s facial feedback in real time. Engaged, confused, sceptical? Adjust as you go for maximum impact and clarity — and become more aware of your own expressions.
Spot crucial inconsistencies
Learn to catch micro-expressions — rapid, involuntary flashes of emotion that can contradict words or managed expressions. Not simplistic “lie spotting”, but finding the hot spots worth exploring.
Improve professional outcomes
Negotiate better, build a stronger leadership presence, hold more insightful sales conversations and make sharper recruitment decisions.
Free mini quiz
How well do you read faces?
Five quick questions. No sign-up, and you’ll see the answers as you go.
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Question 1 of 5
Roughly how long can a micro-expression last?
Show the answer
A fraction of a second. Micro-expressions are brief, involuntary flashes of emotion — often well under half a second, which is why most people miss them without training.
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Question 2 of 5
What does FACS stand for?
Show the answer
Facial Action Coding System. Developed by Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen, FACS describes every visible facial movement as a numbered “action unit”. It’s the system this course teaches you to use.
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Question 3 of 5
In a felt, genuine smile, what usually happens as well as the lip corners rising?
Show the answer
The cheeks lift and the skin around the eyes crinkles. The muscle around the eye (orbicularis oculi) raises the cheeks and narrows the eyes. It’s a classic marker of enjoyment — though, like any single cue, not proof on its own.
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Question 4 of 5
Someone looks away while answering your question. What does that tell you?
Show the answer
On its own, very little. No single behaviour reliably signals deception. Look for changes from someone’s baseline and clusters of cues, then use them to ask better questions.
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Question 5 of 5
How many emotions have widely recognised, universal facial expressions in Ekman’s research?
Show the answer
Seven. Anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise — recognised across cultures, and the starting point for reading any face.
Is it right for you?
This course is for you if you want…
- A science-backed, FACS-based method for facial expression analysis
- Practical skills to read emotions on faces accurately
- Learning through real examples and practice exercises
- An expert-developed, research-based curriculum focused on the face
- Stronger emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
- Deeper insight into genuine emotion, sincerity and hidden feelings
- Flexible on-demand learning you can complete any time
No prior knowledge needed — the course starts with the fundamentals of facial expression and the science behind it.
What you’ll learn
See more in
See more in
every expression.
Build a trained eye for facial expressions. Learn what to look for, practise on real footage and check your observations — so you can bring greater attention and understanding to the conversations that matter.
- On demand
- At your pace
- No prior knowledge needed
How you’ll build the skill
Expert examples. A clear method. Practice you can check.
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Watch an expert at work
See what you may be missing
Start with a real interview and an expert debrief. Compare what catches your attention with the facial movements the expert picks out, and begin to see where a closer look makes a difference.
Your takeaway
A clearer sense of where to focus your attention when someone’s expression changes.
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Build your method
Know what you’re looking at
Learn how facial movements create the expressions you see. Use the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to break them into recognisable parts, with demonstrations covering the brows, eyes, cheeks and mouth.
Your takeaway
A practical way to describe what changed, giving you a firmer starting point for understanding an expression.
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Put the detail in perspective
Make more considered judgements
Explore how facial analysis is applied, and what AI, animation and manipulated expressions mean for interpreting the faces we see on screen.
Your takeaway
A more questioning eye for what a facial expression — or a claim about it — can really tell you.
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Practise, check and refine
Find out what you can spot for yourself
Put your observation skills to work on real footage. Try the coding exercises and quizzes, then check the supplied answers to see what you spotted and where you need another look.
Your takeaway
A way to check your understanding and focus your practice as your eye for detail develops.
Keep the tools.
Keep developing.
- 15 video lessonsPause, replay and learn at your pace.
- Practical exercises and answersPut your learning to the test.
- A FACS cheat sheet to keepA useful reference for continued practice.
Ready to train your eye?
Start straight away, with lifetime access to revisit your learning.
As seen on Discovery
Taught by the experts behind Faking It.
The Discovery Channel’s Faking It shows behavioural analysis and facial decoding at work. Dr Cliff Lansley and Aaron Garner demonstrate how FACS-based principles uncover hidden emotions, interpret micro-expressions and read non-verbal cues in real-life situations.
FACSResearch-based method
15Video lessons
RealFootage to practise on
LifetimeAccess
Your facilitators
Learn from practitioners, not presenters.
Dr Cliff Lansley
Behavioural scientist
A pioneer in applying behavioural science, including FACS-based analysis, and featured on the Discovery Channel’s Faking It. Extensive experience training government, military and corporate clients worldwide.
LinkedIn: Dr Cliff Lansley (opens in a new tab) ↗
Aaron Garner
Communication & behaviour expert
An expert in communication and behaviour who integrates facial expression analysis into high-stakes training — from military and intelligence teams to negotiators and security personnel.
LinkedIn: Aaron Garner (opens in a new tab) ↗
Where it leads
See the full pathway
The face is one of six channels.
SCAnS® puts the face alongside body, voice, words, interaction style and psychophysiology. Take it further at your own pace, or live with expert coaching.
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1Level
SCAnS® Online
Build your foundation, at your own pace.
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2Level
SCAnS® Certificate
Apply the system with expert coaching.
£750 workshop · £1,500 1:1View course: SCAnS® Certificate -
2+Level
SCAnS® Coder Certification
From spotting cues to coding them - and reporting on them.
£1,500 + VAT · SCAnS Online includedView course: SCAnS® Coder Certification -
3Level
SCAnS® Train-the-Trainer
Teach SCAnS® in your own organisation or practice.
£2,700 incl. first-year licenceView course: SCAnS® Train-the-Trainer
Enrol today
The Human Face — on-demand
One payment, lifetime access. Start the moment you enrol and learn at your own pace.
- Lifetime access to every lesson
- Start right away, learn on demand
- FACS-based coding of the upper face, lower face, head and eyes
- Quizzes and practical coding exercises on real footage
- FACS cheat sheet to keep
- A route on to SCAnS® behaviour analysis
On-demand · instant access
£250One-off payment · lifetime access
Approx. $323 · €299
Fee indication only — the rate is set at the time of booking.
FAQs
Common questions
Do I need any prior knowledge?
No. The course begins with the fundamentals of facial expressions and the science behind them.
How accurate is reading facial expressions?
Context is always key with human behaviour, but understanding universal expressions and micro-expressions, based on scientific research, significantly improves accuracy over guesswork or myths. This course teaches a reliable, evidence-based approach.
How does this relate to SCAnS®?
The face is one crucial channel within the broader SCAnS® framework. This course is a deep dive into facial analysis — it complements SCAnS® Online or stands alone as a powerful skill for emotional intelligence and communication.
What technology do I need?
Just a modern internet browser on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
How long do I have access?
For life. Your one-off payment gives lifetime access, so you can revisit lessons and the FACS cheat sheet whenever you need them.