“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.”
Anita Roddick
“Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.”
Satchel Paige
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your mind off your goals.”
Henry Ford
Strengths Coaching/Positive Psychology
What is Positive Psychology in psychotherapy practice?
Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, from the University of Pennsylvania, describes the core philosophy of Positive Psychology as a “build what’s strong” approach to augment the “fix what’s wrong” approach of traditional psychotherapy.
Positive Psychology techniques do not replace those of traditional psychotherapy, but they can widen the diagnostic focus and compliment the traditional psychotherapy process; i.e. identifying an individual’s personal strengths and positive emotions in addition to alleviating negative aspects of psychological and social functioning. Positive Psychology also adds a multidimensional quality to the psychotherapy process by including a focus on things like mastery of the environment, personal growth, defining one’s purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance and developing positive relationships. Supporting an individual’s spirituality can also be a part of this process.
Drs. Seligman and Christopher Peterson have written Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification (CSV), for therapists to use as a counterpoint to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The CSV identifies 24 character strengths, organized according to six overarching virtues, to help therapists more formally identify the strengths that help an individual to thrive.
Michele uses the CSV in conjunction with the DSM-IV to provide a more holistic view of the whole person. If you would like more information about Positive Psychology and how Michele incorporates it into her psychotherapy practice, please call her at 203-852-9874.
You may also want to look at the Authentic Happiness website which is an online service of the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center. It offers free resources and includes a signature strengths questionnaire. The web address is www.authentichappiness.org.
