Working with Character Strengths

Streaming video - 2014

Positive Psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology as introduced in 1998 by Professor Martin Seligman, but it has quickly developed a large following amongst practitioners around the globe. It concentrates on studying and promoting positive human functioning, and developing effective interventions that help to support thriving individuals, families, and communities. Positive psychology aims to go beyond just treating mental illness, and pursues making everyday life happier and more fulfilling. Psychotherapists, counsellors, coaches as well as various other psychological and medical professionals, are using methods and techniques derived from Positive Psychology to work with a wide variety of individuals and groups: whether they be... clients with a range of psychological difficulties or those wishing to simply thrive within a work context or in their personal lives. This video series is an attempt to present practitioners with a clear overview of Positive Psychology principles, its methods and processes and to give them guidance about its everyday use with a variety of clients. The series consists of 4 videos that primarily concentrate on identifying and developing clients’ signature strengths. In his exclusive interviews Paul Grantham, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, with a vast experience in teaching and applying positive psychology in practice, outlines in detail the use of the VIA Survey for the assessment of client’s character strengths, and the way of exercising the signature strength in everyday life. He also answers the most common questions that are asked by practitioners who are working in the positive psychology field and explores ways of dealing with the common problems and difficulties that they might be facing in their work. Each interview is followed by a live session with a client. You will see how to introduce positive psychology concepts to the client step by step, including those that are not always easy to explore. The sessions are followed by a reflective discussion with further practical recommendations and the client’s feedback and reflections on the experience. The fourth video is a seminar led by Paul Grantham on building clients’ well-being and resilience. more