Positive Psychological Interventions

Research to date reveals a number of positive psychological approaches to therapy and specific activities and exercises based on the principles of positive psychology that therapists can utilize in their treatment of clients. This chapter first reviews the overarching practices of Strengths-Based Counseling, Strengths-Centered Therapy, Positive Psychotherapy, Quality of Life Therapy, Well-Being Therapy, and Hope Therapy. Then, it defines a variety of individual exercises designed to promote one or more positive psychology constructs. Strengths-Based Counseling is a model for conducting therapy based on the premises of counseling psychology, prevention, positive psychology, positive youth development, social work, solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy. Although the model was created specifically for use with adolescents, the principles appear applicable for use with adult populations as well. The model is based on 12 propositions that outline the basic principles of Strength-Based Counseling, which is then carried out in a series of ten stages. The first three stages of Strengths-Based Counseling (i.e., building a therapeutic alliance, identifying strengths, and assessing presenting problems) are focused on the creation of a strong therapeutic alliance via helping clients to identify and use their strengths and competencies to confront their struggles.