POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY is the scientific study of optimal human functioning, often described as the science of happiness or strengths. The field was established in the late 1990s as a reaction to the direction that mainstream psychology had taken since the Second World War. The prevailing focus then was on the negative aspects of our minds and behaviour while neglecting more positive questions such as what it takes for us to play to our strengths, to increase our well-being and to thrive, whether in our personal or professional lives.

Positive psychology covers a broad range of areas which includes the study of well-being, optimism, positive emotions, emotional intelligence, resilience, values, motivation, goals and strengths – our natural talents. The good news is that when it comes to our happiness, c40% of it is under voluntary control and can be increased through intentional activities. Routes to happiness can be found in meaningful, engaging and pleasurable activities.

This branch of psychology does not deny the negative aspects of life but goes beyond ‘positive thinking’ to try and find a positive in the negative, for example, in the study of resilience, the ability to bounce back from life’s hard times and post-traumatic growth, the search for meaning in life’s shattering experiences.

Most therapists and psychologists such as clinical psychologists, are working mainly in the disease model with a goal of reducing suffering, curing illness and achieving an absence of symptoms (reaching ‘neutral’). A positive psychologist, on the other hand, works in the health model with a goal of moving from whatever the starting point, beyond neutral and into the plus scale of well-being. I’m sure you’ll agree that an absence of depression, for example, is not the same as the presence of happiness. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that working in the health model is an effective approach to increasing happiness. It seems to be true that ‘what you focus on is what you get.’ So if you want more happiness, focus on activities that promote your happiness. The diagram below gives you more of an idea of how the two models work.

What this means in practice is that positive psychologists use coaching, which is the tool of the health model, whereas a psychologist working in the disease model is more likely to be doing counselling or therapy.

Positive psychology works on three levels – the individual, in relationship and on a wider level in groups, organisations and communities. So on an individual level the science studies positive character traits and strengths. The field also has a contribution to what makes for positive relationships. Much of the research on the wider level has focused on the ingredients for a flourishing workplace, employee well-being and engagement. Interventions such as ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ are a form of positive change management whose starting point is by appreciating the existing skills and talents of the workforce.

Positive psychology is making inroads into a number of areas such as in coaching, education, therapy and business. It offers a new, dynamic approach to personal and professional development. The research on positive emotions, for example, informs us that they not only feel good, they do us good too. If you experience positive to negative emotions at a ratio of 3:1 or above, you begin to thrive and enter an upwards spiral of development that can culminate in transformation. In business this helps people to perform well and turns a team that’s languishing into one that’s flourishing.

Positive Psychology Training applies positive psychology in health, education and business.