Positive psychology coaching is an emerging field that is opening up new avenues for coaches in all segments of the industry. A coach who incorporates aspects of positive psychology into their practice will be able to help anyone who wants to feel good about about themselves, flourish in varying situations, and protect against depression when adversity rears its ugly head.

Positive psychology coaching works for life coaches, fitness coaches, executive coaches, athletic coaches, and every other type of coaching. It works to help clients in both their personal and professional lives and can be applied to most any situation.

What is Positive Psychology Coaching?

Positive psychology is the study and analysis of the virtues, strengths, and positive attributes that enable individuals, groups, and communities to thrive and prosper. Because it aligns seamlessly with the coaching profession, it can be used a an effective coaching tool. The term “positive psychology was first coined by Abraham Maslow in 1954 and was a plea to psychologist and the field of psychology to not only focus on disorders and problems in individuals, but to also focus on the positive elements of each person. The term was brought back to life in 1998 when Martin Seligman became president of the American Psychological Association. He recognized that most psychological research had focused on human disorders and deficits and how to treat them, with far less research devoted to positive traits and how to nurture and promote them.

Positive psychology coaching incorporates research that shows people who are happy tend to live the longest, enjoy the healthiest lives, and achieve the greatest personal and professional success. Happy people tend to be optimistic, nurture relationships with family and friends, enjoy and savor the positive experiences in their lives, learn from but do not dwell on the negative experiences, and strive for and commit to meaningful goals.

Clients seek out coaches for a variety of reasons, but the underlying theme is a quest for happiness. Whether this means losing weight, getting in shape, becoming a better leader, reaching professional goals, or improving relationships, happiness is the holy grail of life. Positive psychology coaching focuses on the strengths and talents of an individual and coaches use the inherent and learned strengths to help clients in their for achieving goals and finding true happiness.

Empowering Clients With the Positive, Not the Negative

Positive psychology coaches empower their clients with the belief that their character strengths are already with in them. One valid method of empowering clients is to work with the VIA (Values in Action) Inventory of Signature Strengths, a scientifically validated assessment tool designed to identify an individual’s list of character strengths. By recognizing their strengths, clients can begin to build on them by embracing careers aligned with their strengths and working toward goals that best fit their identified characteristics. This method of working with clients is different than what has been traditionally used in psychology, which usually sought to identify and treat disorders. However, coaching has always sought to build on character strengths and emphasize the positive – this is why positive psychology coaching is a perfect fit for coaches in every segment of the industry.

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article…Thank you!

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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