406-1168 Hamilton
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6B 2S2
t: 604.682.1909
f: 604.682.8230

Positive Psychology

Susan riding an elephant

People typically come to a psychologist to address problems that are making it hard to cope in their lives. But another reason to see a psychologist is to enhance skills. For instance, psychologists often work with athletes to help them perform better. I’ve applied this type of psychological training to all sorts of skills—to improve talent in sports, arts performance, public speaking or even, in my case, riding an elephant. The therapy is aimed at identifying and nurturing your strengths.

Another application of positive psychology is to create a more meaningful life—one where you feel that what you’re doing fits your values and interests. This involves working from your strengths with the goal of personal growth.

In addition, I use positive psychology for dealing with problems: you are depressed or anxious; a relationship is troubled; you have a difficult employment situation etc. Positive psychology in this sort of situation is strengths-based psychology, that is, working with strengths you already have to solve the problem. An example for depression would be learning to be as fair to yourself as you are to a friend when evaluating something you’ve done. This increases your resilience, which is your ability to recover from difficult situations & to deal with new problems as they occur.

Relevant workshops I've given in the past:

  • Worrying Effectively
  • Women & Power