Is Positive Thinking and therapy

[stef]

Hi all there,

I have finally persuaded my partner to go together to therapy.

Well, nothing to be happy about due the situation but a step beyond anyhow.

But this is not what I was posting about.

How current psycology (a therapist) deals with "positive thinking" movement?

By positive thinking i do not mean the attitude of being optimist but the real movement which is related to (I guess) the new age, the law of attraction, "The Secret" book/movie and all that jazz.

I mean: do I risk to face a positive thinker as qualified psycologist or not?

Thanks a lot again.
Stef

 

[David Baxter PhD]

If you do, get another therapist!

But I don't think it's likely. That's pop psychology, not real psychology. Great fodder for Oprah or Dr. Phil but without any substance really.

Books like "The Secret" give positive psychology a bad name...

 

[stef]

Dr Phil :crazy:

but anyhow...you did not list "positive psycology" in your list of therapies...

 

[David Baxter PhD]

but anyhow...you did not list "positive psycology" in your list of therapies...

Not sure I understand... do you mean on my professional website?

Positive psychology is basically the study of learned resilience and learned optimism, a counter to the learned helplessness and cognitive distorions of depression, anxiety, and other disorders and issues. It's not really a therapeutic approach per se as much as one of the goals and tools used in combination with other things in therapy.

 

[stef]

No, I meant the post whose title is: "Psychotherapy: An overview of the types of therapy" but I now see it's a link from a Majo clinic article.