What Is Positive Psychology?
Positive psychology is a
technique of applied psychology where the practitioner and client focus
primarily on what if right as opposed to what is wrong. The approach
provides guidelines and exercises that help people become more empowered
and focused in all areas of life, such as romantic love, finances, work
and career, self-care and family balance. However, the core of the work
of positive psychology addresses a person's value, thoughts and habits.
All of which contribute to basic human function such as resilience,
strengths or natural gifts, happiness, passivity, commitment,
communication, boundaries and courage.
While a traditional applied
psychology will always have a place to treat dysfunction, positive
psychology can be used alongside the traditional methods of practice or
used independently by coaches that are trained and certified in the new
vocation. As an independent trade the practitioners cannot yet bill the
insurance companies so the clients will have to come out of pocket.
However, since it is a measurable science, it's know that the positive
benefits of ongoing and applied positive psychology has lasting benefits
for the client and not only to the character of the client, but also
positive physical health is affected.
The reasons a persons
physical health will be affected so positively has allot to do with
Maslow's humanistic movement which explains that when an adult becomes
more self-actualized by learning to take responsibility and allow
curiosity and creativity to flow through oneself, they will naturally
become more confident, flexible and mature, furthermore, able to accept
their own feeling and the feeling of the people around them. With
self-actualization and the ability to be more diplomatic about
situations, the blood pressure and endocrine system will less likely be
jolted to deal with unneeded stress.
Where did Positive Psychology come from?
The
foundations of positive psychology reach much farther back than the
1930's - 40's when Maslow was studying human psychology. In fact, most
of the principals are so incredibly basic that they reach as far back as
some Roman philosophers such as Neoplatonism, which basically say that
all thing emulate from itself, as if from its own mirror. Breaking it
down even further, that we become what we emulate. Example, happy and
optimistic feeds positivity and agility.
Also the stories of
biblical scripture support the present teaching of positive psychology
in the way that more often than not the story's focus on how important
it is for individual to focus on character building and treating others
well and how having these positive attributes will bring with it a good
life.
