Positive Psychology + Coaching
Coaches have access to a variety of positive psychology
interventions that have been intentionally and systematically
developed and validated by researchers in the field of psychology.
Coaches can also tap into the ongoing and ever-evolving research
underway in the field of positive psychology, as well as the
growing body of research into positive psychology’s applications
to coaching.
Interventions in Action
+ Three Good Things
For homework, ask the client to set aside time every evening to
write down a list of three things that went well that day. Most
people find it easier to think negative thoughts than positive ones;
this exercise helps retrain clients so they’re attuned to “the good”
each day. For each item, the client should write a few sentences
reflecting on why it went well, which will enable her to relive the
experience and associated positive emotions.
+ The Gratitude Visit
Assist your client in planning and carrying out a gratitude visit.
The client should choose an important person from her past who
has made a significant, positive difference in her life but to whom
she’s never expressed her thanks. Have the client compose a
thoughtful testimonial (one page in length will suffice) and make
arrangements to read it to the recipient—preferably face to face.
In the immediate future, individuals who complete the gratitude
visit tend to report the persistence of positive emotions related
to the event for up to one month. In the long term, positive
psychology research indicates that individuals who habitually feel
and express gratitude experience greater well-being overall.
+ Using Strengths in a New Way
Use an assessment tool, such as the VIA Classification of
Character Strengths, to help the client identify her chief personal
strengths. Then, encourage her to identify new ways that she can
use these strengths both in the workplace and in her personal
life or relationships. Curiosity, for example, can be tapped into at
work by exploring new topics in a conversation with colleagues.
Outside of the office, a new use of curiosity might be to locate and
try preparing a new recipe.
A Brief History
After World War II, the
study and treatment of
mental disorders, such
as post-traumatic stress
disorder (then termed “shell
shock”) shifted from the
wheelhouse of physicians to
that of psychologists, giving
rise to explosive growth
in the discipline of clinical
psychology, and a new focus
in psychological research that
persisted through the latter half
of the 20th century.
As the 1990s drew to a close,
members of the psychology
community issued the call for a
return to one of the discipline’s
earliest missions: strengthening
human potential. Leading the
charge was Martin Seligman,
former president of the American
Psychological Association. In
a 1998 address to the APA,
Seligman called on researchers
and practitioners alike to “build
on human strength” instead of
only treating disease.
Within two years of Seligman’s
speech, researchers had
developed and agreed upon
a definition of and list of goals
for the discipline of positive
psychology. Rooted in “the
scientific study of optimal human
functioning,” the ultimate, stated
goal of positive psychology would
be to help individuals achieve
“the good life.”
Using their strengths energizes individuals as well as groups.
Learning to use them in different contexts helps amplify the
positive effect.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >
Coaching World |
August 2013
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