Positive Psychology
Unlike traditional psychology that focuses more on the
causes and symptoms of mental illnesses and emotional disturbances, positive
psychology emphasizes traits, thinking patterns, behaviors, and experiences
that are forward-thinking and can help improve the quality of a person’s
day-to-day life. These may include optimism, spirituality, hopefulness,
happiness, creativity, perseverance, justice, and the practice of free will. It
is an exploration of one’s strengths, rather than one’s weaknesses. The goal of
positive psychology is not to replace those traditional forms of therapy that
center on negative experiences, but instead to expand and give more balance to
the therapeutic process.
When It's Used
Positive psychology can be applied to children and
adults in educational settings and mental health facilities, as well as in
private counseling practices. There is also a place for positive psychology
outside the realm of therapeutic practice, such as in human resource management
and business administration.
What to Expect
Positive psychology is sometimes referred to as “the
science of happiness.” One of the questions positive psychologists try to
address is: “Can a person be happy and realistic at the same time?” While
acknowledging the problems of the world and of the individual, positive
psychologists believe one can still lead a productive, meaningful, and
satisfying life. The goal is to minimize negativity in one’s thinking and
behavior, to develop a more optimistic attitude that will enhance, rather than
disrupt one’s social, professional, and spiritual life. Positive therapists and
counselors use a variety of exercises and interventions to help their clients
become more self-aware and identify their own positive traits and strengths.
How It Works
To a large degree, the positive psychology movement
began back in the 1950s and ’60s, with the introduction of a humanistic
approach to therapy. Soon afterwards, psychologists began to realize that
looking only at the damage already done to adults was not helping to prevent mental
health problems that often begin in childhood. In the late 1990s, psychologist
Martin Seligman recognized that, for the sake of prevention, researchers and
practitioners had to start looking more closely at human strengths and virtues,
not just weaknesses, and figure out how to instill positive traits in younger
people who may be at risk of developing the unhealthy emotions and behaviors
that signal mental illness. Seligman proposed that successful psychotherapy in
the future would not only be a process wherein people talk about their
troubles, but also where people examine and learn to use their strengths. He
suggested that exercises in happiness can be used to make lasting differences
in those who are depressed, anxious, or conflicted.