Have you ever met with a counselor or therapist and thought, "This is not a good fit?" It might have had something to do with the theories they use to inform their practice. Counselors and therapists worldwide receive training about the theoretical underpinnings of mental health. They learn how to […]
Think about it. When a person behaves oddly or deviates from the societal standards of normality, we address him/her in so many ways - depressed, anxious, moody, suicidal, and the list goes on. But how often do we hear ourselves categorizing the ‘mentally healthy’ people as happy, very happy, or […]
Mental health therapists in the past dealt mostly with psychological diseases and the health issues that came from it. Their focus was less on individual factors like motivation, positive thinking, happiness, and emotional resilience, and more on the manifested symptoms of mental illness. George Vaillant, a pioneer in the field […]
When you hear the word 'meliorism' what comes to mind? There are many -isms in the world. What distinguishes meliorism from things like pessimism, optimism, humanism, and pluralism? Who influenced our thinking in these areas? What part do we, or don't we play in melioristic pursuits? Meliorism, whether it's global, […]
The term “environmental psychology” might be a bit ambiguous or confusing to you; if it is, you’re certainly not alone. It’s not a very large field yet, but it has the potential to be one of the most impactful ones yet regarding the future of being human. If your interest is […]
Spending time in nature, by watching a sunset, gazing at the ocean or mountains, sitting in a park, escaping to the countryside or a nature retreat, or even just spending a few minutes to stare out the window, provides us with the opportunity to rest, reflect, and restore our very […]
The question “What is wrong with people?” has guided the thinking of many psychologists and dominated countless scientific studies during the 20th century. It is hard to deny that it is an important question. In our attempts to answer the question, we have gained insight into many illnesses and have […]
If you’ve been hearing the term “positive psychology” thrown around a lot, but you’re not quite sure what it is, you’ve come to the right place! There are some common misconceptions about positive psychology, both about what it is and what it is not. To clear up some of these […]
The Big Five personality traits are all about the following question: "Who are you?" It's a simple enough question, but it's one of the hardest ones to answer. There are many ways to interpret that question. An answer could include your name, your job title, your role in your family, […]
In positive psychology, several types of research methods make studying well-being a legitimate endeavor. Some positive psychology experiments measure well-being, while others introduce variables that change a participants’ levels of well-being. These two general types of experiments offer several research factors, which this article unpacks. It is important to understand […]
It doesn’t take long to find a link between Positive Psychology and creativity, and the body of research connecting well-being and creativity is constantly growing. A quick look at the VIA framework reveals creativity to be one of its 24 signature strengths. More specifically, creativity is one of the character […]
The science of spirituality explores the link between religion and well-being. Does maintaining a spiritual practice improve people's biological health? If you are curious about the health benefits and biochemical effect of religion, then this article is for you. "Spirituality lies not in the power to heal others, to perform miracles […]
Positive psychology complements traditional psychology's focus on pathology. It studies strengths, virtues, and the factors that contribute to a full and meaningful life. "Probably the biggest insight is that happiness is not just a place, but also a process. Happiness is an ongoing process of fresh challenges and . . […]
One of the foundational articles in the field of positive psychology is "Positive Psychology. An Introduction," written by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "Psychology is much larger than curing mental illness or curing diseases. I think it's about bringing out the best in people; it's about positive institutions; it's about strength […]
The Soviet Union attacked Finland on November 30, 1939. It was a violent attack, with some 350 bombs dropping from Soviet planes over Helsinki. By March 1940, the Soviet Union signed a peace treaty. How was it that one of the greatest superpowers in the world signed a peace treaty with […]
Many leading experts in the field of positive psychology have spoken at TED Talk events about aspects of positive psychology, including happiness, flow, mindset, and optimism. Here is a list of positive psychology TED Talks you should check out. Which one most inspired you or made you question something? We would love […]
When positive psychology emerged in the late 1990s, it critiqued mainstream psychology for not focusing on the positive aspects of the human experience. Positive psychology researchers described the perspective of most mainstream psychology as an “inappropriately negative view of human nature and the human condition” (Keyes and Haidt, 2003). Practitioners […]
