Changing Your Mood
September 28, 2007
Want to change your mood? A little laughter never hurts . . .
Positive Psychology Coaching - Book Review
September 28, 2007
Positive Psychology Coaching – Putting the Science of Happiness to Work for Your Clients by Robert Biswas-Diener & Ben Dean
A Review in Progress by Linda Lawless LMHC LMFT
www.ProfessionalPracticeInstitute.com
Many of us have already been using Positive Psychology in our therapy and coaching work. I believe this new book will help you put things in a clear context of what to use and why.
I am finding this new book very easy to read and organized well. The first chapter is really an overview of what and why the book is about. I’m eager to move on to the next chapter. Here is an overview of the overview, using quotes from the chapter. Read more
“What’s Right With You?”
September 27, 2007
If you’d like a simple, useful book to recommend as an introduction to the concepts of positive psychology for your clients, I’d highly recommend “What’s Right with You?” by Barry Duncan, PsyD. You may recognize Barry Duncan as one of the authors of “The Heroic Client”. In this straight-forward book, Duncan describes his frustration as a young psychologist to find out that the mental health field was only interested in what was wrong with people…their pathology. It characterized people as damaged goods, hopeless victims of past trauma or their own biochemistry. Duncan reports that this “view” did not fit with what he experienced as he met with clients each and every day. He states, “Over the years I was delighted to discover that this pervasive attitude didn’t fit the scientific research about change either. Change, in truth, is far more about what is right with people attempting it…their strengths, resources, ideas and relational support-than the labels they are branded with or the methods therapists use.”
The client is the bottom line of change. Change happens by marshaling your inherent abilities, “what’s right with you”, to address the situation at hand. In the drama of change, it is the client who is the hero or heroine. “This book translates this central finding and others from scientific research into easy, practical steps to make meaningful change in your life.” (Duncan) Read more
Chapter 3 Choosing Happiness: Goals, Relationships, and Positive Thinking
September 27, 2007
Having just spent a day with Dan Siegel (The Mindful Brain) and hearing about neural plasticity, I was put off by the introduction to Chapter 3 and their belief in “biological determinism.” Realizing the authors and I come from different places, but are looking to the same outcomes, helping clients increase the happiness in their lives, I read on.
The three areas of focus are mentioned in the title of this chapter. I thought I knew a lot about goal setting and discovered a lot lot more. The power of relationships and thinking styles and habits are also thoughtfully explored. After I got over my resistance in the opening pages, I found this chapter very educational.
Book review: a mind of its own
September 12, 2007
a mind of its own: How Your Brain Distorts And Deceives
Author: Cordeia Fine
Highly recommended by reviewer: Carole Rein
Well-researched, this book presents information supported by hundreds of studies by hundreds of researchers including Dan Wegner, Roy Baumeister, and Antonio Damasio. What sets this book apart from others is its lightheartedness in listing serious shortcomings of our brains, that is, the brains that are not learning-disabled, but considered ‘normal’. Research has shown that our brains distort facts repeatedly in order to see ourselves personally in a better light. This is a million examples of positive psychology in action, on the part of our brains!
Fine’s nine chapters focus on these brain qualities: vanity, emotions, immorality, delusion, pigheadedness, secretiveness, weak will, bigotry, and vulnerability. In the chapter on weak will, Fine describes brain mechanics and the energy drain caused by trying to control our thoughts or actions. Interestingly, learning about the mechanics doesn’t necessarily make it easier to exercise more or eat less, though may make us more understanding when we don’t stick to our next New Year’s resolutions.
Why read this book? Your awareness of brain and behavioral research will increase easily because, as we know from positive psychology, it’s easier to learn when experiencing positive emotions. a mind of its own will make you laugh and perhaps lighten up on yourself.
Chapter 2 Happiness – The Goal We Never Talk About
September 7, 2007
Why should I be happy? Once you read the research on happiness and how it improves people’s lives – I believe you’ll join me in my commitment to increasing the happiness factor in my client’s, and my own life!
The second chapter of Positive Psychology Coaching starts with the question “Am I happy?” A great existential question, and a good moment of check-in. What does happy mean to you? Does it have a place in coaching? Since most people don’t seek out the help of a therapist or coach unless the have a problem, why specialize in happiness? The second chapter takes on these hard questions in a well-organized way.
One of the things I like about how the material is covered is the boxes entitled, Point 1, Point 2, etc. The topic of happiness is well defined, existentially, subjectively and situationally. The chapter ends with action steps for positive psychology coaches.
As a teaser here is Point 1 – “Happiness is beneficial. Happy people live longer, stay married longer, make more money, receive better evaluations from work supervisors, take fewer sick days, are more altruistic, and creative.” So what do you think, feel, is happiness important?