Toward a Communities of Color Cultural Strengths Model for Counseling Psychology Training

The Effectiveness of Positivism Training on the Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in the Elderly Men

The aim of this chapter is to explore the relation between the professional specialty of counseling psychology and positive psychology. Following a brief historical overview of counseling psychology, we explore its theoretical convergence with positive psychology and examine how the ideas from positive psychology have been received by counseling psychologists. We argue that although counseling psychology has its roots in ideas that are consistent with positive psychology, the profession has developed a broad practice range in recent decades accommodating a diversity of ways of working, many of which prioritize working with distress and its origins over seeking to enhance and build on existing strengths. As such, the positive psychology movement can offer a new impetus for the profession of counseling psychology to reexamine its fundamental assumptions and reflect on its training curriculum. Based on this overview, we conclude that further bridges need to be built between positive psychology and counseling psychology. Our goal is to encourage counseling psychologists to engage more fully with the ideas and research of positive psychology.

Reviewed by: Positive Psychology on the College Campus by John C. Wade, Lawrence L. Marks, and Roderick D. Hetzel Alan M. Schwitzer Positive Psychology on the College Campus John C. Wade, Lawrence L. Marks, and Roderick D. Hetzel New York, NY: Oxford, 2015, 376 pages, $69.95 (hardcover) Student development theory and higher education practice traditionally have been informed by closely related fields such as the various specialties of professional psychology. In particular, counseling psychology’s historical emphasis on individuals’ adaptive strengths, inner resources and resiliencies, and psychological well-being is especially consistent with the higher education goals of promoting student growth, development, adjustment, and success (Moores & Popadiuk, 2011). Most recently, positive psychology has emerged from the counseling psychology literature as a field of study that is useful for looking beyond deficits in a person’s functioning and instead focusing on positive characteristics and facilitative institutional experiences. Positive Psychology on the College Campus, edited by John C. Wade, Lawrence L. Marks, and Roderick D. Hetzel, applies this scientific study of positive emotions, positive character, and positive institutions to student development work. As a result, this new book is a timely addition to the literature, informing contemporary practices to support student success. The book’s lead authors are college counseling center psychologists who were motivated by the ways the positive psychology approach had enhanced their counseling center work to examine its potential for “applications beyond the counseling center and to almost all areas of student affairs work” (Wade, Marks, & Hetzel, 2015; p. ix). The resulting text is as an introduction to the topic written for practitioners throughout higher education. The book is logically organized and comprises 15 chapters. These are divided up so that the first 4 chapters introduce readers to the dynamics of positive psychology theory in the context of today’s campuses, and then the remaining chapters offer applications of the theory to practice inside and outside the classroom. In chapter 1, Laurie A. Schreiner builds the case for a close alignment between the priorities of higher education and the goals of positive psychology. On one hand, Schreiner acknowledges the modern importance of institutional outcomes related to student persistence, graduation, and career. On the other hand, she reminds readers that U.S. higher education also has traditionally set out to positively influence character development, psychosocial and cognitive development, and the growth of fulfilled individuals who will be active contributors to society. Whereas a narrower institutional emphasis on admissions standards, graduation rates, and career outcomes potentially can lead to a deficit view of students – identifying mostly gaps in adjustment and areas of poor functioning to which campuses must respond with remediation—a broader view of institutional success that retains an emphasis on student development outcomes allows for practices that can facilitate students’ growth as fulfilled individuals and can create institutional climates in which the potential for thriving across diverse student populations is intentionally advanced. Because positive psychology focuses more on talents, strengths, and resilience than on deficits and remediation, it is presented in the chapter as a good strategy for achieving this broader approach to institutional outcomes. [End Page 620] The next chapters expand on these themes. In chapter 2, Frank Shushok Jr. and Vera Kidd describe the most recent cohort of U.S. college students: Millennials. This is an especially useful chapter for readers who are relatively unfamiliar with generational viewpoints. The chapter presents the primary features characterizing the Millennial generation of students—including, for example, their exposure to rapid cultural change, immersion in technology and social connectedness, high levels of education, diversity, self-expressiveness, experience of relatively protective family backgrounds, intellect, priority on relevance, service-orientation, as well as their experience of heightened pressure to succeed and high expectations. The chapter balances these unique generational features with a discussion of the ways in which Millennials also share with each previous generation of adolescents and young adults the compelling identity questions of “What are my gifts and talents?” “Why am I in college and will I be successful?” and “How can I matter?” The main point of the chapter is that positive psychology approaches are an effective fit with the developmental characteristics Millennials bring with them to campus. In...

In a short-time positive psychology has progressed into a scientific and multidisciplinary field of enquiry. It is now necessary for positive psychology to develop clear practice standards which will be collectively endorsed and upheld by members and those undergoing training in positive psychology. Teachers of positive psychology are in a prime position to disseminate ethical knowledge. Moreover, the objectives of ethics and positive psychology are closely aligned in their focus on achieving optimal outcomes; hence, the pairing of the two is ideal. Consequently, it would be ironic if positive psychology did not explicitly embrace ethical standards in guiding those training for a future in positive psychology. As a professional entity, positive psychology needs to provide more direction and encouragement for teachers, students, scholars and practitioners of positive psychology, and in time, this should be codified and discussed in positive psychology university degrees to promote consistency among its future members.

IntroductionBurnout in medical students is extensive and a critical issue. It is associated with increased rates of depression, suicide, and poor perception of the educational environment. Enhancing resilience, the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, is a potential tool to mitigate burnout and improve medical student wellness.MethodsOur resilience curriculum consisted of facilitated workshops to cultivate resilience in medical students during their core clerkship rotations. This curriculum served as an introduction to the concept of resilience and taught skills to cultivate resilience and promote wellness. The sessions allowed for identification of and reflection on stressors in the clinical learning environment, including straining team dynamics, disappointment, and uncertainty. Educational sessions included resilience skill-building exercises for managing expectations, letting go of negative emotions, dealing with setbacks, and finding meaning in daily work. Associated materials included lesson plans for small-group facilitators, learner pre- and postcurriculum surveys, and a social media activity guide.ResultsThis curriculum was delivered to 144 clerkship students at two academic institutions over the 2017–2018 academic year. Sessions were well received by medical students, with the majority of students stating that the sessions should continue. The majority of attendees found the sessions valuable and learned new ways to approach challenges.DiscussionStudents valued connecting with peers and feeling less alone through their participation. A challenge was constructing a setting conducive to comfortable reflection for all learners. Not all students found these sessions necessary. Sessions may have improved resilience levels.

Content & FocusCounselling, positive and community psychologies have a lot in common and overlapping values and goals. I outline here the focus of community psychology on those marginalised by the social system and the values and key concepts that underline community psychological praxis. The values of stewardship, justice and community are outlined and their implications for practice drawn out. Key community concepts are discussed, including the emphasis on social change and an action orientation, working with the ecological metaphor, the psychological sense of community, and the idea of new social settings. The four key strategies for change that follow are: the furtherance of critical consciousness; the creation of new forms of social relations or settings; the development of alliances and accompaniment; and advocacy and policy analysis.ConclusionI argue that central to all community psychological work is critical reflection and that synergies can be found in research and practice with greater integration of community, counselling and positive psychology.

Counseling psychologists are in a prime position to claim preeminence in the field of applied positive psychology. A number of misunderstandings or misconceptions of positive psychology seem to interfere, however, with the focus (or lack thereof) that has been placed upon training counseling psychologists to utilize and contribute to positive psychological scholarship and applications. In this article, the most commonly reported misconceptions are addressed, and foundational information regarding positive psychological constructs, theories, and processes most relevant to the applied work of counseling psychologists is reviewed. Counseling psychologists are encouraged to claim positive psychology as the logical extension of our humanistic roots and to consider how to both utilize and contribute to the growing body of positive psychological scholarship.

Orientation: The development of positive psychology interventions have burgeoned internationally and are relevant to the professional training of psychologistsResearch purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the personal and professional impact of including positive psychology in the professional training of clinical and counselling psychologists.Motivation for the study: It is not known how students previously educated in a pathogenic paradigm experience the exposure to positive psychology, and resultant paradigm shift, as part of their professional training.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research design was implemented. Data consisted of written documents submitted by the participants and was analyzed by means of thematic analysis.Main findings: Integrating positive psychology in the professional training curriculum was valuable and enriching on both a professional and personal level. The participants reported an experience of positive emotions and increased sense of self-understanding and psychological well-being. Professionally they experienced a sense of increased self-efficacy.Practical/managerial implications: Positive psychology should be considered as part of the basic training of psychologists since it may enhance the development of trainee psychologists’ professional self, enhance aspects of psychological well-being as well as prevent stress and burnout.Contribution/value-add: This is the first South African study to explore the impact of including positive psychology principles and interventions in professional training.

The purpose of this article is to honor the legacy of Dr. Joseph White, one of the founding fathers of Black psychology. Three areas of his legacy are highlighted: his style of mentoring, the impact of his scholarship on the field of Black psychology, and its impact on the professional development and scholarship of this author. The intent is to inspire new generations of Black mentors and scholars to continue the legacy of Dr. Joseph White, grounded in Black psychology, community, African American values, and the professional extended family.

This qualitative study explores positive psychology entrepreneurship (PPE) – how individuals with formal training in positive psychology build consumer-facing businesses. Given the growing number of positive psychology entrepreneurs, understanding how educational programs prepare them for these roles is important. Through semi-structured interviews with 32 founders and co-founders trained in positive psychology (e.g. master’s, PhD, or professional certification), the study investigates the challenges, resources, skills, and strategies influencing their professional success. Key challenges included limited business management experience and difficulties in client acquisition and retention. Critical resources were mentorship, social support, educational background, and diverse teams. Essential skills identified were character strength utilization, positive mindset cultivation, effective communication, and business acumen. Successful strategies emphasized aligning services with market needs, enhancing collaborations, and building visibility and credibility. Findings suggest that integrating business training into positive psychology programs and leveraging social networks may better equip graduates pursuing PPE.

سرزندگی به عنوان تجربه درونی سرشار از انرژی معرفی شده که در این تجربه، افراد در خود احساس شور زندگی و روحیه می‌کنند. سرزندگی ذهنی عبارت از داشتن احساس مثبت زندگی و بانشاط بودن است. چنین حالتی در دوره سالمندی اهمیت فراوانی دارد. بنابراین هدف این پژوهش بررسی اثربخشی روان‌درمانگری مثبت‌نگر بر سرزندگی در سالمندان بود. پژوهش حاضر نیمه‌آزمایشی با طرح پیش‌آزمون–پس‌آزمون با گروه کنترل بود. جامعه‌ آماری شامل کلیه‌ سالمندان مراجع مراکز نگهداری روزانه سالمندان شهرستان الیگودرز در سال 1397 بودند که از میان آنها 30 سالمند به صورت هدفمند و بر اساس ملاک‌های ورود و خروج مطالعه انتخاب و در دو گروه آزمایش و کنترل (هر گروه 15 نفر) جایگزین شدند. ابزار مورد استفاده در این پژوهش مقیاس سرزندگی ذهنی رایان و فردریک بود. گروه آزمایش در 8 جلسه‌ 90 دقیقه‌ای به صورت گروهی در جلسات روان‌درمانی مثبت‌نگر حضور یافتند، در حالی که گروه کنترل هیچ مداخله‌ای را دریافت نکردند. داده‎ها با استفاده از تحلیل کوواریانس تک متغیره (آنکوا) در نرم‌افزار SPSS نسخه 25 تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. نتایج پژوهش نشان داد که روان‌درمانی مثبت‌نگر به طور معناداری باعث افزایش سرزندگی در سالمندان شده است. براساس نتایج این پژوهش پیشنهاد می‌شود از روان‌درمانی مثبت‌نگر برای افزایش سرزندگی در سالمندان استفاده شود.

Objective: Preventing chronic diseases is important for public health. The aim of this study was evaluation the effectiveness of positive psychology (PP) training on rumination and depression in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental design and a pre-test-post-test with a control group. The statistical population of the present study consisted of women with T2DM. By referring to the medical centers of regions 7, 4, 11, and 16 in Tehran, 30 people were selected by purposive sampling method. Data collection tools in this study were two standard questionnaires of Nolen-Hoeksema and Beck Depression (1978) and positive educational training and guidance protocol. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 21. Results: The results showed that PP training has a positive and significant effect on decrease rumination in women with T2DM (Pvalue= 0.001). Also, PP training has a positive and significant effect on reducing depression in women with T2DM (P-value= 0.002). The PP training had a greater effect on rumination in women with T2DM than depression. Conclusion: Positive training in psychology has an impact on rumination and depression in women with T2DM, according to the findings. The findings of the study show that therapeutic intervention for rumination and stress is subordinated to the health network's planned working processes.

To hear adherents of positive psychology tell it, the advent of positive psychology can be traced back to 1998. At Martin E. P. Seligman’s Presidential Address to the American Psychological Association, he described a profession which ‘‘... largely neglected the latter two of (psychology’s) three pre-World War II missions: curing mental illness’’; helping all people to lead more productive and fulfilling lives; and identifying and nurturing high talent. Seligman resolved to use his APA presidency to initiate a shift in psychology’s focus toward a more positive psychology’’ [1]. Other historians have noted that positive psychology began well before 1998 and have given due credit to earlier contributors [2]. Few would question that the resurgence of interest and momentum in positive psychology is in full swing. Without detracting from the considerable achievements of our contemporaries, contributors to this special issue are mindful that positive psychologists have been active even dating back to World War I and its aftermath. The theoretical and applied contributions of Alfred Adler, Victor Frankl, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, William Glasser and others are matters of record. Linley [1] noted as early as 1946–1947 that the Veterans Administration and the National Institute of Mental Health had configured psychology as a healing discipline based upon a disease model and illness ideology. But even then and ever since, large segments of counseling psychology in particular have consistently rejected the medical model and posited a more holistic approach. Their collective body of work merits close examination and revisionist history should not purge this foundation from our training or traditions. Indeed there exists today considerable evidence of its effectiveness; e.g., common factors research [3]. Regarding rehabilitation, as early as 1978 Warren Rule wrote about the applications of Adlerian lifestyle counseling with emphasis on the innately social nature of clients, consciousness, health and normality, purposeful behavior, self-perception, and competition [4]. Frankl and Rogers underscored active involvement of the client, capacity for growth, basic goodness of human nature, insight and change, independence and integration, focus upon the affective, client responsibility, counselor acceptance and tolerance and the uniqueness and wholeness of each individual. Glasser stressed achievement, meaning and purpose, personal responsibility and the need to love and be loved. Frankl observed that life affords both meaning and the freedom to pursue it under all circumstances. Maslow sought to document the characteristics of the ‘‘growing tip’’ of society and discovered universal needs which for some, if fulfilled, may lead to self-actualization. Each of these legends believed that psychology was misdirected in its obsession with psychopathology and contributed mightily to our current understanding of what constitutes mental health. Each rejected labelling and the stigmatization resulting from rigid psychiatric diagnoses. Each perceived mankind as inherently good and highly individualized in terms of personality. Their thinking did result in calls for action and lead to de-institutionalization which, although neither well planned nor executed, were advanced by Szaz, Wolfensberger, and others. Positive psychology was not as popular as it is in the new millennium, but its influence was enduring. In the context of a civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s there emerged a parallel movement in the broader disability community for self-determination and equal & Brian T. McMahon btmcmaho@vcu.edu

This research aims to examine the effectiveness of the Psychological Counseling Program via Positive Psychology – Positive Psychotherapy Oriented Group, developed by the researcher, on individuals' internet addiction levels, emotional intelligence, and happiness enhancement strategies. The hybrid test method was used in the research process. The experimental and control groups are the first factors in the model used. The second factor is the preliminary test, the final test, and the follow-up research. A total of 24 undergraduate students participated in the research, including 12 students in the experimental group and 12 students in the control group. The independent variable of the research is the Psychological Counseling Program with Positive Psychology and Positive Psychotherapy Oriented Group. The dependent variable of the research is the levels of “Internet Addiction,”,” “Emotional Intelligence,” and “Happiness Increasing Strategies” of the individuals participating in the study. Ethics committee approval was obtained from “Yıldız Technical University” for the study. The analysis of the data was carried out with the SPSS Statistical 26 version. It was carried out with the Two-Factor ANOVA Test for Mixed Measurements of whether there is a difference between the scale pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test scores of the students in the control or experimental group. Post Hoc Tests were used to specify differences between the groups. As a result of the research, it was concluded that the Positive Psychology – Positive Psychotherapy Oriented Group Psychological Counselling Program reduces individuals' technology addiction scores and increases emotional intelligence and happiness ıncreasing strategies scores.

Aim: This research was administered with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of resilience training and positive psychology training on resilience and social adaptability of mothers of children with gender dysphoria disorder. Method: The current research was a quasi-experimental type with a pre-test, post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population included all mothers with children suffering from gender dysphoria, who were diagnosed through membership in official groups of people suffering from gender dysphoria and diagnosed through a diagnostic interview by a clinical psychologist in Isfahan city in 2022. Sampling was done using the accessible method based on the entry criteria and 45 mothers were selected and randomly and using lottery in three groups (two intervention groups and one control group) and each group was replaced by 15 people. Data were collected through social adjustment questionnaires of Bell (1961) and Connor and Davidson resilience (2003). Resilience training (edited and validated in the present study) and positive psychology based on the theory of Seligman et al. (2006) were each implemented during 9 sessions of 95 minutes and the control group received the training after completing the work. In line with the inferential analysis, the data were analyzed through variance analysis of repeated measures and Bonferroni's post hoc test using SPSS version 26 software. Results: The results showed that resiliency training and positive psychology were effective in improving the resilience of mothers (F=9.94, p<0.01). However, resilience training and positive psychology were not effective in promoting social adaptation of mothers (F=3.80, p<0.05). Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups of resilience training and positive training with the control group (p<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed the effectiveness of resilience training and positive psychology on increasing the resilience of mothers of people with gender boredom. These two types of training can be used to help improve the resilience of the mothers of these people.