What is Positive Psychology? How is it Applied?
Clinical Psychologist Merve Umay Candaş told...
When we look at the origin of positive psychology, we can say that it is based on Aristotle's understanding of happiness.
Aristotle says that the best for human beings is happiness. Although there are many scientists who contributed to the development of positive psychology both in the historical development process and in modern psychology, Martin Seligman's name is accepted as the founder of positive psychology.
In order to explain the importance of positive psychology, I would like to include a dialog between Seligman, the founder of this field, and his daughter. Seligman explains that his daughter's voice was very loud while playing in the garden and that he yelled at her because he could not stand the sound. His daughter then told him that before the age of 5 she was always crying and whining, and that when she turned 5 she decided to stop whining. However, in return for this behavior, her daughter demanded that she, as her father, also stop complaining. Seligman states that this incident was instructive for him, and that by changing his perspective, he realized that it was not enough just to correct the wrong, but also to develop strengths. Subsequently, many centers where positive psychology was developed were established.
The World Health Organization defines a human being as a person who is not only free of ailments but also physically, mentally and socially well. In other words, it is not enough for the individual not to have any problems. In general, psychotherapy approaches focus on the person's problem, psychopathology and problem. In this sense, the need for a different field has arisen for people who do not have any health problems in society, who do not receive any psychiatric diagnosis, but who have difficulties at some points in their daily lives or who need to be strengthened. This field is currently filled with the approach we call positive psychology.
Although positive psychology is defined in many ways, it can be briefly defined as a scientific field that deals with what is positive and contributes to the individual's attachment to life and taking his/her life to a better position than where he/she is. Positive psychology is an approach that focuses on the individual's strengths rather than weaknesses, and on the power of solutions rather than problems. This focus is also suitable for filling the World Health Organization's definition of a healthy person.
Seligman describes how he sees positive psychology as follows: "The message of the positive psychology movement is to remind us that our field is deformed. Psychology is not only the study of illness, weakness and harm; it is also the study of strengths and good qualities. Treatment is not only the repair of what is wrong, but also the construction of what is right. Psychology is not just about illness or health; it is about work, education, insight, love, development and play."
It is based on some assumptions while revealing the field of using you.
The person has an active, active role in directing his/her own life.
The person has an innate motivation to make changes in his/her life.
Positive psychology-supported behavior change creates a desire for commitment to life.
How do we use positive psychology in our psychotherapy?
In cases where psycho pathology is a priority during the hospitalization process, progressing with positive psychotherapy techniques after acute psychotherapeutic interventions has an accelerating contribution to the healing process of the person.
Sometimes people are not motivated to recover and have difficulty focusing on their problems or their strengths afterwards. In this sense, a positive approach will be a productive approach both for the therapist and for the person to progress more healthily in their own journey.