Until recently the major focus of Psychology has been on mental illness, rather than
on mental health and wellbeing.
Positive Psychology is a new and exciting dimension of psychology which helps individuals:
The science of Positive Psychology defines Three Pillars of Happiness. They are:
Learning the skills to enhance your positive feelings about your past (gratitude & forgiveness) the present and your future (optimism and hope)
Experiencing Flow rather than just gratification as in the Pleasant Life Flow is engaging in an activity which you love or enjoy and it takes all of your attention, to the point where you lose sense of time. To help you experience more flow in your life you need to:
Identify your Personal (Signature) Strengths
Re-craft your Work, Love and Play to make the most of your strengths<
Derive Gratification from the above
Knowing your signature strengths
Using your strengths in the service of something larger than you such as your family, work, community service, religion etc
Life Satisfaction is the sum of the pleasant life + the engaged life + the meaningful life.
Dr Martin Seligman who has been described as the ‘Father of Positive Psychology’ has developed an on-line strengths questionnaire with Chris Peterson. You can complete this inventory to identify your top signature strengths at no charge. Over 400,000 people from all over the world have completed this questionnaire . Just go to [www.authentichappiness.org] The inventory takes about half an hour to complete and at the end you can print off your results which will you identify your top 3 to 5 signature strengths.
Using the results of their strengths inventory, Kate McKinnon can work with clients to explore ways to gain a greater sense of wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Depression is a major issue in society today, affecting a significant proportion of the population, including younger people. As real wealth grows….so does depression. Most people believe that depression and happiness are emotional states beyond their control. Positive Psychology exercises have been empirically proven to reduce depression and enhance wellbeing.
Using the concepts and interventions of Positive Psychology to inform our work together can be a powerful way to enhance your life satisfaction and ensure that the goals you decide on will lead to greater well-being and a more fulfilled life.