Positive, mental health coaching:
Published on Aug 28, 2020
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Positive, mental health coaching:
Focusing on mental health, not mental ill-health
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Focusing on mental health, not mental ill-health
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The medical model assumes that focusing on the past, the problem and the symptoms is necessary; that ‘putting up with the symptoms’, languishing & making do is acceptable; seeing the problem as environmental, genetic or biological is in some way valid (medical intervention is necessary)
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Take, for example the experience of early childhood trauma. Many believe that the most effective way to recover from such trauma is to return to, and relive the trauma.
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Research suggests however that talking about trauma and other disturbing events can not only be unhelpful but can actually make matters worse – talking about negative experiences not only stops those experiences fading from the mind of the individual but actually keeps them very much ‘alive.’ (Nettle, 2005)
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Individuals, it would appear have a natural ability to heal themselves which in turn helps build resilience. Our minds, like our bodies have a natural ability to repair themselves if given the chance.
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Some psychotherapeutic and counselling approaches, through focusing on the past make this natural healing process and the resilience which flows from it difficult.
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Rather then ‘relive’ past experiences individuals can learn to ‘reframe’ their response to the original event. The individual learns to; “… identify negative thoughts and replace them with realistic alternatives. Neuroscientists tell us that the more frequently that optimistic thoughts are rehearsed the more natural they become. With practice, reframing and consciously generating optimistic thoughts can become an automatic response. Learned optimism is about thinking accurately about real problems and taking the time to consider issues in a realistic and non-negative way.”
(MacConville and Rae, 2012)
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Consider for example the ABC model offered by Albert Ellis
A = the ACTIVATING event
B= the BELIEFS we have about the event
C= the emotional CONSEQUENCES of having those beliefs.
The emotions we experience, following an event are not caused by the event itself
but by the beliefs we hold about the event.
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If the beliefs we have are EMPOWERING then all well and good because the consequences of having those beliefs will be helpful and beneficial.
The consequences will be good for us.
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If however, the beliefs we have are DISEMPOWERING then we may wish to challenge ourselves to change them as the consequences of having those beliefs won’t be good for us.
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Change can take place through rethinking, challenging or disputing the initial belief.
Any negative belief or thought can then be replaced with something more helpful and beneficial. Having done so we can then move forward with optimism.
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The emphasis here isn’t on what is wrong with people but on their potential to grow, develop and flourish – it focuses on mental health and well-being not mental ill-health.
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This is the difference between the Disease Model in contrast to the Health Model.
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Therapy: curative treatment (i.e. radiotherapy, chemotherapy, physiotherapy), treatment of disease or disorder, to make better.
Disease: dis-ease – an individual who is no longer at ease with themselves or with those around them emotionally and psychologically.
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Take, for example the medical model view of depression:
Depression is due to a chemical in-balance in the brain
Depression is anger turned in upon the self (the Freudian model)
Or it is neither of these things … depression it could be argued is simply the result of badly managed thinking – ‘stupid thinking by non-stupid people’ as Ellis would say.
Beck came to the same conclusion:
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“The troubled person is led to believe that he can’t help himself and must seek out a professional healer when confronted with distress related to everyday problems of living. His confidence in using the ‘obvious’ techniques he has customarily used in solving his problems is eroded because he accepts the view that emotional disturbances arise from forces beyond his grasp. He can’t hope to understand himself through his own efforts, because his own notions are dismissed as shallow and insubstantial. By debasing the value of common sense, this subtle indoctrination inhibits him from using his own judgement in analysing and solving his problems.” (Beck)
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That psychological issues such as anxiety and depression are simply ‘thinking errors’ that the suffer could resolve if they put their mind to it gave rise to new, cognitive approaches including Cognitive Therapy, REBT and a more recent approach called …
Positive therapy (an approach combining positive psychology and person-centred therapy).
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POSITIVE THERAPY:
The term ‘positive psychology’ was introduced into the literature by Humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow (1954). Maslow and follow Humanist Carl Rogers emphasised the need for therapy to concentrate on the positive rather than the negative aspects of the human condition.
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They proposed a person-centred approach to therapy which places the client at the centre of the process. The client is understood to be innately motivated towards self-actualisation – it is the therapists job to create the context for the client’s growth and development through the use of non-directive dialogue.
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It is through this dialogue that the client learns to resolve the problems they face.
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Positive psychological approaches to therapy have been influenced by the Humanism tradition.
The purpose of therapy is to; “… allow people to know what is important for them to lead a fulfilling life and to move towards goals that are consistent with optimal functioning. When they achieve their goals they experience greater autonomy, competence, and relatedness and this enhances their sense of well-being.” (Carr, 2011).
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An essential aspect of this process is the therapist-client alliance - this alliance is understood to be more important then any specific technique the therapist may use (Joseph and Linley, 2006).
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Research by Lambert and Barley, (2001) and Wampold (2005) also emphasises the importance of the therapist-client relationship. They were interested initially in finding out which psychotherapeutic interventions were the most successful and why. They discovered that the defining factor when it came to clinical success wasn’t the intervention itself but the therapist and how they personally conducted themselves in relation to the client, i.e. being kind, helpful, empathetic, friendly, approachable etc.
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The quality of the therapist-client alliance is critically important in enabling positive change to take place (The client needs to feel safe and secure psychologically and emotionally – this sense of safety enables the client to engage fully in the process of personal growth and development).
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Therapists who are thriving personally are in the best possible position to enable others to do the same.
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Self-determination theory, which grew out of person-centred therapy supports this position - SDT views the individual as intrinsically motivated – motivated more specifically towards optimal functioning.
The theory proposes that: “ …when our needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy are satisfied intrinsic motivation is likely to occur, but self-motivation is less likely when these needs are thwarted” (Deci & Ryan, 2008).
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TEACHING PEOPLE TO FLOURISH & THRIVE:
One of the central tenets in positive psychology is combating the proposition that negativity is the human brain’s default position. Buying into this proposition makes it easy for people to be scared, fearful, anxious and depressed. We can however override this position through learning to increase the amount of positive emotion we experience daily.
Ellis’s ABC model was designed to do precisely this – it encourages people to identify negative, disempowering thoughts and beliefs and then, having done so, they are encouraged to challenge and change these thoughts and beliefs.
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And, as a result a new, more empowering mind-set is developed and maintained. This mind-set includes a number of beneficial cognitive skills including the ability to take responsibility for one’s thoughts and emotions, being hopeful and optimistic and being resilience.
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“Resilience is closely related to optimism. It is a cognitive skill that enables us to climb over life’s obstacles rather than be defeated by them. Resilient individuals believe that the world is a changeable place over which they can exert influence and transform the world from being a hostile frightening place to be a place of opportunity. The term ‘resilience’ has typically been used to describe individuals who have overcome great stress and hardship.”
(MacConville and Rae, 2012)
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Resilience is of course a strength. Recognising and enhancing strengths is critically important, i.e. focusing on what you are good at, what makes you feel good, what is going well in your life as opposed to what your weaknesses and shortcomings are, what makes you feel negative, stressed and anxious, for example.
Its about emphasising the presence of psychological health rather than the absence of psychological illness.
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Thank you for listening
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